LaunchIt 1.1 Manual

Download Page: http://www.widgetgallery.com/link

Using LaunchIt

Most of LaunchIt can be figured out through experimentation, and by browsing through the preferences. But there's still stuff you probably don't know, so read on ;)

Using Commands

To use a LaunchIt, you type commands into the text box and press Enter.

Commands can be:

To access recently used commands, double click the LaunchIt text box.

Auto-Complete: To save a lot of typing time start typing your keyword (the first few letters, or even just one letter) and then press Tab to cycle through all the keywords that start with the letter(s). When you see the one you want, press Enter.

Adding Keywords

To add a keyword, you can do any of the following.

The Add Keyword dialog appears.

Keyword: This can be as long as the text box allows, but obviously, you'll want something short and easy to remember. The less letters you use, the quicker you can type your command - just don't be too ambiguous.

Actions: Now you must decide what your keyword will do. Once you've decided, fill in the appropriate box by clicking the browse buttons, or typing in an URL.

Arguments: To add support for arguments, insert %%ARG%% in the action field where you would like your arguments to be placed. For example, I have a keyword called np, it's action field contains D:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe %%ARG%%. When I use this keyword, I can optionally specify a filename that notepad will open, like this: np D:\thefilename.txt. This causes LaunchIt to start D:\WINDOWS\notepad.exe D:\thefilename.txt. If no arguments are given, notepad runs as normal.

Multiple Commands: You can string together a sequence of commands very easily in LaunchIt. To do this, use the following syntax in the first Action field.

M:\[command1>>command2>>command3>>...]

When a keyword like this is run, each of the enclosed commands is run in succession—LaunchIt will pause between commands for the time specified in the General preferences. Commands can be anything that you would type into LaunchIt (URL's, other keywords, files, etc.). This can be useful for opening programs that depend upon each other, or even for opening up all your other favorite widgets.

Do NOT put the command inside itself, that is, if the command you are making is called multi don't write something like this:

M:\[multi>>othercmd>>anothercmd>>...]

This will cause an infinite loop, and will likely crash your computer. (Unless you terminate the process)

Once a keyword has been created, try it out and see if it works as expected. If not you can try editing it to fix the problem.

Note 1: Remember, when creating a keyword, you can use either an URL, a file, or a folder. Only fill in the text field of the type you want. For example, if you use http://www.google.com in the URL field, ensure that the file and folder fields are both empty. Multiple commands go in the first action box. All of this prevents any possible problems with your keyword.

Editing/Deleting Keywords

To edit/delete a keyword click it's name in the Manager. Or type /edit keyword_name in LaunchIt. A dialog will appear, make any necessary changes (read Adding Keywords for info), and press OK when you are finished. To delete a keyword, check the Delete Keyword box before you press OK.

Note 2: Even if you used the folder field when creating your keyword, your keyword's action will always appear in the file field (unless it's an URL). This is a small bug, but one that I cannot easily fix. Just follow the rules of Note 1 and you should be fine.

To delete all your keywords, right click LaunchIt and press Clear Keywords...

Importing and Exporting Keywords

It might be wise to backup your keywords every so often, to do this:

To import:

The Manager

The Manager lets you see and edit all your keywords. To open the Manager:

You can adjust the amount of keywords shown per column in the General preferences.

Configuring The Clock Display

The Date Format options are in the Time & Date section of the preferences. The format box accepts the following codes.

Examples:

!hh2:!ms !ampm - !mmmm !m, !yyyy --> 7:12 PM - October 23, 2005
Date: !dd/!mm/!yy --> Date: 23/10/05
Today is !mmmm !m. --> Today is October 23.
!hh1:!ms - !mmmm !m, !yyyy ---> 19:12 - October 23, 2005

Built-In Commands

/mg — Opens the Manager.
/add — Add a Keyword.
/edit keyword_name — Edit a Keyword.
/close — Close the Widget.
/reload — Reload the Widget.
/import — Import Keywords.
/export — Export Keywords.

How To Make Themes (in a nutshell)

Download this zip file. Decide on a theme type, and use the associated template file (mini or standard). Adjust in Photoshop (keep same dimensions) and overwrite the image files in one of the Example folders (make a copy first). Choose Custom Theme in the Appearance preferences, and select that folder location. Select text color, and check the Theme is Mini Style box of it is a mini theme.

Thanks,

Email all bugs, problems, questions to hamstu@gmail.com