Application: Appetizer
Category: Dock application
Description: Appetizer is an application launcher, or dock, for Windows. Rather than organizing the apps as a list like the Windows Start menu, they are organized in a dock a bit similar to the Mac OS X dock bar.
Release notes: For those who are interested, I've uploaded the PAF file for version 1.3.1.222
Download Appetizer 1.3.1.222 (Installer and ZIP package)
Download Appetizer 1.3.1.222 (PortableApps.com)
Features:
- Support for plugins
- Support for multiple skins
- Resizable dock, which allows displaying the icons both horizontally or vertically.
- Three sizes of icons: Small and large
- Organize the icons by drag & dropping them
- 'Multi-launch' functionality
- Regroup multiple shortcuts within one menu
- Support for multiple languages
- Minimize to tray icon functionality
Change log:
Version 1.3.1.222 (2009-04-12):
- New option to set the window transparency
- Added support for "Printer and Faxes" and "Network Connections" special items
- New plugin: "Close after launching an app"
- Improved plugin system.
- Skin: Added support for tiled background
- Plugins are now disabled by default
- Fixed: Improved support for Vista (installation and saving of settings)
- Fixed: USB hard drives were incorrectly detected as non-removable. As a result, the "Eject" button wasn't shown for these drives.
- Added hungarian localization
- Added italian localization (Massimo Lauria)
- Added Portuguese (BR) language
Version 1.2.2.606 Beta (2008-12-07):
- New: "Reveal target" plugin
- Fixed Windows 2000 crash (missing "SetDllDirectory" function)
- Updated German translation and help file (wk)
- Updated Polish translation (Michal Trzebiatowski)
- Updated French translation and help file
- Added Danish translation (Henrik Agersted)
- Fixed: plugin manager was dispatching events to disabled plugins
- Fixed: Appetizer could crash if two plugins were using the same global object
- Fixed: Appetizer can crash if a plugin tries to use an object that has been deleted
- Fixed: Shortcut Editor Dialog gives focus to "name" field on creation
- Fixed: update detection code didn't run the first time the app was launched
- Fixed: The option panel layout wasn't done correctly if a button was added to it while it was closed.
- Improved: Optimzation for special item icons and folder icons
- Improved: App now tries to detect the system locale the first time the app is launched
- Lua: Better error messages if a script fails to load or if there is an syntax error
- Lua: Exported many new functions
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I was trying out your "Download Appetizer 1.3.1.222 (PortableApps.com)" version of appetizer and ejected the flash drive and the computer restarted and reinserted my flash drive and EVERY shortcut was gone! Only the autorun file remained on my flash drive and the app itself.
That sounds serious indeed. Does it always happen when you try the eject function, or was it just once? I need to give it a try to see if I can reproduce the issue. Thanks for letting me know.
Well I tried to shorten the story but I guess you need the full version. The computers at the public library have a program called PC_Client (or something like that, I'm not sure) and it gives you a time limit for the use on the computer (60 minutes) and you can use it up to twice a day. Well, whenever your time runs out, the computer restarts and all data that was modified/added is deleted and the computer restarts. And you have to re-log in.
So, I was using one of those computers and I was using that version of that is in PA format just to try it out. Well, I put the same shortcuts & settings on my copy that I had before and deleted the old file for appetizer. I thought that it was still cool. Then, I had to log off, so I "safely removed" my USB stick and waited for the computer to reboot.
Then, I log back on and guess what, I go to open my copy of Appetizer only to see that ALL my preferences are gone, along with the shortcuts. The only thing that remained was the autorun file left on my flash drive. I went to check the Appetizer folder and the files were all gone. >_
That's really strange - normally the PA version should only save its data in the Settings folder. Actually, can you see any "Arguments.txt" file next to Appetizer.exe? (i.e. in the folder "PortableApps\Appetizer\App\Appetizer" by default) If there is one, that could be the reason why it's not saving its settings in the right folder.
Also if you could give it another try and see where it's saving the settings that would be useful. In particular, check the Application Data folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\USER_NAME\Application Data\Appetizer\
So I don't know the next time I can go to the public library and try it again. So don't count on a quick response from me. Sorry.
Has anyone else had this problem?
I didn't have enough time to reinstall and everything the last time I went to the library but I did find a bug that bothered me a lot.
I have Appetizer installed in X:\PROGRAM FILES\Appetizer. Whenever I insert my flash drive, the I still get the window to "Start Appetizer" but I click it and Windows says that I have to select the program I want to use to start Appetizer. I didn't think it was a big deal, just a one time thing. So I closed the window and reinserted my flash drive and I got the same messages. This time though, I actually browsed for Appetizer in my flash drive and clicked on it. Then, some funky error message popped up (I don't remember what it said) and I exited out of it. Appetizer still started up but it just doesn't look like it wants to start normally. I think its the fact that I have Appetizer inside a folder and Windows can't find it. I previously had Appetizer installed at X:\Appetizer but I felt that it didn't look right without it being in my PROGRAM FILES folder. I was going to try and move it back to how I had it previously but I was too lazy and didn't want to re-add the 25+ shortcuts from the menu (yes I have a lot of apps).
I hope you can fix that in your next version of Appetizer. Still sorry that I couldn't find out where the (PA)Appetizer stores its data. BTW, I don't think you need the splash screen because the PA suite doesn't have the splash screen.
PS. I was using the newest ZIP version.
PPS. Could you add a little something to the dock that shows how much space your using on the drive similar to how the PA Suite is?
PPPS. Still think Appetizer is awesome
PPPPS. Why do you have your Appetizer website app.etizer.com instead of appetizer.com?
EDIT: Oh
I honestly don't know what could be causing your issue. I've improved the closing process in the last version (available here) so perhaps it will now work better on your computer. Please give it a try and let me know how it goes.
BTW, I don't think you need the splash screen because the PA suite doesn't have the splash screen.
Good point, I'm going to remove it for now, since it's not part of the PA suite anyway.
PPS. Could you add a little something to the dock that shows how much space your using on the drive similar to how the PA Suite is?
I've added it to the todo list. I'll see if it can be done as a plugin.
Why do you have your Appetizer website app.etizer.com instead of appetizer.com?
Not available; and I think .org domains sound more "open source"
you made lifehacker today
Lead, Follow, or get out of the way.
actually he made it to [URL removed] and then lifehacker did it 1 day after
[Promoting your personal portable software site is not permitted - Mod JTH]
your friendly neighbourhood moderator Zach Thibeau
he made DownloadSquad.com a few days ago too!
The developer formerly known as ZGitRDun8705
are you guys talking about?
The Appetizer application was featured in stories at:
Lifehacker and Downloadsquad.com
The developer formerly known as ZGitRDun8705
After that it also got featured on Japanese and Chinese websites. It's all good news for Appetizer
So is appetizer now fixed? I saw the post with the "SUPER HUGE GINORMOUS GIGANTIC BIG BUG FOUND!!!"
I wasn't sure when Pyro said that...
...I'm not sure if he meant that the only thin left on his USB was the autorun file, or that Appetizer just did not save the shortcuts that he made within the app itself.
For that reason I was to afraid to actually try the app myself. Is it safe to use now?
works great for me - no problems at all
"No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices." - Edward R. Murrow
versions 1.3 are ok on my windows2000. but I just tried version 1.4.2 and it crashes when I save the settings. I made sure all the plugins were turned off by editing the Plugins.xml file (to avoid the crashing thing)
"No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices." - Edward R. Murrow
Thanks for letting me know. This is due to the introduction of the "label position" option. It will be fixed in the next beta release.
I tried the beta on my friend's XP and it seemed to crash there as well.
and when you close the program it takes longer to go away. thanks for working on this.
"No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices." - Edward R. Murrow
Well, I was curious... so I downloaded Appetizer 1.3.1.22 (PAF format, of course), and tried to run it. It ran, then displayed the "Import" dialog; I closed the dialog and tried to work with the main Appetizer window, but it went not responding. Killed the Appetizer process in Process Explorer, then tried starting it up again, this time importing my Start Menu programs; still a hard crash (although it did manage to import my Start Menu apps before it went not responding).
Tried a downgrade to the next-lower version (don't recall which version, but I can look it up if it's relevant) - same exact problem. I can sometimes get one of the buttons to show its Hover picture, but that's about it - and mousing off the button leaves the Hover picture there.
This whole not-responding thing has forced me back to Windows Explorer... hope you can get it working soon!
(btw, I'm on Windows XP SP3, with admin rights now. Running Appetizer with limited rights had no effect, though)
"The question I would like to know, is the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. All we know about it is that the Answer is Forty-two, which is a little aggravating."
Russian translation for Appetizer http://punkwj.com/2009/10/29/ru-appetizer/
Theme Green Glass for Appetizer http://punkwj.com/2009/10/30/green-glass-appetizer/
Sorry for my English, I do not know ...