[Outdated] Chris's PortableApps.com Launcher Test 5 (2009-05-25)

One feature I'd like to request would be a substitution for ProgramData. This folder exists in Vista and later and many casual games (notably PopCap's) use it to store user data. I love PopCap's newest game, Plants vs. Zombies, and I'd love it even more if I could make it portable with this, but to do that I need to have a variable for ProgramData (I could hardcode it to use C:\ProgramData of course, but the folder may be named something different on different language versions of Windows).

For reference, the environment variable with the location of ProgramData is %ALLUSERSPROFILE%.

Chris, let's call this "Chris' PortableApps.com Launcher Test" as "PortableApps.com Launcher" will be the name of the official one (and it won't start at version 1.9.9.1). And, for now, have the filename be ChrisPortableApps.comLauncher.exe and have it use App\ChrisLauncher for now so we don't have collisions later with the official one.

The official one uses some different configs and getting the two confused will cause people headaches.

I like your use of LogicLib as it's far more readable. If you'd like to join forces and possibly maintain the official one (which will likely be a mix of mine and yours anyway), just drop me an email.

Would I be correct in assuming that this launcher basically makes apps which are mostly portable to start with portable to PortableApps.com standards? Like for example CCleaner Portable, nevermind there's a launcher for it, but would I be correct in assuming I could install this, dump CCleaner Portable in the appropriate folder, configure the .INI, and be good to go?

If I'm reading this right, awesome job. If not, I'm sure it's still pretty impressive.

For some reason DirectoriesMove isn't being honored. I looked at the source and I don't see any reason why this shouldn't be working:

[AppDetails]
PortableAppLongName=Plants vs. Zombies Portable
AppLongName=Plants vs. Zombies
ProgramDirectory=PlantsVsZombies
ProgramExecutable=PlantsVsZombies.exe

[LaunchDetails]
SetOutPath=%APPDIR%\PlantsVsZombies
AssignContainedTempDirectory=true
SinglePortableAppInstance=true
SingleAppInstance=true
WaitForProgram=true

[LiveMode]
CopyApp=true
CopyData=true

[RegistryKeys]
PlantsVsZombiesPortable=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\PopCap\PlantsVsZombies

[RegistryCleanupIfEmpty]
1=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\PopCap\PlantsVsZombies
2=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\PopCap

[DirectoriesMove]
userdata=%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\PopCap Games\PlantsVsZombies

[DirectoriesCleanupIfEmpty]
1=%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\PopCap Games\PlantsVsZombies
2=%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\PopCap Games

I receive no debug messages (Is there any way to disable those, by the way?) about userdata being backed up or restored, the local userdata is left as-is and therefore the game just uses whatever is already on the machine. Much less destructive than Test 1 (which deleted the local folder entirely), but still a major roadblock.

Also, a quick note: The sample launcher INI has RegistryCleanup and DirectoriesCleanup, which confused me at first since it was inconsistent with the docs. I finally found out that CleanupIfEmpty was correct, but you might want to fix that since it'll confuse other people too, I'm sure.

Just tested with Plants vs. Zombies, no issues I can see. Registry gets backed up and restored properly, directory moves work as designed...

Now do you promise you won't change the INI format again? I'm now going to switch over all my Test 1 apps to Test 4, so I don't want to have go through all that again.

Anyway, I do have a request. Could you make it so changes in [RegistryKeyWrite] are restored afterwards? To portabilize RPG Maker VX for my nephew, I have to write the RTP path to a specific key in HKLM (yes, I know this requires admin privileges). However, if RMVX is already installed, this key will contain the location of the local RTP. I'd like that to be restored after the portable version closes...

Is it possible that you could post the .ini code for a Limewire portable launcher? It is java and I am very new with portablizing java software. I mean I could ask for a portable version but this launcher you have created looks so much easier.

Hi chris morgan, thank you for making this app!

i just like to ask you if it will be possible to have two or more registry keys for a single application? say i like to copy an HKLM, HKCU, and another HKCU, in [RegistryKeys],i tried adding variables 1 and 2, but it doesn't work.

and is it possible to have an option to change icon on launcher, so it would look good in launchers.

thanks!

any update? :0

[AppDetails]
PortableAppLongName=AkelPad Portable
AppLongName=AkelPad
ProgramDirectory=AkelPad
ProgramExecutable=AkelPad.exe

[LaunchDetails]
;DefaultCommandLineArguments=--data-directory=%DATADIR%\settings
SetOutPath=%APPDIR%\AkelPad
AssignContainedTempDirectory=true
SinglePortableAppInstance=false
SingleAppInstance=true
WaitForProgram=true
WaitForOtherInstances=true
RequiresJava=false
; If you need to run "javaw.exe %APPDIR%\Some\thing.jar", use ProgramExecutable=javaw.exe and DefaultCommandLineArguments=%APPDIR%\Some\thing.jar

[LiveMode]
CopyApp=true
CopyData=true

[RegistryKeys]
AkelPad_portable=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Akelsoft\AkelPad\Options

[RegistryCleanupIfEmpty]
1=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Akelsoft\AkelPad\Options
2=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Akelsoft


[FilesMove]
%APPDIR%\AkelPad\AkelPad.ini=%DATADIR%\settings\AkelPad.ini 

[FileDriveLetterUpdate]
Backslash1=%DATADIR%\settings\data.conf
Forwardslash1=%DATADIR%\settings\data.conf

[Environment]
PATH=%APPDIR%\AppName;{&}
HOME=%DATADIR%\settings
ForwardslashTest=%/DATADIR%/settings
DoubleBackslashTest=%\\DATADIR%\\settings

I highlighted by problem. I am trying to move "akelpad.ini" from AkelpadPortable\App\AkelPad\ TO AkelPadPortable\Data\Settings\

do u know how I am get this to work? thank you for your help in advance

how would I redirect this:
"C:\Documents and Settings\username\Contacts

I know Ihave to put the this under:

[DirectoriesMove]

but I dont know what to put there to make it redirect...

thank you for ur help

Hi Chris,

I'm hoping that you can give me some pointers here...

The (java) App I use is run using a relatively complex bat file. It's already stored on my portable HDD and making use of the portable java. However I would like to make this a proper portable app using your launcher.

My first stumbling block is the complex commands to set the classpath command line arguments.

What I think needs to be done is...

[AppDetails]
PortableAppLongName=Pentaho Data Intergration Portable
AppLongName=Pentaho Data Intergration
ProgramDirectory=PentahoDataIntergration
ProgramExecutable=javaW.exe

[LaunchDetails]
DefaultCommandLineArguments=--%OPT%

[CommonFiles]
Java=require

[DirectoriesMove]
settings=%APPDATA%

[DirectoriesCleanupIfEmpty]
1=%APPDATA%\.kettle
2=%APPDATA%\.pentaho

[DirectoriesCleanupForce]
1=%APPDATA%\.kettle
2=%APPDATA%\.pentaho

[Environment]
CLASSPATH={&};libswt\runtime.jar;libswt\jface.jar;libswt\common.jar;libswt\commands.jar;libswt\win32\swt.jar
OPT=-Xmx256m -cp %CLASSPATH% -Djava.library.path=libswt\win32\ -DKETTLE_HOME="%KETTLE_HOME%" -DKETTLE_REPOSITORY="%KETTLE_REPOSITORY%" -DKETTLE_USER="%KETTLE_USER%" -DKETTLE_PASSWORD="%KETTLE_PASSWORD%" -DKETTLE_PLUGIN_PACKAGES="%KETTLE_PLUGIN_PACKAGES%" -DKETTLE_LOG_SIZE_LIMIT="%KETTLE_LOG_SIZE_LIMIT%"

The bat file that launches the application is as follows...

@echo off

REM **************************************************
REM Check for Windows 2000, since the command line length is limited
REM **************************************************
ver | find "Windows 2000" >nul
if errorlevel 1 goto nowin2k
echo Attention: You are using Windows 2000. Please see
echo http://wiki.pentaho.org/display/EAI/Windows+2000
echo when Spoon does not start. After fixing the problem
echo you can delete the pause line in your Spoon.bat file.
pause
:nowin2k

REM **************************************************
REM ** Set console window properties                **
REM **************************************************
REM TITLE Spoon console
REM COLOR F0

REM **************************************************
REM ** Make sure we use the correct J2SE version!   **
REM ** Uncomment the PATH line in case of trouble   **
REM **************************************************

set PATH=P:\PortableApps\CommonFiles\Java\bin;.;%PATH%

REM **************************************************
REM ** Libraries used by Kettle:                    **
REM **************************************************

set CLASSPATH=.

REM ******************
REM   KETTLE Library
REM ******************

set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;lib\kettle-core.jar
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;lib\kettle-db.jar
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;lib\kettle-engine.jar
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;lib\kettle-ui-swt.jar

REM **********************
REM   External Libraries
REM **********************

REM Loop the libext directory and add the classpath.
REM The following command would only add the last jar: FOR %%F IN (libext\*.jar) DO call set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;%%F
REM So the circumvention with a subroutine solves this ;-)

FOR %%F IN (libext\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\JDBC\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\webservices\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\commons\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\web\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\pentaho\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\spring\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\jfree\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\mondrian\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F
FOR %%F IN (libext\salesforce\*.jar) DO call :addcp %%F


goto extlibe

:addcp
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;%1
goto :eof

:extlibe

REM **********************
REM   Collect arguments
REM **********************

set _cmdline=
:TopArg
if %1!==! goto EndArg
set _cmdline=%_cmdline% %1
shift
goto TopArg
:EndArg


REM *****************
REM   SWT Libraries
REM *****************

set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;libswt\runtime.jar
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;libswt\jface.jar
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;libswt\common.jar
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;libswt\commands.jar
set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;libswt\win32\swt.jar

REM ******************************************************************
REM ** Set java runtime options                                     **
REM ** Change 256m to higher values in case you run out of memory.  **
REM ******************************************************************

set OPT=-Xmx256m -cp %CLASSPATH% -Djava.library.path=libswt\win32\ -DKETTLE_HOME="%KETTLE_HOME%" -DKETTLE_REPOSITORY="%KETTLE_REPOSITORY%" -DKETTLE_USER="%KETTLE_USER%" -DKETTLE_PASSWORD="%KETTLE_PASSWORD%" -DKETTLE_PLUGIN_PACKAGES="%KETTLE_PLUGIN_PACKAGES%" -DKETTLE_LOG_SIZE_LIMIT="%KETTLE_LOG_SIZE_LIMIT%"

REM ***************
REM ** Run...    **
REM ***************

start javaw %OPT% org.pentaho.di.ui.spoon.Spoon %_cmdline%

The win2k test and command line arguments can be ignored for now.

The %KETTLE_...% arguments are set the first time you run the app and is stored in "kettle properties" a ".kettle" folder in the windows user's documents and settings folder.

There is also .pentaho directory that is created. I'm assuming by specifying "settings" in directories to move, it will move all the directories it can find in the settings directory?

Any pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks
Paul

any update? i found a somewhat similar app x-launcher in winpenpack, but this is easier to use.

thanks john for the update!

I found a bug recently: When CopyApp is set to true but CopyData is false (I want to do this for Plants vs. Zombies because it takes ages to load directly from flash), and RunLocally is on, managed directories and files aren't copied properly to the local machine.

What it looks like is happening is that it's trying to fetch the data from the wrong spot (i.e. the launcher folder as opposed to Data) and this results in nothing being copied, and therefore the app starts with default settings.