I have an idea for a new portable app which would probably be fairly simple to write for a pro. The idea is simply for a small program that reads my apps list and lets me copy the launcher and any programs I chose to a new location.
I'll elaborate:
The problem is this: I use a massive Portable Apps (PA) folder with almost all the software on my PC at home but often want to put just a selection of the PAs onto a USB stick or someone else's computer. I currently have to select the program folders i want to copy individually and create the right structure on a new USB stick. Ideally however, I would love to have a function/program where I simply click on "Clone/Replicate Portable Apps" which brings me to a window where I can select the destination folder and a tick list of all my apps so that I can simply tick and choose which ones to take with me and which ones to leave behind. It would look a little like the "Download new software" dialogue except that it would display the Apps I already have.
If other people feel this to be as useful as I think it would be, maybe someone could have a look at programming it. I'd do it myself if I knew any useful programming languages (Fortran and Matlab aren't exactly the best for this sort of thing).
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I find that useful, cause I have (or had until the App Directory) some kind of App Repository on my mobile hdd. The advantage over the App Directory is that I don't need internet access (especially now as long as my school is cut off network access for some time because the cable installation is not ready yet), can inculde development tests and can have some apps preconfigured (where needed).
But since the latest pre-releases I find myself not using that way too often. I mostly depend on the App Directory and official apps.
But the idea is tempting as long as it works folder based and not with a database of only official apps.
On the other hand, using a two pane filemanager does the trick nearly as easy. Combine that with a batch to copy/create the
PortableAppsandDocumentsfolders and copy the Start.exe and it's just a 2-step process.If you didn't know, Windows Explorer allows you to multi-select files and folders while holding CTRL. For creating the folder structure, just use the PortableApps.com Platfrom Only installer.
I know that you can run the basic installer and then copy across individual folders. But that requires the additional step of downloading or keeping a copy of the apps launcher installer and then you have to still seperately copy across the folders. If there were an app, it could make it even quicker than I described in my original post, if you could just click "select favourites" or if it simply remembered your previous selection.
If you don't want to use the platform installer, you may keep an empty platform set in a separate folder and copy that first.
Example:
Root \PlatformTemplate (A fresh install here or copy from another location) \Documents \Music Desktop.ini ... \PortableApps \PortableApps.com \App ... Start.exe \PortableApps (your repository) Start.exeYou then just have to copy the whole content of the template folder once and then a selection of your repository into the copied PortableApps folder. Do that with something like FreeCommander and it is no more work than manually ticking apps in a list.
The idea wasn't to find a workaround or a slow way to do it with windows. I admit, the answers above all work alright - but it's like saying "just open a command promt, create a custom setup file and use the command ..." when really, there could just be a button to do it.
I understood your request and would have use for such a program, too (see my first post). It just does not exist for now and therefore the workarounds. Btw. the program would not be just one button to do it as you have to select, what to replicate and hit at least one other button to execute the "start now" command - not much work less but maybe more polished ;). If you want to replicate a defined set of apps you could copy a predefined portableapps folder instead.
FreeFileSyncPortable, used to synchronize but would do the trick if you set the filter right.
there is a dev test on https://portableapps.com/node/27244
hope it helps