This has been officially released on the Development Page
I'm testing a new style of PortableApps.com Application Template for use with the PortableApps.com Launcher and Installer. The old 2.4 release was just the barebones file structure but includes no example config files. This is of a complete template with config files and a default launcher along with a stub EXE so you can be sure it works by default.
The configuration is setup with an AppID of AppNamePortable, so it uses AppNamePortable.exe as the default launcher and AppNamePortable.ini as its configuration file. There are default settings in the INIs for handling config files that exist locally, config directories that exist locally, config files that move between Data and App, config directories that move between Data and App, and registry key config settings. The necessary lines to handling the moving and backup/restore of local settings as well as portablization of both a standard config file and a .reg file are all included and working for an example app of AppName and ExamplePublisher. The files are all fully commented and a how to txt file is included in the base directory. You can start up just by loading an app without even needing to recompile AppNamePortable.exe. When you're ready to release, instructions for that are included as well.
Download PortableApps.com Application Template 3.5.2
Note that I'm still debating splitting this full version out and doing it along with lighter versions based on just registry and one of just files.
Please test this out, look for any errors, and provide feedback. Suggestions for this particular format are appreciated as well. If we do an automated builder based on interactive Q&A, that will be a separate process from this one (and much more complicated), so please no suggestions along those lines for right now.
Thanks!
Release History
3.5.2 (2019-01-08): Added BaseAppID64, fixed grammar and spelling issues
3.5.1 (2018-10-12): Added WorkingDirectory, BaseAppID, and app icon to help.html
3.5.0 (2018-05-21): Updated links to https, improved App directory readme, updated versioning
3.4.1 (2016-11-18): Fixed single word referring to config file instead of registry
3.4 (2016-11-18): Released and announced as official
3.4 Dev Test 2 (2016-11-14): Fixes recommended in Gord's first comment plus default installer.ini
3.4 Dev Test 1 (2016-11-13): Initial release
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1. Line 5, "rehgistry" should be registry.
2. * "Step 18. Also remove the whatgoeshere.txt files..." - it says whatgoeshere.exe!
3. Release date in title. Currently 01-07-2018.
4. Also, the image specifications could use some clarifying. Between Gord's post on this page: https://portableapps.com/node/62891 "Make sure that appicon.ico includes all of the listed variants: 16, 32 & 48 8-bit & 16,32, 58 & 256 32-bit." and "10. Copy your app's icon to the appicon.ico, appicon_16.png, appicon_32.png, appicon_75.png, and appicon_128.png files" from the _how_to.txt.
He says 58 there (thinking that might be a typo)... but he also says that 48 and 256 are unnecessary in the first point of the post.
48px and 256px are unnecessary for .png icons. Within the .ico file they are necessary (well, 256 is listed as recommended).
And yes, 58 would be a typo and should say 48.
appicon.ico is one of those .ico libraries with 16, 32 & 48 8-bit versions included within... and the *.png files should be 16, 32, 75, and 128px @ 32-bit.
correct?
Correct for .png files.
appicon.ico should include 8-bit versions at 16, 32, and 48px, plus 32-bit versions at 16, 32, 48, and 256px.
The full spec can be found in the format documentation.
The template wording is definitely a bit confusing in some spots. Thank you. Maybe if the step included the link you posted? That would be useful, I think... instead of basically rewriting, or trying to condense it for the how-to.
Where can I find the source code for the AppNamePortable.exe? I can't seem to find it in this zip file nor on Sourceforge.
Thanks.
It's the PA.c Launcher which this is used in conjunction with. Head to the Development page.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Hi John,
Thanks for providing the portablizing template. Until now I installed apps into the platform folder in its' own sub-folder & hoped for the best. Usually there are many files that appear in the PApps platform interface, instead of only a short cut to an executable. However, one suite of apps that appear in the platform window nicely is the SysIternals Suite from MS. I don't know if SysIternals is disqualified from PApps because of licensing. The only draw backs are many files need to be moved from the 'Other' category to a new category heading & Sysinternals category has too many file to navigate efficiently.
Thanks for your time & consideration.
Phill
Some Sysinternals apps are already availlable here (mostly in the tools section), but not as complete suite. Because of licensing issues, they are online installers that donwload the original package from the MS site and extract the necessary files to the right locations.
I don't think the whole suite is useful for most people as there are only very special usecases for some of them. But if you have a specific one in mind, feel free to open a request thread better than posting it off topic here.
Has a newer version been released lately? 3.5.2 (2018-01-07) was posted 5+ years ago and still has some of the issues mentioned in the replies here (most obvious example being "rehgistry entries" on line 5).
It was moved to the Development Page a while back. I'll update this topic.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!