Examples

Here are some fully worked examples for the PortableApps.com Launcher.

• Worked Example: Scribus
• Worked Example: 7-Zip

More worked examples will be written some time. For the moment you can look at applications which have been made portable with the PortableApps.com Launcher and work out how they work manually.

Apps using the PortableApps.com Launcher

When learning to use the PortableApps.com Launcher, referring to various existing apps which already use the PortableApps.com Launcher can be very helpful.

Here is a list of some of the apps which have been officially released at PortableApps.com which use the PortableApps.com Launcher and notes on special features that they use.

For the moment, this list is manually updated and a very long distance away from being comprehensive. There are plans to automatically scrape information about all apps and make this page a comprehensive reference to usage of features. With only one or two exceptions, all the apps released since December 2010 (over 120 apps) use the PortableApps.com Launcher, and many of the older apps are updated to use the PortableApps.com Launcher as new releases come out.

AssaultCube

• Running a batch file instead of an executable (including using [Launch]:HideCommandLineWindow)
• [Launch]:LaunchAppAfterSplash
• Waiting for multiple executables

Audacity

• Writing INI strings including using paths with double backslashes
• Updating drive letters
• Moving a directory
• Language switching including [LanguageFile] language preservation and [LanguageStrings] mappings
• Single portable app instance but multiple app instances

Console

• Updating drive letters
• Moving a file
• Setting environment variables

Converber

• Moving files
• Full automatic language switching

Finance Explorer

• Moving files

Free UPX

• Updating drive letters
• Moving a file

gVim

• Allowing multiple instances of portable and non-portable to mix
• Not needing to wait for the program to finish
• Command line arguments
• Environment variables
• Language switching
• Updating drive letters

IrfanView

• Allowing directory moving
• Throw-away registry keys
• Updating drive letters and configuration files

Marble

• Working directory
• Registry key
• Pruning registry tree
• Moving a directory
• Qt registry key cleanup

NSIS

• Multiple executables (including [Launch]:ProgramExecutableWhenParameters)
• Registry key
• Updating drive letters

OpenTTD

• Working directory
• Launch app after splash (can be fullscreen)
• No need for clean TEMP
• Not waiting for the app
• Full automatic language switching.

Opera

• Registry key
• Writing INI strings
• Updating drive letters
• Moving a directory
• Language switching including [LanguageFile] language preservation and [LanguageStrings] mappings

Paul’s Extreme Sound Stretch

• Working directory
• Moving a directory
• Updating drive letters

PChat

• Language switching
• Environment variables
• Command line arguments

Regshot

• Working directory
• Allowing directory moving
• Moving a file
• Updating drive letter and full package path

SMPlayer

• Command line arguments
• Support enabled for directory moving (though not yet released)
• Writing INI strings
• Updating drive letters
• Moving a directory
• Language switching including [LanguageFile] language preservation and [LanguageStrings] mappings

SQLite Database Browser

• Working directory (and that’s all - a good example of keeping it simple)

WAtomic

• Launch app after splash
• Moving files
• Pruning a directory if empty

WinDjView

• Allowing directory moving
• Registry key
• Registry value writing
• Pruning registry tree
• Drive letter updating
• Full automatic language switching

Zaz <http://portableapps.com/apps/games/zaz_portable>

• Working directory
• Launch app after splash
• Moving a directory
• Full automatic language switching