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Suggestion - Application sets

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December 4, 2011 - 10:48am
#1
OLLI_S
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Suggestion - Application sets

Hello,

I have a new suggestion for the Portable Apps Platform.
In following I write PAP for "Portable Apps Platform".
By the way: I am using the version 4.2 of the PAP.

When I start the PAP, I have 7 applications that I always start.
So every day I have to click 7 times on the PAP menu and select the desired application.

Here it would be useful to define sets of applications.
A set is a name and a bundle of installed portable applications.
Sets are also shown in the PAP app list so I can search for them and also start them.
When I start a set, then all included applications are started (one click instead of 7 clicks).

So I would define a set "Communication" that starts:

  • Skype
  • Instantbird
  • POPMan

And also a set "Work" with the following applications:

  • AquaSnap
  • VirtuaWin
  • Launchy
  • VistaSwitcher
  • System Explorer
  • Tiny Task
  • ToDoList

Greetings

OLLI

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December 4, 2011 - 11:39am
solanus
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I've a fix that works well

On my Homepage I have a simple app that allows you to do this. (MiniApps>QuickStart)
The basis of it is a batch file - I provide an example.
If you want multiple sets, you can make multiple batch files, you'll need to do an edit to the appinfo.ini file.
I haven't seen too much interest in this, so I haven't made a GUI to edit the settings, you just edit the files in notepad or somesuch.

I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.

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December 4, 2011 - 2:50pm
(Reply to #2)
OLLI_S
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Want an official implementation into the PAP

Hello,

good that you offer such a tool.
This indicates that this feature is requested more often.

An integration into the PAP is much more comfortable (when I have a GUI interface and not a batch file).
So I hope the developers of the PAP will add this idea to their wish list.

Greetings

OLLI

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December 5, 2011 - 12:18pm
(Reply to #3)
depp.jones
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Although I consider this a

Although I consider this a useful addition, I doubt it will get on the roadmap too soon as there are other additions already in the pipeline (like screenreader support/keyboard navigation, portable file associations, refining the portable fonts or custom theme support - not to mention bugfixing).

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December 4, 2011 - 5:40pm
Gord Caswell
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Start automatically

As you've said you always start seven apps, you also have the option of starting these automatically when the platform starts: https://portableapps.com/node/26639

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December 5, 2011 - 8:31am
(Reply to #5)
OLLI_S
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Hello, I need the profile

Hello,

I need the profile "Work" only when I am at work.
There I have Windows XP and need tools like "Launchy", "AquaSnap" or "VistaSwitcher".
At home (Windows 7) I need just some of then (I need "VistaSwitcher", but I do not need "Launchy").

Private messaging (like "POPMan", "Skype", "Thunderbird" and "Instantbird") is not allowed at work.
At home I need the IM tools, but only when I want to use then.

So "Application Sets" would be the best solution.

Greetings

OLLI

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December 5, 2011 - 3:54pm
(Reply to #6)
Ken Herbert
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Not a solution, but a

Not a solution, but a workaround for now, is to have a .bat file either on the desktop of each computer or on the root of your drive which will start only the processes you want on each computer.

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December 5, 2011 - 4:05pm
(Reply to #7)
J Neutron
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TWO bat files

Have two bat files on the USB stick, one called "work.bat" and the other called "home.bat"

All the user has to do is to know where they are, and run the right one.

neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com

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December 5, 2011 - 4:16pm
(Reply to #8)
Ken Herbert
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Yeah, I didn't really word

Yeah, I didn't really word some of my post well, did I?

I meant "or two on the root of your portable drive" as you indicate.

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December 5, 2011 - 8:12pm
(Reply to #9)
J Neutron
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It was OK

If the user wanted to have one batch on the home machine and a different one on the work machine, then they could get by with only one in each location (of course configured appropriately).

There's many ways to do it. And it really doesn't need to be internal to the platform, does it?

neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com

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December 15, 2011 - 2:25am
(Reply to #10)
OLLI_S
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Other possibilities

Hello,

I tried to set my apps as favorites (so they are pinned at the top of my list).
At work I always have to start the following 6 apps: AquaSnap, VirtuaWin, Launchy, VistaSwitcher, System Explorer and Tiny Task.
At home I always have to start the following 3 apps: Skype, Instantbird and POPMan.
An in both environments (home and work) I have to start ToDoList and Firefox.
So I would have to add 11 applications to the favorites list.
A very huge list.

Of cause I could create two batch files, that start the desired applications automatically.
But here I thought about the usability (I work as an Ergonomic-Engineer and Usability Engineer).
For the user it is much easier to create application sets using a GUI.
If he can enter the name of a set and select the applications from a list.
And easily can add and remove applications using a GUI interface.

There are many other possibilities of this feature.

If you are programming using the "Lazarus" IDE (yes, I am a Delphi/Pascal programmer) and therefore need also to start other apps (like the "SQLite Database Browser Portable" or the "ToDoList" where you have entered ass feature requests, you define a package "Programming" and launch all those applications with one click.

When you want to be online and communicate with others then you can define a set "Commumication" where you start "Instandbird", "Skype" and "POPMan".

At work I would launch all those apps, that make Windows XP a little bit more comfortable (AquaSnap, VirtuaWin, Launchy, VistaSwitcher, System Explorer and Tiny Task).

When I make a Ergonomic check of an application I also could start several apps, like "Color Contrast Analyzer" (I will suggest this app), the "Ruler" (an application to measure font sizes, I also will suggest this later) and the Screenshot Captor.

This way every user can define packages where he adds applications he likes to be bundled.
And he can start those applications with one click.

I really would love this feature.
An implementation via a GUI and not coding batch files.
Not every user is able to create batch files (like my colleague, he uses Portable Apps but he is no programmer).

Maybe this feature is also interesting for other users so it will be implemented.

Greetings

OLLI

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December 25, 2011 - 3:02pm
DrArminWeber
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Hello, I like the idea of

Hello,

I like the idea of specifying sets of applications.
There is definitely the need for such a feature.

Greetings

Armin
Dr. Armin Weber

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