This is surely a common problem. I load up my PA.c menu, and am faced with all sorts of trendily-named programs, and can't remember what any of them do. Most of them I installed because they sounded like a good idea when I was looking at a list of all their descriptions, but now I can't remember the difference in Mnemosyme, Tipp10, Daphne, MTR, and Zint.
So, whereas there's a lovely description on portableapps.com, and another when you hit Install A New App from the menu, would it be easy to show these in the mouseover tooltips, or possibly allow users to edit the tooltips?
Or is there already a way in the menu to know what each program does?
Thanks!
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Descriptions will be coming shortly within the popup tips. We're just waiting on having them properly translated (not really fair showing them all in English).
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Glad to hear those descriptions are coming. But, if it's going to be a significantly long wait for the translations, I'd say even most those with English as a second language would think that a description in English is better than nothing.
Rick Carter
Despite my preference for translated parts of the platform, I would plead to add them even if they are not translated for now. I think the translation of all the description even to the most used languages is a huge heap of work that would depend on the community to a great extent. So even if the functionality is possibly easily implemented (update.ini or appinfo.ini?), you have to wait for content - maybe for a long time.
Maybe you could simply add the function in one of the next beta releases and add translations as they come.
Just a bump to say thanks.
Is this resolved? Can someone tell me the secret to getting the tooltip descriptions???
Thanks!
In stead of translating all the help descriptions to become available as mouse-over bubble help why not simply create a methodology wherein an individual can simply add his/her own descriptions in the language of their choice. Something similar perhaps to the erstwhile NDOS/4DOS description files ?
Having the ability to add my own description in my own language would be a perfect solution.
Is there any progress on this issue?
George Mersereau
I found a way to get description to appear with tool tips. It requires editing the appinfo config file for each app but it works.
Follow this path or equivalent for each app.
F:\PortableApps\CrystalDiskInfoPortable\App\AppInfo
Open the appinfo.ini file in a text editor such as notepad.
Here you will see a list of attributes about the particular app you are viewing. The field I change is the "Publisher" field. This one appears when you leave your cursor over the app name in the main menu.
I usually cut and paste the Description that is already contained in this file into the Publisher field and just like magic you have a description.
Make sure you hit F5 or click on the option to update icons to ensure the system refreshes. See below for an example.
Here is the appinfo.ini file open in notepad, take note I replaced the "Publisher" field with the same contents as the description field.
[Format]
Type=PortableApps.comFormat
Version=3.0
[Details]
Name=CrystalDiskInfo Portable
AppID=CrystalDiskInfoPortable
Publisher=CrystalDiskInfo monitors HDD/SSD health status and temperature, monitors/graphs of S.M.A.R.T. information, and provides additional disk information.
Homepage=PortableApps.com/CrystalDiskInfoPortable
Category=Utilities
Description=CrystalDiskInfo monitors HDD/SSD health status and temperature, monitors/graphs of S.M.A.R.T. information, and provides additional disk information.
Language=Multilingual
[License]
Shareable=true
OpenSource=true
Freeware=true
CommercialUse=true
[Version]
PackageVersion=5.0.5.0
DisplayVersion=5.0.5
[Control]
Icons=1
Start=CrystalDiskInfoPortable.exe
Thanks for the tip, this will help a lot until it is supported.
George Mersereau
Your workaround is really useful!
I have managed to add the Description field to the Publisher field in all my portable apps, in an quick, semi-automated way.
It involves using Total Commander (for searching files) and EmEditor (for batch editing).
First, I search for all appinfo.ini files within the PortableApps folder, including all subfolders, and NOT containing the string $Publisher.
Next, I make a list of all such files, and send all these appinfo.ini files into EmEditor.
Then, EmEditor is told to change the string Publisher into $Publisher, and also the string Description into Publisher. This way, the altered appinfo.ini file is marked as such by the presence of $Publisher (for the eventual next round of newly added apps), and the tool tip generation is tricked by the presence of the description string instead ot the Publisher info.
Finally, all appinfo.files are saved.
When you run again PortableApps.com platform, the changes in description will be seen for all your apps.
Currently, the platform shows the tooltip descriptions if you're in English or EnglishGB but nothing in other languages. I was debating giving users the option to either show the English descriptions or the Category - Sub Category like the App Store does. Would that work for you?
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
That's true, I have PortableApps language set up as Spanish International and I cannot see the description in a given tooltip as it is defined in each appinfo.ini file. What I did was to change the Description field name to as "Publisher", so that there is not a proper "Description" field anymore, only a Publisher field with the text belonging to that Description. That's how I can see all descriptions so far.
At this point, I believe it will be more useful being able of seeing the Category/Sub-Category eah app belongs to.
Thank you anyway for this wonderful system!
What is the current status of adding a description to the mouse roll over?
Even though there is a work around provided above, it shows the amount of work required. Considering the number of PortableApps I have installed on different devices, I wouldn't want to put the time in if this is near release.
This feature is beneficial as PortableApps usage should increase when users can understand what the apps do on their device.
.:.
~maggard