Now have solution to rename menu entries and call batch and/or non-PortableApps apps from menu - like shortcut functionality :-)

Hello,

I was looking for a way to rename menu entries for a long time, thank you very much!

But just my first 2 tries ended with errors.
It seems the script does not work with path names containing spaces:
"Inkscape - Best Drawing Program"

But even after renaming the folder the script failed on line 87.

I hope there will be a corrected version, soon.

Best regards and greetings from Germany,
René

J:\PortableApps\Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm>portableapps-menu-workaround.exe
- starting portableapps-menu-workaround.exe v1.0
- path to executable: J:/PortableApps/Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm
;- reading file: J:/PortableApps/Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm/portableapps-menu-workaround.txt
- found: appear_in_portableapps_menu_as_exe: '\PortableApps\Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm\inkscape.exe'
- found: process_to_start: '\PortableApps\Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm\inkscape.exe'
- found: replacement_productname: 'Inkscape - Bestes Zeichenprogramm'
- checking that file exists: '\PortableApps\Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm\inkscape.exe'
- checking that file exists: 'J:\PortableApps\Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-inkscape.exe'
- doesn't exist; creating copy of self
- copied to: 'J:\PortableApps\Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-inkscape.exe'
Cannot open J:\PortableApps\Inkscape - bestes Zeichenprogramm\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-inkscape.exe for reading: No such file or directory at /PerlApp/Parse/Binary.pm line 611.

J:\PortableApps\Inkscape>portableapps-menu-workaround.exe
- starting portableapps-menu-workaround.exe v1.0
- path to executable: J:/PortableApps/Inkscape
;- reading file: J:/PortableApps/Inkscape/portableapps-menu-workaround.txt
- found: appear_in_portableapps_menu_as_exe: '\PortableApps\Inkscape\inkscape.exe'
- found: process_to_start: '\PortableApps\Inkscape\inkscape.exe'
- found: replacement_productname: 'Inkscape - Bestes Zeichenprogramm'
- checking that file exists: '\PortableApps\Inkscape\inkscape.exe'
- checking that file exists: 'J:\PortableApps\Inkscape\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-inkscape.exe'
- doesn't exist; creating copy of self
- copied to: 'J:\PortableApps\Inkscape\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-inkscape.exe'
- comparing key values in: '\PortableApps\Inkscape\inkscape.exe' & 'J:\PortableApps\Inkscape\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-inkscape.exe':
Can't call method "get" on an undefined value at portableapps-menu-workaround.pl line 87.

My favorite way is to use AutoIT and compile to an EXE. Then you just put it in the root of the folder and that's it!

Script:

; Script Start
#NoTrayIcon
Run("\PortableApps\ProgramDir\Program.exe" "\PortableApps\ProgramDir")
; Script End

In clear, it would be cool if appear_in_portableapps_menu_as_exe would except an .ico file.

I have two USB/MP3 players which both have their own propriety folder structure. I would like the ability to mod portapps built-in shortcuts to point to my folders rather than having its own which I ignore. Does this app give you the ability to change them? Or is it for installed programs only?

I'm a little lost, especially the last, optional, line of code. I suspect it's purpose is to give that name to the exe it generates but it doesn't for me. Is it working for anyone else?

appear_in_portableapps_menu_as_exe=bin\qemu.exe
process_to_start=start Start-PVPM.cmd
replacement_productname=PortableVirtualPrivacyMachine

It's not a biggy, I simply manually rename the file created but am curious.

And yes an ico option would be nice. [g]

I don't remember where I found this, but I use a batch file with

subst U: \.

to make the portable drive always be the U:\ drive. For things that need a folder location hardcoded, this helps...
Rich

I have tried to rename my apps many times, but still have not been successful. Can somebody please create a template for me so I can just fill in all of the info? Do I need the PortableApps beta menu to do this or the regular one, or does it not matter? Thank You.

Hi everybody,
Hi SimonHF,

first of all: Hello to the Community! Second: What a great application PortableApps is! Or at least: would be, if the Menu could be more customizable. Now that i found that Patch everything should be fine - but unfortunatly it ain´t

I followed the Instructions on the Page, but it didn´t work out at all. I tried many Variations and had a look at the Status-Output. The Variation that worked most was to give absolute Paths inside the *.txt-File. Let me show you the File:
appear_in_portableapps_menu_as_exe=C:\PortableApps\PortableApps\ZoomIt\ZoomIt.exe
process_to_start=C:\PortableApps\PortableApps\ZoomIt\ZoomIt.exe
replacement_productname=Zoom It

And the output on the command-line was the following:
C:\PortableApps\PortableApps>portableapps-menu-workaround.exe
- starting portableapps-menu-workaround.exe v1.0
- path to executable: C:/PortableApps/PortableApps
;- reading file: C:/PortableApps/PortableApps/portableapps-menu-workaround.txt
- found: appear_in_portableapps_menu_as_exe: 'C:\PortableApps\PortableApps\ZoomIt\ZoomIt.exe'
- found: process_to_start: 'C:\PortableApps\PortableApps\ZoomIt\ZoomIt.exe'
- found: replacement_productname: 'Zoom It'
- checking that file exists: 'C:\PortableApps\PortableApps\ZoomIt\ZoomIt.exe'
- checking that file exists: 'C:\PortableApps\PortableApps\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-ZoomIt.exe'
- doesn't exist; creating copy of self
- copied to: 'C:\PortableApps\PortableApps\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-ZoomIt.exe'
Cannot open C:\PortableApps\PortableApps\portableapps-menu-workaround-for-ZoomIt.exe for reading: No such file or directory at /PerlApp/Parse/Binary.pm line 611.

It seem the Problem comes out when creating the portableapps-menu-workaround-for-ZoomIt.exe. What can I do to get it run? Please help me, any suggestion is very appreciated!

Much greetings, Dafunkydan

just make a launcher that opens a .bat file? Here's a very simplified version that executes run.bat in the same directory as the launcher:

SilentInstall Silent ; start as launcher, not as installer
AutoCloseWindow True ; automatically close when finished
Section "Run This Batch File"
Exec '"$EXEDIR\run.bat"'
SectionEnd
OutFile "Scratch-Portable.exe"

And here's the run.bat file:

@echo off
Title Scratch
cd \portableapps\scratchportable\scratch
start scratch.exe
exit

You can then rename the launcher and edit the batch file to run whatever you want in the future.

This program does indeed get non-.paf.exe's portable apps onto the PortableApps menu, and the shortcuts launch the desired program (which work), but following the example of the .txt files you have to create I cannot get the shortcut name on the menu to change to what I want it, it still pastes in the default program name. I have tried it with Free Download Manager (creating the portable version from the Lite version), CCleaner and Converber and all of them use the default name. The line in the textfile for an attempted shortcut rename for FDM, for instance, is replacement_productname=Free Download Mgr Port v.2.5.737, and what comes out is "Free Download Manager." Since everything else works but the shortcut rename, is there something I am doing wrong about this or does this really not work (for some portable apps)? Thanks for clarifying. Ron