PortableAppsToStartMenu 1.0.0

[dummzeuch 1506]

Tired of all those programs which install lots of additional stuff I have been using more and more so called “Portable Apps”. “Portable” in this context means: You can put them anywhere, even on a portable storage device and start them from there. These Programs are still Windows only. And of course nobody prevents you from putting them in a folder on the system harddisk, usually c:\PortableApps. All files these programs need are inside this one folder, so in order to move or copy them, you simply move/copy that folder.

There is a dedicated launcher and updater for these types of programs at portableapps.com, which is written in Delphi btw. and the source code is available.

One thing that has irked me all the time is that these programs don’t show up in the Windows start menu, unless I add them manually, which I usually don’t. Today I had enough and wrote PortableAppsToStartMenu, a tool which given a PortableApps directory collects all the executables stored there and creates shortcuts in the Windows Start Menu for them.

 

Read on in the blog post.

[Mahdi Safsafi 225]

Thanks! Sure it will be very useful for me as I organize my portable app in a folder that I keep in a closest location.

Some things:

I downloaded the source and got a little trouble with compilation ... perhaps I was too hurry to open directly the project without running any batch file and then some missing dzLib ... at the end I managed to compile it 🙂  and spotted one small thing the button '...' does nothing (you must forget to implement it ... I guess it should be an OpenfileDialog). 

Thanks again !

 

[dummzeuch 1506]

12 hours ago, Mahdi Safsafi said:

I downloaded the source and got a little trouble with compilation ... perhaps I was too hurry to open directly the project without running any batch file and then some missing dzLib ... 🙂

You don't need to run any batch file, but you must be sure to check out the sources including the externals, in this case dzlib and buildtools. The pre- and post-build scripts need buildtools.

 

12 hours ago, Mahdi Safsafi said:

the button '...' does nothing (you must forget to implement it ... I guess it should be an OpenfileDialog). 

Oh, yes, I forgot to implement that button. I never use it and prefer drag and drop or autocomplete. I just added it out of habit.

 

 

(Hm, why is this text larger now? Sometimes the mobile interface does strange things.)

Edited November 2, 2020 by dummzeuch

[Mahdi Safsafi 225]

1 hour ago, dummzeuch said:

You don't need to run any batch file, but you must be sure to check out the sources including the externals, in this case dzlib and buildtools. The pre- and post-build scripts need buildtools.

My bad ! I was too naive to download the source as a zip since I don't have a svn client ... I guess I need a portable TortoiseSVN.

[limelect 48]

I am using for years https://portableapps.com/

All portables programs are added to the above program even if 

the portable program is not on the list.

I have it on a USB stick that works great when needed

[limelect 48]

D10.2.3

'while compiling the source i get this error

[Exec Error] The command "call ..\buildtools\prebuild.cmd G:\Delphi Projects\GEXPERT\portableappstostartmenu\trunk\src\PortableAppsToStartMenu.dproj" exited with code 20005.

Edited November 3, 2020 by limelect

[limelect 48]

I went into build events but did not want to do bad thing

[dummzeuch 1506]

13 hours ago, limelect said:

D10.2.3

'while compiling the source i get this error

[Exec Error] The command "call ..\buildtools\prebuild.cmd G:\Delphi Projects\GEXPERT\portableappstostartmenu\trunk\src\PortableAppsToStartMenu.dproj" exited with code 20005.

The space character in the path might cause this.

[limelect 48]

I rechecked 

1. Using ....portableappstostartmenu\tags\1.0.0\src

2. just above it portableappstostartmenu\tags\1.0.0\buildtools

3. Output portableappstostartmenu\tags\1.0.0  (..)

4. buildtools\postbuild.cmd $(OUTPUTDIR)$(OUTPUTNAME) should be and not ..\

5. Now a new error 

[Exec Error] The command "call buildtools\prebuild.cmd G:\Delphi Projects\GEXPERT\portableappstostartmenu\tags\1.0.0\src\PortableAppsToStartMenu.dproj" exited with code 1.

which mean no file found

so i gave it a full path

call G:\Delphi Projects\GEXPERT\portableappstostartmenu\tags\1.0.0\buildtools\prebuild.cmd

it did not help

[Bill Meyer 337]

1 hour ago, limelect said:

call G:\Delphi Projects\GEXPERT\portableappstostartmenu\tags\1.0.0\buildtools\prebuild.cmd

The space in G:\Delphi Projects is a problem. You need your path in double quotes.

 

[limelect 48]

@Bill Meyer forgot about that. You are right

but now

[dcc32 Error] E1026 File not found: 'PortableAppsToStartMenu_version.res'
[dcc32 Error] E1026 File not found: 'PortableAppsToStartMenu_icon.res'
[dcc32 Error] E1026 File not found: 'PortableAppsToStartMenu_manifest.res'
[dcc32 Error] E1026 File not found: 'PortableAppsToStartMenu_version.res'
[dcc32 Error] E1026 File not found: 'PortableAppsToStartMenu_icon.res'
[dcc32 Error] E1026 File not found: 'PortableAppsToStartMenu_manifest.res'

 

Plz add res
 

[limelect 48]

Can i be notify on the fix?

[limelect 48]

Ok i give up

after

{.$R *_version.res} << disable
{.$R *_icon.res}
{.$R *_manifest.res}

 

new error

[Exec Error] The command "call "G:\Delphi Projects\GEXPERT\portableappstostartmenu\tags\1.0.0\buildtools\postbuild.cmd" ..\PortableAppsToStartMenu" exited with code 1.

when it will be fool proof i recheck.

Sorry

[dummzeuch 1506]

The version.res file is generated by the prebuild script (when it works).

[limelect 48]

It seems it does not work not in my case.

Edited November 5, 2020 by limelect

[dummzeuch 1506]

Did you try a path without space characters? Simply move the project directory to e.g. g:\sources and try the build script again.

[dummzeuch 1506]

@limelect I just fixed a few problems in the build scripts regarding directories and file names containing space characters. It works for me now. Try again, but remember to check out the trunk, because that's where I made these changes.

[limelect 48]

@dummzeuch Sorry it is weekend here.

Well now it compiled OK

 

Tf_PortableAppsToStartMenu.b_PortableAppsDirClick <<<< empty

Edited November 6, 2020 by limelect