AutoHotkey Community

[ezuk]

Hello,

Interesting offer below for any skilled AHK coders! Keep on reading!

I have recently begun thinking about an ambitious project. I would like to create an AHK script which will be my _exclusive_ source for launching applications and navigating to web and local resources.

It would be totally based on incremental search (just like 320mph), but with a twist: It will be PREFIX-based. You will have the following prefixes:

? = shows a list of pre-configured search engines. Each engine also has a short string, so you can type "?G rabbit" to search for rabbit in google, or "?GI rabbit" (google images) or "?o rabbit" (onelook) etc.

k = shows a list of currently running processes (and incrementally searches them). Pressing Enter on a process will KILL it.

t = shows a list of tags associated with apps. Selecting a tag (by incremental search and ENTER) would show all apps tagged with it.

= (just equal sign) - calculator mode. Type =5*5 and the lower pane immediately shows the result (live, like incremental search)

C:\, D:\, E:\ etc - incremental path search. TAB auto-completion. Lower pane shows file contents of the directory you are currently 'in'. Pressing ENTER when textbox contains directory opens it in Total Commander (or Explorer). Pressing ENTER on a file launches it.

a = alias mode. You have a simple external file to configure all sorts of aliases.

w = window mode! Alt-tab replacement. Show a list of existing window title and switch using incremental search.

s = Start menu mode. This is basically 320mph functionality.

DEFAULT MODE = whatever you want it to be. You can set what you want to happen when you don't specify a prefix -- what is going to be the 'list' which will be searched (start menu programs, aliases, windows, etc). In 320mph-mode, for example, it will be "start menu list"

Tagging options: (This can be toggled) If you launch a program which does not yet have a tag, you are prompted (while the program is launching in the background) to add a tag. But if that's not your cup of tea, then no tag prompts for you.

I think that with a feature-set like this, we actually beat most of the existing launchers. It's wide enough so you could do practically anything you need in terms of launching stuff or accessing resources, and do it very quickly and intuitively.

Now... This is a not a small project. It is bigger than 320mph, and trying to understand (and customize) 320mph to do anything like this had my head spinning.

So, my point is simple: I want to create this application TOGETHER. I am looking for an experienced AHK coder who feels like working on this project together with me. We can create something really cool -- it will even have a tray icon (Wow! ).

So... what do you say? Anybody feels like collaborating on this? See the potential here?

Ezuk

[Chris]

*bump*

Sounds like a good idea, but I guess there are no takers yet.

[Titan]

I suggest creating a mainframe to work with. Construct the GUI and tray menu so we can simply post functions/routines/modules to work the extras.

Here is an example which performs a Google search for e.g. 'answers' if '? answers' was typed:

[ezuk]

Chris and Titan -- thanks for your interest in this!

Titan -- thanks for the snippet, but actually you've hit the nail right on the head. The framework _is_ the toughest part, and that _is_ the reason why I want to collab on this -- it's too complex for me right now.

Basically, it has to be something which:

1) "takes" a number of lists (inputs)
2) processes a prefix
3) selects a list to display and search (incrementally) according to the list.

This would be quite easy to do without incremental search -- but where's the fun in that? Gotta be incremental for this thing to work well, right?

Once we have this, I agree with you -- we're over the hump. Everyone can just write pluggable modules for this thing, to do whatever.

The only exceptions are the http://www module and the calculator module. The rest work according to the algo above.

I'm pretty sure 320mph can be somehow retrofitted for this -- but my attempts didn't get me very far. I just want to stick a predetermined list before its search routine, according to the first letter.

Creating these lists should be easy, I believe.

Right?

[ezuk]

Hello,

OK, allow me to approach the issue differently, since it seems we have a lack of willing developers (perhaps):

Who of you would actually _use_ such a launcher? Do you even like the idea? (Except Chris and Titan)

Would you adopt something like this launcher and actually use it?

[SKAN]

Dear ezuk, I suggest you to start a poll on this issue
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[ezuk]

That would just create more noise -- the whole spec is listed here already. If anyone is serious enough, they will comment.

[PhiLho]

[ezuk]

[piet]

Hi ezuk,
I like your idea, but I dont have much time, so I wont be able to help you
I think it would be nice to have the Framework separated from the other parts of your script, such as the pre-configured search engines, the configuration options, and so on. This way others using your script wouldnt have to merge their versions with yours when you release a new version.

[jdmarch]

For the past 2 months, I've been very happily using the superb Find and Run Robot app launcher at http://DonationCoder.com (BTW, there are lots of AHK fans over there). Can't imagine needing another.

[Unambiguous]

Ezuk,

I am in. I was thinking about starting something similar along the lines of a qs / launchy / enso alternative. PM me to get a conversation going. I am primarily interested in a modular app that would be easy for anyone to add new scripts or functions in a designated area to add more functionality (i.e add password to Keepass, create new task / appt / note / email in outlook or thunderbird, create magicwords on the fly / return system information / calculator / web search (see Dave's Quick Search Deskbar for ideas with that)... the possibilities are endless.

It would probably be better to do it in another programming language to have more functionality with the gui and setup, but I believe the large user community found with ahk will make the modular aspect of the launcher very successful. Plus, I dont know any other language.

[edburdo]

No. I wouldn't use it. I use SlickRun and AHK to launch and automate what I need.
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~ Eric D. Burdo

[majkinetor]

THere is something on Mac that is called QuickSilver.

I already created design for WIndows port that would include prefixes etc... Check out QUickSilver on net to see more.

I planed to do it in C++, as a basicly shell-replacement (so it needs to be as fast as possible) but I didn't find/search more developers. If you want to start development in a future of this, and you have lot of low level OS experience, you are invited.

Check out some bad QS ports like Colibry.
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[Gast]

Hello all, check out this, it might be exactly what you want:

http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32942