-
NANY 2011 (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?board=299.0) Entry Information
| Application Name | Cautomaton |
| Version | v1.0.1 |
| Short Description | Automating actions that are hidden away in the context menu of a file. |
| Supported OSes | Windows XP+, 32 and 64-bit |
| Web Page | Website (http://whitehat.dcmembers.com/) |
| Download Link | (open directory of released versions (http://whitehat.dcmembers.com/cautomaton/files/)) |
| System Requirements | - Windows XP+
- 32-bit: Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=A7B7A05E-6DE6-4D3A-A423-37BF0912DB84&displaylang=en)
- 64-bit: Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x64) (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=BD512D9E-43C8-4655-81BF-9350143D5867&displaylang=en)
|
| Version History | - 2010-11-15 Cautomaton v0.8.1
- 2010-11-15 Cautomaton v0.8.2
- 2010-11-16 Cautomaton v0.8.3
- 2012-02-23 Cautomaton v0.9.0
- 2014-12-23 Cautomaton v0.9.5
- 2015-01-03 Cautomaton v1.0.0
- 2015-01-21 Cautomaton v1.0.1
|
| Author | worstje |
| Screencast | - [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtQIkgGenXk]Official NANY 2011 Cautomaton screencast (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=207854)
|
Description
There are many applications that stick themselves into that little corner in a files context menu, yet offer no way to automate their otherwise wonderful functions. Cautomaton is the answer that allows you to automate context menu actions using a simple commandline syntax that nevertheless tries to aim to support every possible action one might want to make. Through the means of crumb matching, where Cautomaton follows the crumbs of information you lay out, nothing is beyond your reach! :)
Or you can simply abuse it to call up a popup menu of your liking. I wouldn't know why, but the possibilities are endless!
Features
- three different action sources:
- Popup (/p) a menu - pick your option like you would in explorer!
- Verb (/v) - Select a verb, the Windows way of picking a menu item.
- Match (/m) - Throw down some 'crumbs', and let Cautomaton match them to the menu.
- a builtin analyzer (/a) advices you on (the best?) parameters to use for this file and action
- a noop modifier (/n) makes it possible to test matching without stuff happening
- quiet mode (/q) - sometimes it is nice not to spam your errors and other messages around
- debug mode (/d) - for when you think the bugs are nibbling your crumbs, your crumbs have grown feet or stuff simply isn't happening. (Mostly meant for me, the author, to try and help people with bugs they might come across.)
- expansive help screen (/?) mentioning all the options briefly.
stylish like a gentleman should be - hat included! (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/esmileys/gen3/1Small/char067.gif) removed in v1.0.1, sorry!
Readme.txt
Cautomaton
v1.0.1 (2015-01-21)
Cautomaton is a tool meant for the automation of actions that have ended up
being difficult to automate because the functionality in question is accessed
through the so-called context menu by right-clicking on a file.
Thus, Cautomaton allows for easy ways to scan particular files for viruses,
check the integrity of archives, set images as your wallpaper or whatever
other functionality is stashed away in the context menu.
It is not a tool for all occasions, however. If you can just as easily call
upon your anti-virus program directly, that may be more reliable. I consider
Cautomaton itself to be very dependable, but the ecosystem it is used in
determines its practical worth. Programs (ab)use the context menu in many
silly ways, and due to Cautomaton's invasive (automating) nature, those
programs may stumble even if you are not even attempting to interact with them!
That said, I consider such programs a challenge, as it means Cautomaton could
probably do an even better job than it already does. So if Cautomaton does not
seem to get the work done despite indicating that it should in fact work, feel
free to let me know and I'll do my best to find a solution for you.
-Jan Wester
http://whitehat.dcmembers.com/
INSTRUCTIONS
------------
Make sure to use the proper build for your system. While the 32-bit executable
works on a 64-bit machine, you likely do not have the proper context menu
extensions installed for the 32-bit (WOWSYS64) subsystem. End result is that
items will be missing where you might expect to see them.
(All 32-bit applications suffer this - try a 32-bit explorer some time.)
Cautomaton relies on the 'Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package'.
You will need to install the version matching the build of Cautomaton you use.
To download the 32-bit (x86) version, visit: http://bit.ly/1yHFnLu
To download the 64-bit (x64) version, visit: http://bit.ly/159xous
HOW TO USE
----------
Getting started with Cautomaton is easy. There are two basic steps involved:
identification and invocation. In order to perform (invoke) an action on a file
for you, Cautomaton needs to be able to identify it.
To help with this, Cautomaton can analyze an action you perform. For example,
run the following in a commandprompt:
cautomaton.exe /p /a ReadMe.txt
This will tell Cautomaton to popup ('/P') a context menu, and analyze ('/A')
the choice afterwards. Choose one of the menu items. For example, open it.
The file 'ReadMe.txt' will now be opened in your program of preference.
(If you do not want this to happen, you can add an extra '/N' parameter to
have Cautomaton do nothing with the chosen item.)
At the end of the technical analysis Cautomaton performed is a recommendation
on how to use Cautomaton. Whatever it recommends is almost always the best way
to go about repeating your actions. For example, it will say:
Recommended Cautomaton parameters: /v open
The recommended parameters would instruct Cautomaton to use the 'open' verb on
the file(s) in question. Now, try out the recommendation to see if it works:
cautomaton.exe /v open ReadMe.txt
You should now see 'ReadMe.txt' be opened in your program of choice. At its
essence, that is all there is to using Cautomaton.
With these basics in mind, simply opening up a command-line and experimenting
with the different options should help you on your way. For a list of all the
things Cautomaton can do, try:
cautomaton.exe /?
There are a lot of options to fine-tune Cautomaton's behaviour, but most of
the time, you will not need them. But if you do... well, they exist!
One final word of caution regarding '/M': this option is very flexible, but is
also unreliable at its core. For example, menu text might be translated to
German for someone who uses the German language on their computer, so matching
against English text won't work. In a similar vein, the positioning of items
can vary depending on a multitude of factors, and the internal IDs are even
more fleeting. Please be aware of the assumptions you make when using '/M'!
KNOWN ISSUES
------------
1) Using '/A /P', and choosing an item in the 'Open With' menu will cause the
analysis to throw out an incorrect first crumb ('&Choose de' as opposed
to the correct 'Open wit&h'). Other action sources work fine.
2) Canceling a 'delete' verb operation gives Cautomaton an error code it
cannot recognise, which it then treats as a standard failure that can
only be recognised when running in debug (/d) mode.
3) On Windows versions that pre-date Windows Vista, a context menu that applies
to multiple files may be different than one Windows Explorer conjures up.
Items may be missing, doubled and/or mispositioned. For most invocations
(/P, /V or /M using text-matching) this should not be a problem, however.
REQUESTS FROM THE AUTHOR
------------------------
REQUEST TO TESTERS (#1): Please try out the multiple files support! If there
are differences between a context menu for the same files in one directory,
and a context menu for these same files being in separate directories, make
sure to let me know! If it is at all in my power to make these two cases
consistent with one another, I will do so!
REQUEST TO TESTERS (#2): Windows versions pre-Vista may have a weird / glitchy
context menu when applied to multiple files. I can't really test on such
systems anymore, but I am very interested in hearing about the state of
Cautomaton's new functionality on those systems. Let me know!
VERSION HISTORY
---------------
As Cautomaton's version history was getting rather lengthy, it has been put
into its own file. Please see 'Changelog.txt' for more information.
LICENSE
-------
Copyright (c) 2015 Jan Wester
This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied
warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
arising from the use of this software.
Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for personal use, and to
redistribute it freely, subject to the following restrictions:
1. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not
claim that you wrote the original software.
2. All original parts must be intact and unmodified.
3. This notice may not be removed or altered from any source distribution.
If you wish to obtain a license for commercial use, please contact the author.
CREDITS
-------
Thanks to...
* JoTo for mentioning a certain very buggy shell extension @
irc://irc.freenode.net/donationcoder
* mouser for his request @
https://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=24266.0
* Raymond Chen for his awesome blog & series on context menus @
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/
* Nikos Bozinis for encouraging my masochistic tendencies @
http://www.zabkat.com/blog/08Jul07.htm
* DonationCoder.com as a whole @
https://www.donationcoder.com/
* Rui Lopes for his sample project on per-pixel alpha-blending @
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/GDI/pxalphablend.aspx
* stackoverflow.com for solving those issues I have before I have them @
http://stackoverflow.com/
* the Oxygen Project for having nicely licensed icons @
https://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Oxygen
Screencast
Usage
Installation
Extract the zip archive anywhere you'd like. Or just the one file you need for your Windows to shine. (See the Readme above why this is important.)
Using the Application
Open cmd.exe, powershell or whatnot. Go to the directory where you extracted the proper file for your architecture. Run it with the universal /? help parameter, and get started on automating the actions you need automated. :)
Uninstallation
Just delete the files you extracted. That's all, folks! :)
Screenshot
See attachment.
-
I am *extremely* excited about this.. i was unsure how feasible it would be and i'm delighted to test it!
After figuring out how to use it (readme could use some simpler intro), i have to say it is working!!! WOW! GREAT WORK and CONGRATULATIONS!
:beerchug:
Really really cool that you figured out how to do this.
-
This works wonderfully with my Drag and Drop Robot (https://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/dragdrop/index.html), to provide easy batch execution of a right-click command on a list of files:
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
You can see from this screenshot that D+D Robot is just invoking Cautomaton with the /m command and a $pattern, meaning text to match a substring of the context menu.
In my sample screenshot i put "Scan with" as the pattern, which matches against my context menu entry for scanning a file with Eset.
For those who don't know, Drag and Drop Robot is meant to help you perform commandline actions on large batches of files/folders.
It works great with Cautomaton, EXCEPT the only thing I never anticipated with Drag and Drop Robot is that it won't let you specify DELAYS between calls on files. Because Cautomaton doesn't block while the process launches, you would get all processes running at the same time. I'll add a delay option, and maybe worstje can see if he can add an option that says "don't exit until launched process exits" which would be even better.
-
I think ill make a custom version of Drag+Drop robot made specifically to work with Cautomaton, preconfigured to use it.
-
I am glad Cautomaton is of such good use to you. Definitely makes the time I put into it so far worth it. :)
-
Cautomaton sounds intriguing… I'm off to try it out :Thmbsup:
-
Be warned this isnt a tool for everyone and the beta is still a bit rough -- it's not clear how to use it unless you are talking to worstje in a chat window :)
But here's what you would do,
First run it on a file with /a parameter, like:
Cautomaton32.exe /a "C:\Readme.txt"
It will show the popup right click menu, and you should select some item on the menu.
It will then perform the action AND also show you a recommended way to invoke it automatically.
So i my case if i choose to perform an ESET scan on the file i see output:
Recommended Cautomaton parameters: /m "Scan with ESET Smart Security"
So then if i want to simulate that I would run:
Cautomaton32.exe /m "Scan with ESET Smart Security" "C:\Readme.txt"
OR just
Cautomaton32.exe /m "$Scan with ESET" "C:\Readme.txt"
You can see why such a utility would be useful running from batch files, shortcuts, or with a batch processor like D+D Robot.
-
That's very nifty!
Just tried it out using 4NT.
Works well, just have to stick automaton in my path and/or make a command-line alias for cautomaton ;)
-
List of problems in v0.8.1 / feature requests thus far pointed out to me by mouser:
- Bug: There's no visible error message if it can't find the action. Total oversight on my part. Error code should be > 0 though.
- Bug: XP is no gentleman, and refuses to wear the hat. (At least the window it is supposed to adorn is completely invisible without loss of functionality...)
- Feature request: when using /a, give an example for /match even when a /verb is available.
- Feature request :P: better readme.txt file, including examples and a list of parameters and such
- Bug? On mouser's XP Cautomaton totally messes up all the icons, also garbling the Send to submenu into blocks and other semi-geometrical shapes. Any XP users around here who can test with the /p option on a random file, and tell me how their menu compares to rightclicking said file?
- Bug: debug messages are worth crap if you print the wrong stuff at the wrong places.
-
On XP SP3
Just a note; Cautomaton dies here if I hover over "Open With" from the popup - before even I can left-click on it.
From inside the Cautomaton folder I type this;
cautomaton /a readme.txt
Here's a comparison of right-click menus
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
Ok, so that officially makes it a Cautomaton bug. *scratches head*
Unless somehow you two have the same software installed that messes stuff up in Cautomatons specific case, but with 100% of the XP users having this problem I'll have to dive into finding an actual cause and solution. :)
-
Ok, so that officially makes it a Cautomaton bug. *scratches head*
Unless somehow you two have the same software installed that messes stuff up in Cautomatons specific case, but with 100% of the XP users having this problem I'll have to dive into finding an actual cause and solution. :)
-worstje
I do have a bunch of custom sub-menus under that '… Stuff' menu
I just checked, I can call items from that sub menu using /m… using the results from /a… either by item name or #ID
If I hit the key accelerator ('h') for 'Open With' Cautomaton dies.
-
Good news!
I can reproduce it on my old laptop. Bad news.. I can't debug it on there. :-(
Edit: mystery bug goes squash! :Thmbsup:
A totally harmless flag ment for Vista and higher remained somewhere after fooling around with the options in said menu. Windows 7 ignored it, XP shouldn't even know of its existence according to the docs, but it is enough to make it go nuts thinking it needs to go ownerdraw and stuff.
Will be fixed in my next release. :)
-
Well done :Thmbsup:
-
And version 0.8.2 is up.
v0.8.2 (2010-11-15)
Bugfix release. Oh my, the bugs.
Added: error messages when failing to compete.
Fixed: Windows XP ownerdraw-glitch fest, which also caused crashes.
Fixed: debug messages would print wrong data.
Fixed: Windows XP now gets _the_ hat. And Vista+ get a smaller hat.
Changed: added some new exit codes and restructured them.
Fixed: Pointless /v /n combination is pointless.
Current state of affairs of stuff I've got in my head...
- Feature request : better readme.txt file, including examples and a list of parameters and such
- Feature request: when using /a, give an example for /match even when a /verb is available.
- Feature request: document those exit codes I've been adding
-
Bugs fixed, and icons are perfect now.. NICE!!! :up: :up: :up:
-
I'd like to see a few more real world examples because I think it might be an interesting program for many (and me) if they could see in what situations it would be useful. :Thmbsup:
-
I'd like to see a few more real world examples because I think it might be an interesting program for many (and me) if they could see in what situations it would be useful. :Thmbsup:
-justice
How to pin/unpin documents to the Start Menu using Cautomaton. (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=24521.msg223767#msg223767)
-
As I was testing worstje's implementation I realized that the way he built it, it actually has a totally different use from the one I originally envisioned when i posted the idea (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=24266.0).
The original idea, which is to let you (or more likely another program) invoke one of the commands on the right-click menu programatically without direct user interaction. This use still stands and I think will have some very cool uses.
But when worstje implemented it, he also added a feature that basically just pops up the right-click menu for a file at the cursor location. That seems to me to be useful in and of itself. It means that if you are writing a utility that shows a file list, you can now let the user bring up the right click context menu (either the 32bit or 64bit) from your utility, by invoking the Cautomaton executable from your utility, using the /p commandline argument, without having to write your own code for showing a file's right-click context menu (which i think is pretty hairy unless someone can correct me).
-
Hairy does not describe it nearly well enough. :)
-
Looking good :Thmbsup: :Thmbsup:
I now have a hat in the bottom left corner of my console.
I also have this
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
It's interesting to see a few things re-ordered, like "Run Sandboxes" which is near top in Cautomaton.
-
That screenshot is mighty interesting. What application is it that you compare Cautomaton's popup against? The custom theming makes me assume it isn't explorer. I'm pretty curious why some of those items (Run sandboxed, Kedit this) are in different spots.
As for the rename option... it is an oddball. I can definitely get the option to go in, but Windows itself doesn't handle it. I'd need to handle the command within Cautomaton, and then the question becomes - how? Popup a dialog and let someone type something there? Return an exit code that tells the calling application rename was selected so they can handle it? A new flag to let one pick between those two choices?
Don't get me wrong - it is very possible. But the nature of the command wreaks a bit of havoc since you can basically select an option in two different ways, and then the output would also be pretty drastically different for both.
There is a lot of paths the code can take, and it would be pretty easy to have an addition break some other usecase as a side-effect. So before I throw myself onto that particular problem, can you give a usecase where you would use said rename option?
-
Sorry for the time lapse, I was lunching :)
That screenshot is mighty interesting. What application is it that you compare Cautomaton's popup against? The custom theming makes me assume it isn't explorer. I'm pretty curious why some of those items (Run sandboxed, Kedit this) are in different spots.-worstje
Duh… never forget that you're dealing with a moron here! That menu was from Directory Opus. I was clinging to my favourite adage, 'act before you think.'
As for the rename option... it is an oddball. I can definitely get the option to go in, but Windows itself doesn't handle it. I'd need to handle the command within Cautomaton, and then the question becomes - how? Popup a dialog and let someone type something there? Return an exit code that tells the calling application rename was selected so they can handle it? A new flag to let one pick between those two choices?
There is a lot of paths the code can take, and it would be pretty easy to have an addition break some other usecase as a side-effect. So before I throw myself onto that particular problem, can you give a usecase where you would use said rename option?
Usecase? Heavens, no! Merely pointing out its absence. I don't use it ,but simply haven't bothered to remove it from my menus. Good idea to leave it out, if you ask me.
Here's Cautomaton/Explorer on my system
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
-
Ah, that looks pretty sweet. :)
Glad to see the difference in the visual style isn't because I forgot to include a manifest. Doublechecked as I saw your image, and it seems I popup menus always look right even if there's no manifest. And that explorer looks exactly the same minus the Rename option also makes me happy. :)
Also, I have no clue why you would be a moron. Because you use DOpus? I doubt that is a proper reason. :)
-
And now v0.8.3 is out! (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/esmileys/gen3/1Small/char067.gif)
Request for testers
Please give the /i:a, /i:w, and /i:u suboptions special attention. In any combination with any of the other commands. If stuff works as you expect it to, great. If it doesn't, less great, but either way, I want to hear to what extent those options work with non-standard menu items. Especially /i:w gives me cause to worry where Windows XP is concerned!
v0.8.3 (2010-11-16)
New functionality! The tip of an iceberg yet to crash into your boat...
Added: invocation now honours whether you press Ctrl and/or Shift.
Added: popup (/p) suboptions, of the format /p:...
@ Do not show off our trademark hat.
XXX,YYY Display at these screencoordinates (has to go last).
Example: cautomaton.exe /p:@-300,500 myfile.jpg
Added: invocation (/i) suboptions. The /i on its own is pretty much
useless as invocation is the default (which /n cancels). A list:
a _try_ to do invocation asynchronously.
w _try_ to wait till the invocation is done (=synchronous).
r if possible, try to count this as a 'recent document'
u allow windows ui to popup where needed. This is often used for
errors and thus disabled by default, but also needed for
the 'delete' verb to popup a window asking for confirmation.
z no zone checks (UAC: This file comes from the internet, ok?)
S/s Force the Shift key into a pressed (S) or unpressed (s) state.
C/c Force the Ctrl key into a pressed (S) or unpressed (s) state.
Fixed: modal dialogs running in the same thread work now. The 'delete'
verb uses this, but for example 'properties' does not, so the holy
grail of UI interaction has not been discovered yet.
Fixed: the debug (/d) shows a bit more now, and less at the same time.
Known issue: canceling 'delete' operation gives Cautomaton an unknown
error code, which it treats as a standard failure that can only be
recognised when running in debug (/d) mode. Can add a special exit
code meaning 'delete canceled' if requested. Opinions please?
Known issue: documentation still sucks.
-
For the quintessentially lazy, it'd be neat to have an option for XXX,YYY that positions the pop-up relative to the console window. ;D
What should I see from a console in response to, say
Cautomaton /i:a /m "Win&Zip | Add to &Zip file..." readme.txt
versus
Cautomaton /i:w /m "Win&Zip | Add to &Zip file..." readme.txt
-
ok let me give the new version a test :up:
-
For the quintessentially lazy, it'd be neat to have an option for XXX,YYY that positions the pop-up relative to the console window. ;D
-cranioscopical
Well, it's a pretty useless feature outside of testing and to boot difficult feature to implement (or so I think). After all, unlike other windows, console windows aren't technically created by me but are provided by Windows because it is a console app, so interacting with them is a pain. You can always leave positioning out and let it position at your mouse cursor - it is what I tend to do.
(Be happy that there's a hat nowadays, and the option to hide said hat - in my pre-v0.8.1 testing days, it'd always pop up this gigantic window that always blocked the console from view. :D)
Either way, thank you both for testing. I look forward to hearing thoughts, complaints and experiences. :)
-
Well, it's a pretty useless feature outside of testing
-worstje
Fair enough.
Please see #26 above
-
Hopefully, something. Probably nothing. Does that sound as confusing as it is?
I'll paste the documentation and let you decide for yourself... and ironically, while trying to answer your question, I just found two different documents that give rather different descriptions.
CMIC_MASK_ASYNCOK (/i:a)
Wait for the DDE conversation to terminate before returning.
CMIC_MASK_NOASYNC (/i:w)
Windows Vista and later. The implementation of IContextMenu::InvokeCommand should be synchronous, not returning before it is complete. Since this is recommended, calling applications that specify this flag cannot guarantee that this request will be honored if they are not familiar with the implementation of the verb that they are invoking.-CMINVOKECOMMANDINFO Structure
CMIC_MASK_ASYNCOK (/i:a)
The implementation of IContextMenu::InvokeCommand can spin off a new thread or process to handle the call and does not need to block on completion of the function being invoked. For example, if the verb is "delete" the IContextMenu::InvokeCommand call may return before all of the items have been deleted. Since this is advisory, calling applications that specify this flag cannot guarantee that this request will be honored if they are not familiar with the implementation of the verb that they are invoking.
CMIC_MASK_NOASYNC (/i:w)
Windows Vista and later. The implementation of IContextMenu::InvokeCommand should be synchronous, not returning before it is complete. Since this is recommended, calling applications that specify this flag cannot guarantee that this request will be honored if they are not familiar with the implementation of the verb that they are invoking.-CMINVOKECOMMANDINFOEX Structure
I was using the latter as my reference while developing. So not only does Microsofts own documentation seem unclear and confused on what it means, to add insult to injury the 'wait' variety is Vista+ only and FULLY OPTIONAL. The latter is most likely the reason you see no difference - Winzip probably sees no difference between the two.
Re-reading this, I am half of a mind to include what is atm known as the /i:a option and remove that one completely, leaving just the /i:w variety. The mention of DDE I see now makes me suggest it is ancient history and not so important (DDE pretty much became legacy back in w95).
And in case /i:w does not work as hoped, I intend to add a couple of 'bandaids' to handle specific waiting scenarios. :)
-
Hopefully, something. Probably nothing.
-worstje
You must be prescient — that answers my next question, viz. 'What happens when I'm required to decide for myself?'
-
Sadly, I need to announce I won't be getting around to making a new release anymore, at least not for as far NANY 2011 deadlines are concerned. I intend to work on it in 2011 though, and take care of the outstanding issues when time becomes available, but between this and JottiQ, the latter just took way more time. Hell, it needs way more polish by nature.
I don't think the lack of a newer release from v0.8.3 will be a problem though, as the one feature that was missing is something mouser already has a solution for. (He was the one to request the app as a coding snack in the first place after all!) So hereby please consider v0.8.3 the official entry for NANY 2011.
.. And yes, JottiQ v1.0.0 will be arriving soon. :)
-
I won't be getting around to making a new release anymore, at least not for as far NANY 2011 deadlines are concerned. I intend to work on it in 2011 though
-worstje
It's pretty neat already! I'll be interested in what 2011 brings.
-
So hereby please consider v0.8.3 the official entry for NANY 2011.
-worstje
Thanks! :Thmbsup:
Fully polished programmes are always going to be an issue... I think it's wonderful that you've got to this point!
-
I just basically copied mouser's example in the video and configured ScreenshotCaptor to upload images to imgur using Cautomaton and RightLoad.
Thanks!
-
Is there any hope to fix the issue with the "Previous versions" choice on the context menu? I need it for my Excel recovery project...
-
Is there any hope to fix the issue with the "Previous versions" choice on the context menu? I need it for my Excel recovery project...
-socrtwo
Please elaborate, iow: What are you asking?
-
I am covering my head in shame! (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/esmileys/gen3/1Small/char067.gif)
I'm so sorry I missed your post dude; I don't know how I managed it exactly but I did. Worst part is... the thing you are asking about is something I had already fixed on my computer months ago, and I was under the full impression I had released it. So I left you out in the rain with no excuses whatsoever. :mad:
That said, when I saw your post two hours ago I went right to preparing a fresh release v0.9.0. You may not need it anymore, but I will post it for you and others regardless. My sincere apologies are about the only thing I can offer you to go with it. The download link is in the opening post.
v0.9.0 (2012-02-23)
Not much new. Or so I thought. I prepared a release a long long time ago,
or it was supposed to be part of 0.8.3 and ended up not being included,
and in the end I had unreleased features. I've tidied it up a it and am
now releasing this stuff... if I remember it, that is.
Added: proper support for the 'Properties' and 'Previous Versions' verbs.
Added: mentions of all new options in v0.8.3 in the /? screen.
Added: more debug messages, in case of people having troubles.
Changed: /i:a was removed, and is implied by default.
It's barely supported (if at all) anyway; same as /i:w which remains
but is equally unlikely to make a difference. If this breaks stuff
for anyone, let me know and I will revert the functionality to how it
was in v0.8.3.
-
Nice to see an update worstje! :Thmbsup:
-
Guess what time it is? NANY update time! :Thmbsup:
JoTo brought a little problem to my attention involving a certain program through /v, and he wondered whether I could make it work since the match and positional options were too unreliable for him to depend on due to the many localizations of the program in question. Turns out it I could work around the bug in the other program in Cautomaton, and thus update v0.9.5 was born!
Merry christmas, happy new year, have a NANYful time!
v0.9.5 (2014-12-23)
This one deserves an update, doesn't it? Well.. it happened entirely due
to a good friend telling me Cautomaton was not delivering the goods. He
was right, although it technically is a bug in another shell extension.
Thus, a work-around was born. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, etc!
Added: a work-around for buggy shell extensions that refuse to heed /v.
Cautomaton now tries to invoke it a second time by scanning manually
through the menu to find the menu item in question and retrying the
invocation while mimicking an actual user. This method is however not
as efficient as a verb invocation usually ought to be; depending on the
shell extensions that are installed on a system, there could be a lot
more activity involved in the background. Verb invocations should be
the most reliable option to begin with, so I expect little trouble. :-)
-
Just played with the new features -- worked great. This is a very specialized app but it works a charm when you need it :up:
-
Well, you stole the surprise away now, mouser!
For those unaware.. he's talking about the long-anticipated (by an imaginary someone, I'm sure! :tellme:) release of Cautomaton v1.0.0! It introduces the support for invoking a context menu on multiple files that I've wanted to put in there since the moment I started implementing Cautomaton several years ago.
Thank you to mouser for testing v1.0.0, for organizing NANY for yet another year, and to everyone else I say... have a good 2015!
v1.0.0 (2015-01-03)
Over four years have passed - most of which consisted out of my eternal
procrastination - but at long last, magical version v1.0.0 has come. Who
ever said Cautomaton was in eternal beta? Not me. (It was implied, though!)
Added: the long-awaited support for multiple files!
The first file listed is the primary source for the context menu that
will be loaded. This matches the normal Windows behaviour: the one you
right-click on determines the way the context menu is built up.
Added: support for files in arbitrary locations. So now you can create a
context menu that applies to "D:\Donkey.txt" and "E:\Elephant.bmp".
Known issue: Windows versions prior to Vista may have odd-looking menu's
when dealing with multiple files. Menu items may be missing, doubled
and/or placed in weird positions. I _think_ this may not happen any
longer, but I lack (the will to set up) a proper test environment for
such old OSes at this time. This issue should not affect invocation
that relies on verbs or text matching; as long as the items appear
somewhere invocation should still work.
Added: yet more debug messages (/d). Most are of a very technical level
and inspired by the above features, but in case of problems these might
just help one find a cause (and maybe a solution) for an issue they are
experiencing.
-
It's nice to see one here ;)
Just had a quick play with the new version (nearly said 'it' but IainB might have caught me out).
Didn't manage to break anything so far, contrary to real life.
:Thmbsup:
-
If it had broken, I'd blame Windows XP. Buggy piece of #@$%#$%. Ahum...
Thanks for giving a whirl. Duly appreciated!
-
Yet more updating... but this one doesn't really matter (unless you are like me and are really attached to the old hat...) as it only involves licensing and legalese-esque little details.
Oh, and I added a little blurb in the ReadMe on how to get started using Cautomaton, so I suppose there's that, too.
v1.0.1 (2015-01-21)
Absolutely nothing changed! Except all the stuff that matters...
Changed: ReadMe.txt has had a huge makeover. There is now a tutorial
as well as a clear statement regarding the license.
Added: The version history now has its own file in Changelog.txt.
Changed: the Cautomaton icon has been changed because the licensing for
the old icon is unclear with regards to commercial use. (Hopefully, its
author will respond to my inquiries at some point in time, because I
already miss the awesome hat!)
-
a little blurb in the ReadMe on how to get started using Cautomaton
-worstje
:Thmbsup:
-
Very great tool. :Thmbsup:
All the English commander works well.
Unfortunately it seems doesn't support unicode. Even though I can use the alternative method --- ID #136 or index 3/-7 etc. But this way is not stable.
Any solution?? :-[
-
https://www.nirsoft.net/alpha
#TraceMenuID
Nir's new tool may expand this software's feature?