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6976

Coding Snacks / A "redirector" to send clipboard or selected text to various external apps

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 24, 2009, 04:03 PM »

I came up with a utility called Pasty that copies selected text to the clipboard, then invokes a hotkey to an external app, and types in the text macro style.

Since there are hotkey aficionados more skilled with GUI I'm wondering if any would like to tackle the idea of a similar utility but more versatile.  Maybe handle either a selected object, clipboard contents, or text and allow it to be redirected to maybe 1/2 dozen external apps that the user could configure.  Maybe have a pop up window with buttons labeled with the name of the external app, or add them to Tray Icon Menu, or just some easy means.

Typical usage:

scenario 1)

I'm in EditPad and I type a URL.  If I double click it, EditPad will launch the default browser, but this time I want Opera to launch instead.  So I select the URL and do a hotkey or some other trigger, and I get my preconfigured apps in some kind of window or menu.

scenario 2)

I select a bunch of files in Explorer details view and I want to send them some external app.  I invoke the hotkey and my list of preconfigured apps pops up.. etc..

scenario 3)

I'm in a browser and I copy a link to clipboard.  Then I invoke this utility and if other browsers are in my configured list, I can just push a button to open with one without depending on the source browser for an AddOn or extension.


The invocation should be just a couple of actions.  Like, hotkey gets window, click button of app.. type of idea.

edit: come to think of it the list should probably be big enough for 12 or more entries since 3 or 4 are likely to be used up just by browsers, 2 or 3 by editors, several by graphics programs etc..

6977

Coding Snacks / Re: Run a bat-file on system shutdown

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 24, 2009, 03:53 PM »

Just use Group Policy

Example here

-shaunpud (August 24, 2009, 04:36 AM)

Not all versions of Windows have Group Policy Editor.  On my Windows7 eval it's Ultimate so I can keep Windows Media Player and IE from starting just using Group Policy.  On my Vista64 Home Premium I don't have it, so I have to employ a process monitor that kills them as soon as they rear their ugly heads.

6978

Post New Requests Here / Re: Idea: File Resizer

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 24, 2009, 03:48 PM »

Ordstrin the "*.txt" was just an example.  The command line "type nul > filename" will zero any file named "filename".  It just overwrites the file from 'nul' which has no content, then closes the file.

You just need to decide how to substitute for "filename" with a replaceable parameter.  If your main interest is using it in batch then I would read up on subcommands and keywords used in NT style .cmd files(that use cmd.exe.)  There are plenty of sources on the web.

6979

Post New Requests Here / Re: Idea: File Resizer

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 24, 2009, 03:43 PM »

Or do

[Select]

for %s in (*.txt) do type nul > %s

and have no .cmd file at all.

-MilesAhead (August 23, 2009, 08:00 PM)

Mine didn't require a .cmd file either, but yours is a lot cleaner! Added to snippets list

-scancode (August 23, 2009, 08:06 PM)

I was just luckier at google that's all.

The command prompt tricks section of my brain is rusty.  I should have thought of command line redirection myself, but I just googled "zero length files"!!  I know, it's cheating.

6980

Post New Requests Here / Re: Idea: File Resizer

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 08:00 PM »

Or do

[Select]

for %s in (*.txt) do type nul > %s

and have no .cmd file at all.  That's how I'd do it if I was using command prompts.  In AutoIt3 or some other language that does easy Guis with drop targets just drag & drop and call a file write function to zero the files in the drop list.  Depends if you're primarily interested in batch... but the drop target gui, if the window is created dynamically, can just pass on creating the window if you have command line params for the files, and be dual purpose.


It's pretty trivial.

6981

Coding Snacks / Re: Maximize Windows "partially"

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 07:48 PM »

Basically to "maximize" to a certain size that will leave a portion of the desktop uncovered by the maximized app the hotkey just has to call a WinMove function on the active window(should be active since you just clicked on it or you might have to left click to make sure it's active, then click.  My ToggleTopmost takes that approach.  You Control-Right click on the active window and it toggles the "topmost" window attribute... so it's very easy to do.)

Once it's working then you might add a means of changing the window position and size via either .ini file or by the Tray Icon.  Either way is fairly straight-forward.

Here's a snippet where I get the active window, toggle the Topmost attribute, then I get the attribute and test for Topmost.  Then MsgBox tells the user the current state.. otherwise there'd be no feedback if the toggle succeeded(other than dragging another window in front or whatever.)

[Select]

^RButton::
WinGetTitle,title,A
WinSet,Topmost,TOGGLE,A
WinGet, ExStyle,ExStyle,%title%
if (ExStyle & 0x8)
  MsgBox,4096,Topmost Toggle, Topmost for window  %title% Enabled,2
else
  MsgBox,4096,Topmost Toggle, Topmost for window  %title% Disabled,2
return

In this case WinMove should be the primary function instead.

6982

Post New Requests Here / Re: Idea: File Resizer

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 05:33 PM »

Just create a batch file in a folder in your Path.  In my case I named it zero.cmd.

[Select]

@echo off
type nul > "%1"

To "zero" all .txt files in the current folder you can use a command prompt:

for %s in (*.txt) do zero %s

or you can make a .cmd file that uses shift to go through the command line args.
Linux shell stuff is generally better about command line globbing than Windows though.

You could probably do it with gnu win32 utilities using find.

6983

Coding Snacks / Re: Maximize Windows "partially"

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 05:17 PM »

I agree with AndyM.  If you use your own hotkey, then the "real" windows maximize will still work.  If your interception code does crazy things, then you'd have to kill your program to keep your desktop from acting like it was malware infected.

6984

Living Room / Re: Help? Learning how to drive...

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 02:36 PM »

That and if you happen to be doin' some scratchin' .. samplin' of the vinyl!!  Can't drive without tunes man!!

6985

Find And Run Robot / Re: Another FARR similar app - Executor

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 02:28 PM »

For a long time I used SlickRun.  What killed it for me though, is you pretty much had to create an alias to do anything other than open a folder.  I'll have to look at Executor out of curiosity.

btw Mouser I'm glad you did the videos for FARR and ScreenShot Captor.  When I open options for a utility and see this giant tree structure, then I tend to think "show me how to do the main function because I don't want to spend a week figuring out how to change a setting in this thing."  SlickRun wasn't very good about hooking into other stuff.  I guess it's a balance how much coupling to have between utilities.  With too much, then if one thing breaks, your whole methodology of working goes on hold.  With too little, you are manually cutting and pasting etc.. a trade-off as in most things engineering.

6986

Living Room / Re: Help? Learning how to drive...

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 02:19 PM »

Well, cruise control can come in handy if you're trying to save some time by getting a pedicure while traversing cities.  Sometimes one has to multi-task.

6987

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox --3.5-- Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 01:30 PM »

No I already use FARR.  What I mean is the Launchy Firefox extension.  You right click in the browser and it opens another browser or another app with the selection.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work with image viewers like Irfanview or XnView. It lists them as enabled, but when you right click on a link to an image you get everything else but an image viewer.  It's been that way for awhile now so I don't think the author is interested in fixing it.

-MilesAhead (August 21, 2009, 04:08 PM)

Weird, XnView is always shown for pictures here.

-Lashiec (August 23, 2009, 11:00 AM)

If the browser is already showing the picture, and I right click the picture, Launchy shows "open in Irfanview" but if I right click on the link, I don't get any graphics viewers in the list.  Just video players.  If it knows enough to list the video players it should know enough to list the graphics viewers/editors.  But it doesn't.  It's just way quirky.  I don't know how many times I've added an app, then tried to configure it even using the xml doodad.  It's never worked for me yet.  The app has to be already installed when I install Launchy, then if it auto configs it, it might work.

6988

Living Room / Re: Help? Learning how to drive...

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 23, 2009, 01:26 PM »

Oh yeah, the other thing I forgot to mention.. most important.  When you have it on Cruise Control(tm) keep one eye open while you're snoozin' & cruzin'.

You never know what might come up unexpectedly.

6989

Living Room / Re: Help? Learning how to drive...

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 22, 2009, 06:40 PM »

Assuming the vehicle is automatic transmission, driving is easy.  It's parking, parallel parking, and doing the y-turn(if those are part of the tests there) that require a bit of practice.  The other stuff is just turning and break/gas.. pretty much self-explanatory.

My advice would be, unless the parking lot is utterly deserted, you are better off when you have your permit to get out on a real road with sparse traffic to start.  Parking lots are one of the most dangerous places around.  The yahoos think since they are not out on the road, there's no rules other than gun it to get past the other guy!!  Many of the twerps just back up until they hit something(no looking first.. that would be cheating.)  Also some of them will have it up to 40 MPH and as soon as you start to back up, they clip you.  Guess who will be at fault if you have a permit and they have a license?  So it's just better to stay out of lots.

Use roads that have good vision.  Try to stay away as much as possible from blind intersections.  You know the ones with 14' high hedges on the corner so you can't see the oncoming traffic until you are out into the intersection.  If you can see the yahoos coming, that's your best defense.  Watch the traffic and think to yourself "what's the lamest thing these twits could possibly pull?" and watch. 90% of the time, that's exactly what happens.  That's why they call it "defensive driving."  You're defending yourself against the yahoos!!

6990

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA : delete files with a mouse

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 22, 2009, 06:29 PM »

Looks like the red 'x' thingy is an XPism.  I see no such options in Vista.

6991

Coding Snacks / Re: Run a bat-file on system shutdown

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 22, 2009, 05:05 PM »

Looks like DShutdown also has this option:

http://dimio.altervista.org/eng/

I've been using DTaskManager and it seems well done so I might as well give DShutdown a try.

6992

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox --3.5-- Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 22, 2009, 02:23 PM »

Speaking of FARR I figured out how to open the current FF page in Opera.  Using Pasty I highlight the location and hit the Pasty hotkey.  I set the "search hotkey" to the FARR hotkey.  FARR opens and the macro types in the URL.  I set Opera as external alternative browser.

There's probably better ways of doing it but for now this works no matter which browser I start with.

6993

Coding Snacks / Re: Run a bat-file on system shutdown

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 21, 2009, 11:54 PM »

Cotton please give more info.  Can this be a program or batch file that runs your command, then shuts down?  Or does it have to detect shutdown and run your program?

If the former, just make a .cmd file with 2 commands
YourCommand.exe
shutdown /t 60

to shutdown one minute after the first command completes.
To run the first command without waiting(something quick) use the Start command as in

start yourapp.exe
shutdown yadda yadda

6994

Coding Snacks / Re: Run a bat-file on system shutdown

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 21, 2009, 07:33 PM »

This program will run a program before shutting down, but it's initiating the shutdown, not just detecting it.

http://www.autoitscr...617608&hl=detect system shutdown&fromsearch=1&#entry617608

6995

General Software Discussion / Re: Multi OS Boot Loading

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 21, 2009, 05:41 PM »

For "grub heavies" I would fish the waters of usenet.  There are a bunch of Linux groups on usenet with some very knowledgable people on them.  Only proviso is it helps to have a thick skin on some of those groups.  Pretty much zero tolerance for hand holding. 

6996

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox --3.5-- Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 21, 2009, 05:34 PM »

No biggy. I just thought maybe there was an inside joke and I wasn't gettin' it.
I hate it when that happens.

6997

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox --3.5-- Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 21, 2009, 04:08 PM »

No I already use FARR.  What I mean is the Launchy Firefox extension.  You right click in the browser and it opens another browser or another app with the selection.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work with image viewers like Irfanview or XnView. It lists them as enabled, but when you right click on a link to an image you get everything else but an image viewer.  It's been that way for awhile now so I don't think the author is interested in fixing it.

edit: unless maybe there's a FF plugin. I have stayed away from FARR plugins mainly because there's too many of them to explorer for the moment.

6998

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox --3.5-- Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 21, 2009, 03:43 PM »

Anyone using an external app link launcher alternative to Launchy?

hahahahahahahahaahhaa

-mouser (August 21, 2009, 02:56 PM)

Sumpthin's goin' over my head.  But, that wouldn't be the first time. 

6999

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox --3.5-- Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 21, 2009, 02:54 PM »

Anyone using an external app link launcher alternative to Launchy?  Just seems like if Launchy doesn't automatically configure an already installed app and use it correctly, nothing I do can fix it.

I'd prefer something where you can add another app in a few clicks and it works.
As example some image types the browser either doesn't want to handle them at all or wants to open another browser instance when I'd rather just launch Irfanview.  Even though Launchy shows Irfanview enabled, it never shows it in the context menu for image links.

7000

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« Last post by MilesAhead on August 21, 2009, 02:47 PM »

Some things don't seem to change.  Launchy shows Irfanview in the enabled programs but if I right click a link to an image file there are no image viewers in the launch list.