Hello everyone,
In my quest to automate set up post ROM flashing, I have written a Mortscript to set up the start menu and the Manila Program launcher.
Everyone has their own preferred set up, and I was finding it time consuming to move all the shortcuts around to the directories I wanted them in.
I know some installers like Sashimi allow you to place new cabs where you want, but I couldn't find anything to automatically reorganise my menu including existing apps in the ROM.
I tried xml provisioning and SDConfig etc, but I just couldn't get it to work in an acceptable fashion.
Hence the script.
OK, so the script moves all of the program shortcuts (lnk files) to a flat directory on the storage card.
The existing start menu is then deleted (with the exception of settings).
The script reads in a config file (needs to be in the storage card root and called custom.txt but can obviously be editted in the mortscript) and rebuilds the menu.
If no entry is found in the config file for a particular shortcut, then the shortcut is moved to "Program files\unused"
Hopefully the config file layout is self explanatory.
An example entry.....
--,\Windows\Start Menu\PIM
Messaging.lnk
contacts.lnk,
PIM Backup.lnk
iContact.lnk
Calendar.lnk
Tasks.lnk,1
Messaging.lnk
PIM Backup.lnk
ThumbCal.lnk
-- indicates a new directory to be created, in this case \Windows\Start Menu\PIM
The , is a separator between indicating it is a directory to be created and the directory structure itself.
The shortcuts speak for themselves, and will be set up under the directory structure above. If the shortcuts are succeeded by a , and a value between 1 and 18 (e.g. tasks in the example above) the shortcut will be mapped to the manila program launcher.
The spaces before the lnk files don't matter, just makes the config file easier to read.
No reset is required.
In terms of debugging, there is a debug flag in the script. Set the value to 1, and the output will be logged to Storage Card\log.txt
Hope this is useful for some of you.
*Note there are a couple of bugs.....
1) The icon's linked to folders (e.g. the little playing card associated with the games folder) often get deleted.
2) The .net configuration program. For some reason Mortscript doesn't seem to handle files starting with a . very well so there's some hardcoded renaming going on (all in a dedicated subroutine)
Hopefully I'll get those fixed, but no promises.
Enclosed zip has the script, an example of custom.txt and an example of the debug output.
Huge thanks to Mort as ever, as well as a couple of others from whom I have "re-used" ahem, some of their public scripts.
If anyone knows how to do this via provxml or SDConfig, then please post!
Mods - should I add this in to the mortscript examples thread (things do get a little buried on there & hope it's ok to post this here as its relevant to flashing) ?
Related
Hi,
Is there a way to edit the action screen app so when you click 'new appointment', 'new task', 'new note' etc it opens in Pocket Informant 8 rather than the default apps??
I'm assuming it would require registry changes, so any pointers as to which entries to change would be much appreciated.
Also, for those not using Pocket Informant, you should check it out. It is much more powerful and much more useful than the default calendar, notes and tasks apps.
Solution: I've managed to solve the problem. Here is a solution for all those interested.
Use a reg editor to navigate to HKLM\Software\HTC\Biotouch\ActionScreen
In there you will find a folder for each shortcut on the Action Screen menu (titled APP_0 - APP_6).
To fix the New Appointment shortcut, select the APP_3 folder. Scroll down and find the entry titled 'path' and change the value data to......
If Pocket informant was installed on your storage card: \Storage Card\Program Files\WebIS\PocketInformant\Pocketinformant.exe
If Pocket informant was installed on your device: \Program Files\WebIS\PocketInformant\Pocketinformant.exe
Save the entry and then select the APP_4 folder to fix the tasks shortcut. Find the 'path' entry and once again change the value data to the same entry as you used for the Appointment shortcut.
Repeat for the APP_6 folder if you want to fix for Contacts.
I have not worked out how to redirect the notes shortcut, other than having it open the notes program (i.e. it will open the notes section, but not automatically create a new note) but to be honest, this doesn't bother me. If you want it to open the notes in Pocket Informant, open the APP_5 file and change the path once again. Then open the param entry and modify the data to -custom 44555.
I'm sure it is possible to have it open a new note, but I didn't put the effort into discovering the required parameter (because as I said, it doesn't bother me).
SOFT RESET your device and the links will now properly work
is it possible to edit the quit time in the action screen, IE: when you press 'action' and you dont press anything it'll automatically close on its own, is it possible to edit this time to a longer period of inactivity?
I've installed 50+ applications on my new HTC kaiser (which runs WM6.1 OS), its getting a little bit embarrassed because its very hard to pick a program up from the sea of icons.
Is there any way could possibly sort applications into different folders? (e.g. all gps applications go to a "gps" folder, all instant msg applications into a "IM" folder?)
btw, Is it possible to create a shortcut for the "green" application in the "programs" page(no installation needed, just run it in the file explorer) ?
thanks in advance!
jldiablo said:
I've installed 50+ applications on my new HTC kaiser (which runs WM6.1 OS), its getting a little bit embarrassed because its very hard to pick a program up from the sea of icons.
Is there any way could possibly sort applications into different folders? (e.g. all gps applications go to a "gps" folder, all instant msg applications into a "IM" folder?)
btw, Is it possible to create a shortcut for the "green" application in the "programs" page(no installation needed, just run it in the file explorer) ?
thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can add as many folders as you want. Just use a decent file explore & create as many new folders as you want in \windows\start menu\programs
Then cut & paste the shortcuts located in \windows\start menu\programs into the new folders...
I have many programs & my programs page has about 7 folders. You can even add custom folders & Icons by adding a resource file & a ?xxxxxx location direction command to the end of links....
For instance I have in my start menu a Phone & Messaging folder with all my phone & mressaging apps. Another for Multimedia.
got it!!!!!
Big thanks to *legendary* GSLEON3!
Legendary??? Well, ok, I guess in my own mind at least...
I'm nobody, Just a guy that can read & has been around long enough to know that you will learn more reading old Blue Angel & Hermes threads than you will anywhere else. Sure, most of the stuff won't work on Kaiser, but all of our tools & methods are adopted from there. The theory behind everything lies in those old threads.
I've got a little executable task switcher called AltTab that works like its name. It just cycles through the open apps/windows.
However, it didn't come with an installer and I guess this is the reason why it doesn't appear in the list when I try to assign it a button from the control panel.
Where does the Buttons panel/applet get its program list from? The registry? Which entries will I need?
take a look at this thread. i guess there are more threads regarding task swtching. just do some search
That's the thread where I found the app. This thread is not about task switching.
The problem is that the button manager in settings doesn't show the program or have a browse function. So how do I add an app without an installer to the list?
Thanks anyway.
i believe for a program to apear in list of options for button assignment it needs to be
a) a installed program
b) have a shortcut pointing to the program placed in the windows/programs folder.
since option 1 is not viable give option 2 a shot. read about this a while ago so i can be wrong.
thesire said:
i believe for a program to apear in list of options for button assignment it needs to be
a) a installed program
b) have a shortcut pointing to the program placed in the windows/programs folder.
since option 1 is not viable give option 2 a shot. read about this a while ago so i can be wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had pondered both of those possibilities, but a) would have required I (learn how to) make an install package and I forgot to follow up on b), but it would completely explain way there are *.lnk files for virtually every program that already exists in the Windows folder (I mean why the redundancy if keeping the Windows folder as small as possible is one of the prime factors in speedier start-up and maintaining a speedy system?)
Note:
I just tried both a shortcut and the actual executable in the windows directory, and even after a soft reset, no results.
i just don't understand. do you have problem with this program only or with button mapping in general?
did you try this:
antihrist said:
extract exe file to your device, create shortcut in start menu and then assign it to some hardware key
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
meaning:
i extracted exe file in "\Windows" folder. then i created shortcut to that file in "\Windows\Start Menu\Programs". after that i got the program in the list for button assignment.
OK, that worked.
Placing a shortcut in "\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\" does make it appear in he list of programs when assigning functions to buttons.
Thank you for your response and assistance.
i can't help but keep trying new roms all the time but its getting annoying having to set everything up like facebook links, windows live, panels etc. is there kind of back up thingy to deal with this???
thanks
i don't know about an easy way, but i made myself a cab that sets up the base configurations that i need always.
What my cab does is:
1- import registry settings for the program registration that are kept in the registry, main settings of TF3D (tab order, shortcuts, weather and time settings), settings for galarm and gprofile, and some other software
2- put some shortcuts in the start menu for programs installed on the SD.
and this cab gets called with the autorun method (mort script autorun in the 2577 folder) which can install cabs silently and import registry file.
like this upon second boot (first boot is to call main rom script) i get my everyday use apps installed and configured.
i didn't do the autosetup for some settings that require passwords (wifi keys, facebook password), first i can't find all of them, second for security reasons
binar1 Custom App Folder Project
I love changing folder icons on my pc desktop computer so they are easy to recognize and wanted to do the same on my PPC and phone.
There is plenty of info on how to change icons on mobile device and software such as SK Shortcut Manager that can make these changes quickly.
However there seems to be a lack of standard folder icons that represent the application or files it contains.
So i have started a project to make custom folder icons for all apps on my phone, and thought I would make them available here as a thank you for all the help the members of this site has given me. Even though this is my first post I have spend many hours searching, reading and learning.
Seeing as folders manly show in a file explorer I have made the first test set for Resco Explorer and a few other Resco apps. The sample set below contains a dll with Resco icons in Win2k, WM5 and WM6.1 style folders plus standard app icons (see screenshot)
Now the plan is to duplicate this for as many apps as I can, but this is a slow process. I am still learning and need some help to move this project forward.
I have tested these on my TyTN II and ipaq RX1950 and they look great to me.
If anyone would like to test the samples set and suggest anything to improve future sets please let me know.
Current ideas include.
Making separate dll for each folder type.
Matching pc desktop folder icons
Creating other formats for use in other apps
Update
Added Spb Folders Separate dll for each folder type
binar1