Summary
QTTabBar provides application launcher list that you can register and easily launch applications and documents.
Application Launcher can not only simply launch applications, but also create parameters from files and folders in the View where they are launched.
See below for details.
An application launcher item consists of Path, Arguments, and Working directory.
In Path, you can specify executable files (*.exe) and various document files also.
To launch registered applications
- Select item in drop-down menu of Application Launcher Button in Command Bar (figure. 1)
- By keyboard shortcut that you assigned to a specific application launcher item
To register your applications
- Drag application file to Application Launcher Menu and drop onto it. The menu will appear by hovering over the Application Launcher Button in the Command Bar
- Edit in the Option window
Arguments and working directory
Arguments, or parameters, are passed to command line as additional information to a program that is launched.
In figure. 2, a full path to a text file is passed to "notepad.exe". Notepad will open "textfile.txt" when launched.
Since white space is interpreted as separator between arguments, double quotation ( " ) is required when a part of arguments contains white space characters. If you pass "a b c" d e, three items are passed to the launching application: "a b c", "d", "e". This is important typically when you pass a file full path.
Some applications use Working directory.
In computing, the working directory of a process is a directory (...) dynamically associated with each process. When the process refers to a file using a simple file name or relative path (as opposed to a file designated by a full path from a root directory), the reference is interpreted relative to the current working directory of the process. So for example a process with working directory /rabbit-shoes that asks to create the file foo.txt will end up creating the file /rabbit-shoes/foo.txt.(from Wikipedia)
Dynamically create arguments and working directory
QTTabBar passes arguments and working directory that are created in execution time using selected files and folders in the View where the application is launched.
In figure. 3, "%cd%" keyword is set to working directory. This keyword is replaced to path of selected folder if a folder is selected in view, otherwise current folder path.
As a result, this item launches Command Prompt in selected or current directory.
"Associated View" setting value of the Application Launcher Button affects which View is used to replace keywords.
"%" buttons in the editor of Application launcher in Option window help to insert keywords to arguments and working directory textboxes.
Other keywords that can be used in arguments and working directory :| Keyword | Implies... | Description |
|---|---|---|
| %f% | file | Replaced with full paths of selected files in the folder view. Double-quoted. Space-separated if multiple. |
| %d% | directory | Replaced with full paths of selected folders in the folder view. Double-quoted. Space-separated if multiple. |
| %s% | selection | Replaced with full paths of selected files and folders in the folder view. Double-quoted. Space-separated if multiple. |
| %c% | current | Replaced with current folder path. Double-quoted if contains spaces. |
| Replaced with full path string of a selected folder if a folder is selected, or current folder path otherwise. Double-quoted if contains spaces. | ||
| name | Replaced with name of a single selected file or folder. |
Use the following if you don't want quotation marks. Useful when you want to concatenate with another text.
| Keyword | Description |
|---|---|
| %F% | Replaced with full paths of selected files in the folder view. Double-quoted and Space-separated if multiple. No quotation marks if a single file. |
| %D% | Replaced with full paths of selected folders in the folder view. Double-quoted and Space-separated if multiple. No quotation marks if a single folder. |
| %S% | Replaced with full paths of selected files and folders in the folder view. Double-quoted and Space-separated if multiple. No quotation marks if a single file/folder. |
| %C% | Replaced with current folder path. Not quoted even if contains spaces. |
| Replaced with full path string of a selected folder if a folder is selected, or current folder path otherwise. Not quoted even if contains spaces. |
