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+--- Thread: tlbHost v1.1 beta released for testing (/thread-2150.html)
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tlbHost v1.1 beta released for testing - Yuri Kobets - 11-15-2005
tlbHost v1.1 beta released for testing.
tlbHost open True launch Bar without Explorer. So you can use True Launch Bar with any shell replacement. Right-click the gripper at the left side of toolbar to open properties.
INSTALLATION:
Copy tlbHost.exe into any folder and run.
Features:
* Toolbar can use a theme of the TaskBar
* Customizable auto-hide
* Locking toolbar
* Support of any number of toolbars
Download
- Dracula - 11-16-2005
This... looks... impressive...!
TLB was really the only thing that caused me to stick with explorer as shell... Now I will seriously test with tlbHost to see if it fulfills its job
So far I encountered no problems...
TLB Host ??????? - Texan - 11-16-2005
Can we get a short explanation of what exactly HOST does???
What do we use it for?
On the surface, it appears to be a "Holding area" for multiple TLBs;
but what do I know???
RSVP, and thanks in advance.....................
- Yuri Kobets - 11-16-2005
Quote:Can we get a short explanation of what exactly HOST does???Maybe the name tlbHost is not so good.
As you know it is impossible to run True Launch Bar without explorer. TLB this is tlb.dll only. Explorer loads this DLL and run code from it.
tlbHost do same work. But now you don't need windows explorer.
Quote:What do we use it for?As I said later tlbHost is the only way to run True Launch Bar under alternative shell like Aston, LiteStep etc. Also you can use tlbHost to make toolbars with custom auto-hide options: show/hide delay times and effects.
In the future I plan to make tlbHost as portable True Launch Bar to run from USB drives. And the in the next versions I'll make a skinning
Quote:On the surface, it appears to be a "Holding area" for multiple TLBs;Currently one toolbar contain one TLB. You can create a many toolbars as you want and dock them to any side of desktop.
but what do I know???
TLB Host................. - Texan - 11-16-2005
Very Intriguing........................If I understand it correctly, we can SHUT Down the "current versions" of TLB, and leave them off..............but run the same "menus" and menu bars via TLB host INDEPENDENT of explorer..............
We would essentiall put TLB host in our START-Up folder
and further................down the road we'll be a able to "carry" a single TLB "family" via a USB dongle from PC to PC................office to office
home to home etc...................
- Yuri Kobets - 11-16-2005
Quote:Very Intriguing........................If I understand it correctly, we can SHUT Down the "current versions" of TLB, and leave them off..............but run the same "menus" and menu bars via TLB host INDEPENDENT of explorer..............Yes it's coreect. Also you can use TLB both in explorer and TLB host (as I do
)Quote:We would essentiall put TLB host in our START-Up folderYes.
Quote:and further................down the road we'll be a able to "carry" a single TLB "family" via a USB dongle from PC to PC................office to office
home to home etc...................
But I need to make some changes in TLB.
- Dracula - 11-16-2005
I think the following things could improve this tool:
1) While the bar is fading/sliding out of view, the tlbhost becomes unresponsive. So the entire animation must be awaited before the bar either reappears again, or properties can be changed, or buttons can be pressed. It would be nice for example, if the fadeout would be cancelled if the mouse cursor is moved back over the bar, or buttons were pressable while the bar is still fading into view.
2) A docked toolbar does not reduce the desktop size. For example, if the toolbar is at the top, maximized applications move underneath it. Perhaps you could reduce the desktop size if the auto-hide option is turned off, like the regular windows taskbar does.
3) Tab order in the Toolbar properties is slightly wrong: the toolbar style gets focus after the OK and cancel buttons.
4) What exactly are the toolbar styles; where does each setting get its appearance from? And what's custom about 'custom'?
5) Currently the tlbhost asks for a toolbar directory each time it is started. Is there a way to set a default, or specify via a commandline option?
- Yuri Kobets - 11-16-2005
Quote:4) What exactly are the toolbar styles; where does each setting get its appearance from? And what's custom about 'custom'?I've attached two screenshots for TaskBar and Toolbar styles.
TaskBar: looks like Windows Taskbar
Toolbar: looks like Windows Toolbar
Custom style is not supported now. There will me a custom color selection.
Quote:5) Currently the tlbhost asks for a toolbar directory each time it is started. Is there a way to set a default, or specify via a commandline option?If you select "Close Toolbar" menu item to exit tlbHost then tlbHost delete this toolbar from the list. Use "Exit" menu item.
Other suggestions will be released in the next versions. Currently this is the first public release to test the main idea
Concept is Great - Texan - 11-16-2005
I think the idea is super.....................if we get to a usb portable TLB. via a dongle...................right now, it's a little redundant to the current TLB..................
I'm having difficulty Moving the TLB Host tool bar away from the "regular TLB".............
How do I for example, drag and drop to the side if the regular TLB is already covering the top and bottom area................???????
The TLB Host opens on top of the TOP tlb menu bar, and I can't drag it off......................
- Dracula - 11-17-2005
Texan Wrote:How do I for example, drag and drop to the side if the regular TLB is already covering the top and bottom area
Look at the 'Properties' of a toolbar, there you can choose the location of each bar.
About having TLB on a USB stick: keep in mind that TLB mainly stores shortcuts and 'pointers' to virtual folders. If you move that toolbar to another computer, you will very probably see only invalid shortcuts. Even plugins often store computer-dependant settings (MBM sensor, Drive space disk drives, Network interfaces), which cause them to fail on another pc.
Yuri Wrote:I've attached two screenshots for TaskBar and Toolbar styles.
Yeah I noticed those two styles look different here as well, but I didn't recognize the theme/skin they came from
Quote:Other suggestions will be released in the next versions. Currently this is the first public release to test the main idea
This is great... and indeed I kind of expected that not all features or funcionality would be available yet, but I thought I'd report everything I had noticed so far...
Quote:If you select "Close Toolbar" menu item to exit tlbHost then tlbHost delete this toolbar from the list. Use "Exit" menu item.
Ah, now I see there is an exit option, indeed this works fine. And now I also understand how to create multiple toolbars in a single tlbHost, and where the 'Close toolbar' comes in... nice, nice...
- jkdclick - 11-17-2005
How do I choose the toolbar style?
- Yuri Kobets - 11-17-2005
jkdclick Wrote:How do I choose the toolbar style?Right-click the separator at the left side of toolbar and select "Properties"
- jkdclick - 11-17-2005
Thank you Yuri. I agree with Dracula,
Dracula Wrote:Reguarding autohide: 1) It would be nice for example, if the fadeout would be cancelled if the mouse cursor is moved back over the bar, or buttons were pressable while the bar is still fading into view.
2) A docked toolbar does not reduce the desktop size. For example, if the toolbar is at the top, maximized applications move underneath it. Perhaps you could reduce the desktop size if the auto-hide option is turned off, like the regular windows taskbar does.
- Aj - 12-31-2005
Just thought I'd chime in. I just discovered TLBHOST. Idea is great and I encourage you to keep up development. Seems to work well so far.
I miss the windowblinds skinning, but can live without it for now.
Just the idea of seperating it from explorer is a good one for a variety of reasons.
- Yuri Kobets - 01-04-2006
BTW. TLB v3.2.12 beta installed with tlbHost 1.0