Control Plugin

Hello!

What about a plugin that adds the following benefits to TLB:

- Pleases several existing suggestions for new plugins in one go
- Allows the use of shortcuts that are freeform
- Gets rid of bulky and artless seperators which are wasting space in order to group associated shortcuts
- Makes True Launch Bar WAY more fancy, since it will say goodbye to the quadratic-icons-all-over-the-place-look

This might be done within minutes. Because it's already there. Im talking about the Media Control Plugin. Less the 'Media'. Excluding the whole media player communication stuff that processes

command=playpause

and replacing it with the simple execution of

command=MyProgramOfChoice.exe /SomeCommandLineParameter

is all it takes to create the most versatile, all-round-component you can imagine. Instead of using separators, one can create skinned areas which group shortcuts. While this may look fantastic, it's also incredible powerful: In connection with a scripting language, this Control Plugin could be transformed into a skinnable control for literally ANY APPLICATION (!) that can be remotely controlled, be it by hotkeys, API, DDE calls or whatever.

Wouldn't this be awesome, or is it just me?

What do you think...?

No opinions

The idea looks interesting. As I understand this plugin have some skinned buttons to run applications. The problem in configuring of this plugin. If the application is defined in the skin that plugin will be a limited only predefined set of applications. If applications can be changed in the properties, then this can be not so easy to skin them.

Anyway, the Media Control plugin can be extended. It is not so hard to write the "player" that handle the commands like "command=MyProgramOfChoice.exe /SomeCommandLineParameter".

Hi Yuri! Thank you for your response.

The problem in configuring of this plugin. If the application is defined in the skin that plugin will be a limited only predefined set of applications. If applications can be changed in the properties, then this can be not so easy to skin them.

I'm sorry if I expressed myself unclearly (stupid me ) but I'm not suggesting a TLB Control that holds multiple controls for one single application, like the media plugin. I was thinking about a TLB control whose instance can hold controls for various applications. These embedded controls are basically shortcuts, but skinnable ones, thanks to the abilities of the host componen. Please take a look at the very simple example below: Clicking the controls left wing launches local audio player foobar2000, while right wing starts the Local.fm client ...

That control area could be followed by another one which looks completely different, and embeds all office shortcuts. No need for separators here anymore. However, the result will look so much more structured.

In my point of view, TLB is not just about efficiency, it's also about giving the users more design and creativity options. But doing this, it limits itself by trying to make the best out of that what Windows offers. I think the media control plugin shows best what lies beyond this limit. All I'm talking about is: Break it down.

It is not so hard to write the "player" that handle the commands like "command=MyProgramOfChoice.exe /SomeCommandLineParameter".

... and that's all that is needed. It's obvious that this step is going to push both visual attractivity and usability of True Launch Bar to a new level.

OK, I'll make the "player" and post it here.

Excellent. Thanks a lot, Yuri!

Hi Yuri! Any news about this ?