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PoWi Posts: 90
16/02/2011
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Is it possible to see what's on the development list?
I think it would be nice to see what will be implemented - some day.
So the users can discuss future features and also can help to specify them.
What do you think?
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
17/02/2011
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Hello PoWi.
You're right.
The only problem is that I'm not so organized and I haven't scheduled next releases yet.
I only take track of any feature I would like to implement and that the users ask to me.
We can open a sort of poll to understand which features are the most wanted.
What do you think?
These are, in no particular order, my todo list.
- Update SyMenu updater with the right date;
- create a list of recent used programs;
- escape of special characters in SyMenu configuration files;
- if a proxy is blocking the online version checker ask the user his network credential;
- activate and deactivate the "Item manager" menu entries according with currenctly selected item;
- add delete and reset entries in "Item manager" menu according with currenctly selected item;
- provide Batch import of a function to import the folder structure in addition to element;
- add a new filter on Batch import that allows the user to include elements through their extension (currently it allows to exclude items);
- double click on task icon has to open SyMenu configuration form;
- show popup on task icon hover and not only with click (or optionally choose);
- validation tool for translation files;
- developer framework;
- user activation of the file logging;
- shortcut to make SyMenu popup on click of a customizable mouse button;
- different icon sets to choose;
- shows all running application on SyMenu current drive (check executable file path from currently active process);
- specify the autoexec with the client-pc-name. If it is not specified the autoexec is executed on every pcs.
Let me know.
Gianluca
<em>edited by Gianluca on 2/17/2011</em>
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PoWi Posts: 90
20/02/2011
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That's great. 
I would prio:
1) shows all running application on SyMenu current drive (check executable file path from currently active process);
1,5) let close/send close command to all programs running from portable drive (maybe on exit of SyMenu - with message if no success)
2) specify the autoexec with the client-pc-name. If it is not specified the autoexec is executed on every pcs.
What I have seen:
The search doesn't work accurate. Not all items are found.
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
20/02/2011
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It's true.
The SyMenu search feature doesn't work for all items when you run SyMenu in Windows Vista and Windows 7 because these OS include in their start menu all elements from programs menu, from control panel and from the built-in search engine.
SyMenu can only link items mapped to real files (all items from programs menu and some from control panel).
The Windows control panel shows dynamic elements too (for example Programs and features, Mouse, Keyboard...).
Besides SyMenu can't link to dynamic results from system built-in search engine even if it returns physical files because they aren't mapped to a real menu, ie they are not links but real files located in the entire file system.
In my personal experience this is a limitation only for certain elements.
For example I hate that SyMenu can't include the task manager program because it is not linked in any Windows menu.
In this case I workaround this limitation implementing a SyItem that directly links to the Task manager (the program is located in C:\Windows\System32\taskmgr.exe).
Another example is the Windows Program and features tool. It's possible to link it in a SyItem mapped to C:\Windows\System32\appwiz.cpl.
The question now is: why SyMenu can't link this kind of programs directly?
The reply is simple: SyMenu scans the host's file system only in the places where Windows stores the menu links, because its purpose is not to be a local search engine. A local search engine is a different thing than SyMenu.
To cover this lack I have a proposal for all the SyMenu users.
I can implement a new file type with a proprietary extension that is able to describe SyPrograms and Window command items.
When you drag and drop this kind of item onto SyMenu it is able to unpack it and to create the corresponding SyItem so it become available in your SyMenu. In this way every user could map any Windows program and resource and share it with all the other users through SyMenu web site.
For example to map task manager this mapping file could be a text file called "Taskmanager.symenu" with a content like this:
Type=SyProgram
Name=Task Manager
Path=C:\Windows\System32\taskmgr.exe
IconPath=http://www.ugmfree.it/public/icons/taskmgr.exe.ico
Description=It's the Windows task manager
Parameters=
For system info element ("SystemInfo.symenu") the content could be:
Type=WindowsCommand
Name=System Info
Path=C:\Windows\System32\systeminfo.exe
IconPath=
Description=It's the Windows task manager
What do you think about this?
If I receive a lot of feedbacks about the usefulness of this feature I could start to implement it otherwise the process of importing this kind of element could be manual (if you implement the two element I've posted above they work for real).
Gianluca
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PoWi Posts: 90
21/02/2011
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1) Search inside SyMenu
I have one program "portablefirefox.exe" and some other "versions" of firefox like "PrivacyDongle Firefox" and also "FreedomStick Firefox".
If I type "firefox" only the last two are found. If I type "portablefire..." only the first is found.
That's what I meant.
The search engine should work like "*firefox*". So every entry with "firefox" inside is found - for all programs inside SyMenu.
2) I like your idea with the "system programs".
3) Please make the search engine available with hotkey. That would be a great quick-starter.
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
21/02/2011
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Hello PoWi.
1) If I enable the search to return something like *firefox the corresponding items will be more and you'll have to type more keys to find what you need.
For example in my SyMenu "fi" now corresponds to FIrefox, FIddler, FIle splitter, Firewall, but if I enable the search of "*fi" SyMenu will return also libre ofFIce (7 items) and ipconFIg. If I write "fi" surely I don't want to open Libre Office so I think that your proposal will produce noise on the search results.
I advise you to simply change the name Portablefirefox.exe in Portable Firefox because SyMenu doesn't search between the file names but between the SyItem names and a SyItem name could be different from the corresponding file name.
2) Ok one vote for it.
3) The search engine is already available with hotkey. In Configuration - Options menu into tab Hot keys you can choose if you want to open the menu or the search bar with the main SyMenu shortcut (default ALT+F1)
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PoWi Posts: 90
21/02/2011
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to 1)
OK I understand I have to write "portable Firefox" (SyMenu name) so all is fine ;-)
How can I enable "*fi" search?
to 3)
Maybe bug: I open SyMenu with hotkey "WIN+w". Now if I focus on search field the "w" is inside the search field. Why?
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
21/02/2011
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1) It's not possible to enable * as a wildcard. The program is not built for that.
3) Well... the Windows key modifier is a bit strange because it's difficult to not bubble the event to the system. The other modifiers work better so please replace it in main shortcut with ALT, CTRL or SHIFT or a combination of these. You can use Windows modifier to create shortcut for any program configured in SyMenu because in this case the bubbling of the event is not a problem.
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PoWi Posts: 90
21/02/2011
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to 1) Could you ALWAYS make a wildcard search? Maybe add to the todo-list....
to 3) Maybe you could add this (Win-key and search field) also to the todo list - maybe with a lower prio. For now I use Ctrl+alt+w
Suggestion for search:
Make a counter for the starts of a program. So the search could list the most often started programs first. What do you think?
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
21/02/2011
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1) No because of the reasons I've already explain.
2) I'll surely try to manage Win-key modifier.
Well your suggestion is really good and could be developed with the recent program list feauture.
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PoWi Posts: 90
21/02/2011
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Suggestion for the todo-list:
Make a separate "website" with the todo-list with a counter for each todo-item. So each user could refer to a todo-item for further suggestions or also questions.
....please....
The thread here is now really big....
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
21/02/2011
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Ahahahah... do you really think that making a web site with a complete poll system could be so easy?
Well I eventually can open a new thread with the right title and the list of todo items.
Please remember that SyMenu is a non profit project and I'm not working on it at full time.
The community of SyMenu users, with a big exception of my brave and really valuable translators (by the way... thanks again to all of you for your work!!!!), doesn't help in any way my project, doesn't make donations, doesn't post on this forum, doesn't contribute in any way.
I'm a bit disappointed about this so my efforts in the project are getting less and less.
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PoWi Posts: 90
21/02/2011
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No. ;-)
I only suggested a "counted list". Maybe also a thread where the first post is the todo-list - like you suggested.
Why are you disappointed? What do you need?
Maybe you could also get help if you open the source code.
Edit: User only post in forums if they see bugs or wanted a new feature.
So if no one posts here:
1) nearly no bugs -> great work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2) no new features wanted -> your app is really mighty!!!
So see it positive! ;-) You have done good work in the past.
BTW, people don't make donations at all...... I know this, I also worked on a really big non-profit project....
<em>edited by PoWi on 2/21/2011</em>
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
21/02/2011
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This is the message that I write down almost two years ago in the home page of SyMenu section of my web site:
Help SyMenu
If you want to help SyMenu to become the best USB laucher on the web you can contact me.
I'm searching for:
- A team coordinator: I need a person organized, capable, nice and English speaking, who would like to help me in coordinate all the valuable member of SyMenu team (translators, beta testers and graphic designers), forum users and web site users.
- Translators: a translator must know English quite well and has to be experienced with IT terminology
- Graphic Designers: I like to offer SyMenu with its customized icons set and a trendy look but, unfortunately, I'm not an artist
- Beta testers: SyMenu is always in development and I need help to test intermediate versions
- .NET programmers: in a short-term I'll release a framework to create application for SyMenu. I need help in developing the framework and I need new applications to publish as SyMenu application. So let me know if you want to collaborate.
I haven't found no one yet except for translators. This is the reason because I'm disappointed.
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PoWi Posts: 90
21/02/2011
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- translators:
You have great translators and nearly everybody could English. So I think there is no more need.
- graphics designer:
At my project there is the same problem - and there are really many people using the app. No graphics designer. That's really pity. This is a great problem that I think could not be solved.
- beta testers: Do you have some? I also would test. So if you have a beta - send it to me and also write what feature should be tested.
- team coordinator:
At my project we are 2-3 developers (depending by the time), 5 special members for testing and specifiying new features, about 7 beta testers. All members (excluding beta testers) are mods in 2 forums (German and English). We communicate through a special forum area, mail, Skype, ICQ and also by phone - we also have met in real life. There is NO special team coordinator. There is no need. We all discuss via forum and then decide what to do. All are same.
We have team members in Germany, Netherlands, Austria, England, USA ans Brasilia.
You see bigger project have also problems (graphics designer, no donations - and we have a server) - but we have no need of a coordinator.
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PoWi Posts: 90
21/02/2011
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Sorry about my words.
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