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laffin_boy Posts: 14
04/04/2018
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HI,
I have several shareware apps I want to include in my WinApps" flashdrive that I normally "install" on my desktop machine after an OS reinstall by running a reg file that writes the necessary data to the registry. To use them on my "WinApps" flashdrive i'm willing to run an "reg_install" before starting this app and then run a reg_uninstall" file after closing the app but I can't figure out how to configure a working path in the reg files that will work on any computer.
I looked in the help file but didn't find an answer.
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
04/04/2018
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Probably because it's out of its purpose.
SyMenu comes in help during its own start and its own close (autoexec on start and on close) but there is nothing that could be launched before the launch of an application and after the application close.
Using this feature, one solution is to create a single batch/cmd file that is in charge to create all the registry keys for all the programs and another one to delete them all. You can link the first to the autoexec on start the latter to the autoexec on close.
IMHO is not so nice to write so much data on the registry, even if this data is temporary, because you don't really need them all, but you need only those one related to the program you will launch.
Another solution is to force a bit the system using some sort of launcher (bat, cmd) for every app, each of them creates the registry keys before launching their own app.
As well as the previous example these batch files can be instructed through a command line parameter (.\) to create the registry keys related to current program path because SyMenu translates any command argument representing a relative path with the real path.
But then you have the problem to clean up all the mess.
Your real solution is to use same sort of portabilizer system like paf, LiberKey, yap... you have literally tons of them. These system aim to create a launcher that allows you to create registry keys, folders, files, then to launch the program and monitor it. When the program closes the launcher cleans up all the previous modification, plus any other track the program created by itself.
These are the products you really need. SyMenu is simply a launcher not a portabilizer tool.
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laffin_boy Posts: 14
05/04/2018
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Hi, Thanks for your reply.
Gianluca wrote:
Another solution is to force a bit the system using some sort of launcher (bat, cmd) for every app, each of them creates the registry keys before launching their own app.
I suspect that I wasn't clear enough. My question (I think) is very narrow: What is the working syntax for the path of a command run from within the SyMenu environment that gets written to the registry of the host machine? IE: I have an app located at [unknown drive]\Apps\System\MyApp that I want to register on the host machine temporarily but I haven't been able to figure out how to do this after reading the section of the Help file on relative paths since the examples given assume that SyMenu is at the root of all my apps which is not my arrangement. Also I did a search for "Universal Unit Identifier" online and came up empty-handed.
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
05/04/2018
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Assuming that your "unknown drive" is the same drive where SyMenu is located you can actually use the Universal Unit Identifier (#:\).
That way your path should be written as:
#:\Apps\System\MyApp
and will be converted at run-time in something like
G:\Apps\System\MyApp
The UUI can be used in the program path and even in the command line argument.
But you are on your own for the interaction with the registry because SyMenu doesn't help with that one.
Is this answer helping you in any way?
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laffin_boy Posts: 14
05/04/2018
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Gianluca wrote:
Is this answer helping you in any way?
Exactly what I was looking for!
I understand your point about PortableApps, etc but though they may have configurability that SyMenu (intentionally) doesn't have their "Marketing" drives me away. They're "selling" apps that I don't want or already have but providing very little to no explanation of what goes on "under the hood". In contrast to them - and, in fact most other software projects - you have put a lot of effort of writing a great explanation of how your software actually WORKS. Your application is transparent. You treat your "customers" like adults. That means a lot to me and so i'd much rather spend my time manually configuring SyMenu to the best of my ability because it inspires my respect & loyalty.
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Gianluca Administrator Posts: 1274
05/04/2018
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Don't make me started with PA please... 
Indeed I was suggesting you to create your own package using the paf/LiberKey/yap format. Each of them is a valid solution to achieve a perfect portabilization, while SyMenu is not, because this goal is out of my purposes.
BUT when you succeeded in portabilizing an app, please use it in SyMenu!
SyMenu is open and can be configured to use whatever app, packaged with whatever portabilizer tool, even the most unfriendly one.
I never suggested you to use another launcher...
I'm working so hard to make SyMenu the best experience you can have, in change I want the users use it more and more.
And thanks for the nice words about the project!
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