SyMenu Forum

Gianluca

all messages by user

03/08/2020 Topic: New SyMenu version 6.12 Gianluca Administrator	Dear SyMenu users, The new version is now available for everyone to download. The full changelog is available on the download page. As usual, I take advantage of this post, to explain the most obscure, strange, or inexplicable features delivered with the new version. Why do I remove the option to choose the SPS definition update interval? Because I was tired of investigating issues caused by outdated app definitions. It's like an AV software company that is asked to explain why their software didn't protect a computer when the user has outdated definitions... senseless huh! From this version, whenever you start SyMenu, you allow the program to check for the app definitions. The automatic check happens once a day, but, as usual you can force it to happen more, pressing the special button. There is a way to completely disable the app definition check but, if you need it, please contact me in private because I need to know what reason you get. If there are particular scenarios where this block is really senseful, I can implement a public option to freely disable the check. Enjoy.
07/08/2020 Topic: Strange behavior of the about splash screen Gianluca Administrator	Well you can close the form About with the ESC button (if you have the focus on it). Or if you are really desperate you can click on any of the link available there. Anyway I'm perfectly opened to any suggestions because, you are right, if you lose the focus the exit process become mazy. What should be the right way to exit from an About windows? Not a button please!
10/08/2020 Topic: Strange behavior of the about splash screen Gianluca Administrator	Indeed the form is really buggy. The ESC buttons doesn't work if it loses the focus. For that I think I'll implement a better solution: I can close the form when it loses the focus too. This way will be impossible to get stuck.
31/08/2020 Topic: 3 new Apps Gianluca Administrator	Dear fsr37, Welcome to the community. I'm very interested in knowing what confused you about the UI to improve its easy of use, above all for newbies. If you want to tell me anything about that it'll be very useful. Regarding your request, when a user propose to add some programs, I usually invite him to do that by himself. SyMenu suite is an open suite and every user can contribute to improve it. Naturally we have trusted users that are in full control of all the process and untrusted users that are strictly controlled and need approval for every submission but the system works well and, after a while, the untrusted users can be promoted and become autonomous. BTW KeyNote NF seems to be abandoned (last beta release 2017, last major release 2015). It's not a good program to add. PDFSam could be a good one instead, and the same is for WUmgr. So why don't you try that by yourself? I'm available to help you to understand the entire process.
31/08/2020 Topic: 3 new Apps Gianluca Administrator	So your troubles came from the search. Ok. Thank you. fsr37 wrote: I think this is OK. You mean by using SPS Builder? I read your posts and tried to save one app but I couldnt validate. What fields avoid the validation? I have to write a proper manual for the SPS Builder before or after.... fsr37 wrote: Yea I know there are other tabbed text editors but I find this one very useful and have been using this since I use Windows. Right now I am W10 1909 and it runs without any problems, they havent updated it in a whyle but they did updated it when it was necessary. In this case it's not a problem if a program is old but good and above all working on the last systems.
31/08/2020 Topic: 3 new Apps Gianluca Administrator	A fast review. Program name - According with the author web site it should be WuMgr, not Wumgr Publisher web site - In case of a web site that contains more than one software I usually prefer the program page. But the WuMgr page is empty (???) https://xanasoft.com/windows-update-manager/ so in this case is good to maintain https://xanasoft.com/ Main exe names - Here we have two issues. 1) the path is relative so you have to write wumgr.exe without any path, because our executable is contained inside the root folder 2) the logical name should be meaningful for our users because it will be the name they'll see in SyMenu. In this case WuMgr and not wumgr.exe SPS Program report - Nope. It's your email or web contact form. Our users report here problem with the SPS not with the program What's next? You have to test the package pressing Test SPS online or Test SPS Local if you already downloaded the package. If everything go well, SPS Builder check the package among VirusTotal.com If this step goes well too you have to press Save in UGM. Tah dah! Finished. After that I receive a notification about your new SPS and make a full review. If everything is OK, your SPS will be published. You don't need to do nothing by hand, SPS Builder does the job for you.
03/09/2020 Topic: Feature request - Hide unwanted apps Gianluca Administrator	Hi, I don't think it is a good approach to the problem. What if the x86 version is the only version available of a certain program? How do you know that a program has been abandoned? What you are implying is that a user analyzes every single program in the suite and hide the unwanted program one by one. It's not a realistic scenario. I don't doubt you would do that but I think you'd be the only one. But, I agree with the fact that we have too much programs to manage and the filtering tools I'm offering are quite inadequate to this huge number. IMHO the solution is to change the way a user examine the list. A better search engine would help. I should implement the "not" option: "editor -metapad" (search for all the program with the word editor in the name, description, category except for those ones with the metapad word in it). Another useful option should be the tagged search: "description:editor -name:metapad" (search for all program with editor in description, except for the one called metapad). And others filters... But the game changer will be the possibility to save a custom search. This way you can create various buttons with your preferred filter set. I won't deceive anyone... it's a huge job and even if it's a top priority one I don't know when I'll be able to build that.
05/09/2020 Topic: Feature request - Hide unwanted apps Gianluca Administrator	Ok, let me be clearer. Beside my opinion on this kind of method, and it's not positive, the real problem is that I'm focused on the search itself not on the customization of the suite view. If you think about the Play store or the Apple store they both works on searching not on hiding and the two concepts are completely opposite. Who am I to think I'm smarter than the big ones?
28/09/2020 Topic: Translation of Control Panel Applets Gianluca Administrator	Hi, Unfortunately not. I've currently linked more than 50 control panel tools and I don't want to overburd the translators with this bunch of labels too. They already have a lot to manage. Anyway if a certain number of users ask for it, I can create a parallel way to allow this private translation. But I need to know this will be a really useful feature.
15/11/2020 Topic: Feature Request - Get new apps : Search and instal Gianluca Administrator	You are perfectly right, it's a good idea. I put this request on the TODO list and hopefully, before or after, I find the time to develop. Thank you for your suggestion.
21/11/2020 Topic: New version 6.13.7629 vs 6.12.7517 Gianluca Administrator	Wow, you beat me to the punch.The post for the new version was expected for Monday. Anyway since we are speaking of the new version, the most important new feature is the auto trash for the SPS Manager. Select the Auto trash checkbox and you won't have to worry anymore about "the corpses" SyMenu leave behind. BTW another small news is that you can now open the SPS definition directly from inside the SPS Manager... well this is for expert only. For others minor news, please check the version changelog available in the download page https://www.ugmfree.it/SyMenuDownload.aspx#changelog Enjoy!
23/11/2020 Topic: New version 6.13.7629 vs 6.12.7517 Gianluca Administrator	Nope. It should work as before. Anyway it could happen the check don't work, both the automatic one and the manual one. I try to understand if your was a bug or a normal failure. In the meanwhile please monitor this behavior and report to me if the automatic check never works considering that it should work no more time than once a day.
24/11/2020 Topic: New version 6.13.7629 vs 6.12.7517 Gianluca Administrator	Frustrated wrote: I think what happened was that the upgrade reset the options. Yes you're right. The notification for updated apps, happens only once a day. So this is what probably happened: You've been notified of new apps; you enter the SPS Manager; the SPS Manager forces SyMenu to check for a new version and find the new one; you updated SyMenu; the SPS app notification didn't happen again because it was the second attempt during the same day. Ok then, problem solved!
01/12/2020 Topic: SPS builder 1.45 issue with 135% zoom Gianluca Administrator	Ups... sorry for this. Please downgrade the program downloading this package: https://www.ugmfree.it/Download/SyMenu/SPSBuilder.144.zip I will try to solve the issue with the next release.
01/12/2020 Topic: SPS builder 1.45 issue with 135% zoom Gianluca Administrator	It's strange. Anyway you can force the dpi for a single program instead for the entire system. Go back to the last version then right click on the executable - Properties - Compatibilities - Change high DPI settings. Try some combinations (I can't predict exactly what works for you). With the next version I'll try to fix everything.
02/12/2020 Topic: Extending Desktop Shortcuts Gianluca Administrator	sl23 wrote: the configuration form could have an extra field added for the desktop shortcut ID? It would be too much for the normal users. The ID is used only for SyMenu internal purposes and it's not intended for an external use. It would be confusing to expose it. Anyway I have an idea that is probably better. In the Options - System tab you can find a report summarizing all the SyMenu programs. You can even export the Full list in csv with the special button. What if I add the ID there? It would be cleaner, consistent, and, above all, I guess no normal user asks for that report without a clue of what he is doing And you'd have all the IDs in a single place. What do you think? edited by Gianluca on 02/12/2020
14/12/2020 Topic: Can't seem to launch vscode elevated... Gianluca Administrator	Well I had the same problem for a while but I think now it's gone. Please tell me if you receive the notification for this one.
21/12/2020 Topic: Is there way to hide floating icon from desktop? Gianluca Administrator	Sure you can. In the manual it's called "Start menu button". https://www.ugmfree.it/SyMenuManual.aspx#Advanced_menu_Options_General
21/12/2020 Topic: New SyMenu version 6.14 Gianluca Administrator	Dear users, The new version is out. Wow a new version so closed to the previous one, what's happened?!! Well indeed it's a version force by technical reasons, a third party library has been updated, so you'll find very few new features. Anyway for a full list please go in the usual place (https://www.ugmfree.it/SyMenuDownload.aspx#changelog) but if you have any question I'm here for you. Dear users, have a lovely Christmas and an happy new year (possibly better than this one). And BTW a big big big big "FUCK YOU and die badly!!!" from the bottom of my heart to the 2020!!!
05/01/2021 Topic: SPS Builder code snippets Gianluca Administrator	Electron apps Electron is a framework that allows the creation of applications, Windows desktop ones but not only, with web technologies such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Every Electron app packed to be a Windows desktop application, uses the AppData\Roaming folder to store the user customization and files. We don't like this behavior very much because this way the application settings become not portable. The solution is pretty easy. With the SPS script after install you can instruct SyMenu to build a proper folder inside the application root and to force the Electron app to use that folder as a replacement of AppData\Roaming. Example: MakeDir .\USERPROFILE\AppData\Roaming AddVar USERPROFILE=.\USERPROFILE Certain Electron apps are less greedy and only need to know where AppData folder is. If the others folders lack, they'll be created on the fly. For example Visual Studio Code only needs this script after install: AddVar APPDATA=.\ With this instruction only VS Code is able to create the needed folder (namely Code) into the root. Inside the Code folder it stores all its user files. In general the Electron apps outputs are really easy to redirect.