Dock (Application) Launcher


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See What is Dock Launcher? below for more information.

  

Recent News

 

 
8/18/05   Dock Launcher v2.1 beta 1 (build 2275) is now out. This version adds no functional or interface changes over 2.0 but addresses a number of continued Tiger related issues. Tiger changed a number of aspects of AppleScript Studio and it has taken me some time to figure out what was going on. This version should work the same in Tiger and Panther.

 

This version is the file referenced by all general download links.

 

7/8/05     I had a touch of free time so I did some limited bug quashing that pushed Dock Launcher 2.0 to beta 3 (build 2272). A number of irritating bugs were teased including a problem with the uninstaller, some font problems, and some optimizations with what appears to be a real boost in speed. Several other issues were also addressed.

 

5/6/05     Finally, Dock Launcher 2.0 beta 2 (build 2270) is ready. It includes an early (complete) uninstaller plus version 1.x to 2.0 icon updating and numerous bug fixing also with more Tiger related testing and changes. Tiger did change quite a bit so bugs may be found for some time. Many Tiger changes affected Self-Repair.

  

5/5/05     After a week the Launcher seems to work fine in Tiger, although with a few minor glitches that aren't in Panther. 

I also managed to update the User's Guide for the version 2.0.  It is still rough but hopefully it just contains typos and no major errors.  I am posting that updated v2x User's Guide here for anybody with the 3363 or 3364 builds who would like it. I also updated Dock Launcher 's internal help (just an HTML version of the User's Guide with linked indexing) as well.

The linked image (.dmg) file (for normal downloading) will soon be updated as well (build 3365) although without an official version change.  That awaits some real code updates.  Nothing about the actual Launcher has changed over the 3364 build except some minor interface adjustments along with changing the default preferences to the correct values (talking and dialog off, etc).

 

4/30/05      I ran out (like all loyal Mac users) and bought Tiger and I have had a little time to do a bit of testing. Much of Tiger's behavior, especially regarding things like the System Events application is different than Panther's. Nonetheless, I did test it in Tiger, fixed the few obvious issues, and for me it runs, installs, rebuilds, and the folder actions appear to work, but I did not do much testing yet. The linked file has been replaced with the updated version.  The original 2.0 beta was build 3363 and the new one is build 3364.  The build is listed in the About Dock Launcher  window.  The 3364 version has slightly more extensive Tiger notes.

 

4/29/05      Since I am not happy with the state of the existing release I am going to post a beta of version 2.0.  It should be better than the prior version even in its beta state but some3 issues remain.  The most notable are an incomplete upgrading subroutine.  It currently has some problems keeping all the folders with 'Applications' in the name straight and does not change out the icons for the newer ones, although that is easy to do manually.

 

Some other small issues remain as well but it is certainly far less buggy than 1.1.2.  Please note that except for the QuickStart Guide (very quickly updated) the Documentation has NOT been updated.

 

Of key significance those ugly placeholder cone icons are GONE.  The current icons are still rough, but much better.  

 

Download Dock Launcher v2.0 beta and try it out.

 

A recent screenshot is here.

 
4/22/05      A new version of Dock Launcher fixing the UNGODLY MANY bugs of the prior one has been 99% ready to go for over a month now.  Hopefully I can post at least a beta soon.

 

3/29/05      Unfortunately my main server had been offline for a while.  I wish I could claim technical problems but nothing so benign.  All is well and it is now back up in all its glory. 

In the world of hobby software development things go somewhat better.  Considering the amount of code changes I have decided to just version the coming Dock Launcher at 2.0 as well.  As a continuous learning process my understanding of how to manage the GUI, especially the menus and selection of items in the Outline view, has gotten much better and this is allowing me to really clean it up.  Needless to say, it has changed quite a bit since the 3/5 recent news update.  I am going to take some time on this one since it is so much more complex than it was and do extended beta testing, therefore I may post a public beta on this site, probably within a week if I do. After this version I am going to start moving parts of the code to Objective C.

3/5/05        If you can't guess.  I have some down time from my normal job right now and this is how I am staying busy, and sane.

Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  continues to come along, now at beta for version 1.5 (yep, I am taking the big leap here).  Whereas the current version has a single action that handles auto add that only watches the Applications folder and always aliases to the main Launcher (currently only the main application can aliases into a subfolder) this version expands the role of the watcher action for the Application folder dramatically as my solution for keeping the folder actions as slim as possible while dealing with keeping the subfolder structure useful.

Now every launcher subfolder has it's own Auto-Add folder action created when each subfolder is created.  This is in addition to the main Launcher folder's Auto-Add action.  Any of these actions can be attached to any folder on the drive to "link" or "bind" that folder to a launcher subfolder for the adding of new application aliases.  Multiple folders can be linked into the same launcher subfolder.  These links are created automatically when possible, like when installing when one is created for the Utilities subfolder by attaching its Auto Add action to the real Utilities folder, and anytime a subfolder is created from a source folder.  So, if you create a subfolder using the Developer folder as the source, the new Developer subfolder's Auto Add action get attached to the developer folder so any subsequent applications are aliases straight into the Developer subfolder.

Adjusting the user interface to this new paradigm while keeping it understandable and reasonably automated for the less technically sophisticated is somewhat of a challenge.

Lots of other more minor changes, like filter tweaking, dialog clean ups, bug fixes, and the like.  If anyone is interested in beta testing, just let me know!

2/28/05      Updated Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  to version 1.1.2 with minor bug fixes including fixing a bug that caused the Applications folder watcher action to always write to its run log, and, now my Easter egg is not displaying correctly on MY computer either.  Well, it may be about time to fix that.  I also included Launch KDE (my first freeware release) in the Sliced Apple Software empire.  Download Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  v1.1.2 (other downloads are here).

2/16/05      Now that was NO FUN!!  As soon as I get this thing posted I become aware of a total deal killer bug I introduced right at the end.  This required me to spend all night tracking it down.  Hopefully I didnŐt introduce any new ones.  I guess we shall see.  The new version is Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  v1.1.1.

2/15/05      Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  v1.1 released.  It includes massive interface improvements and enhanced management of the Launcher Dock plus user control over filtering, among other improvements.

2/6/05        Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  v1.0 released.

 

Dock (Micalin's) Launcher

What is Dock (Micalin's) Launcher ?

Dock (Micalin's) Launcher is an AppleScript Studio application that creates and maintains a folder of aliases to most or all of your installed applications. This folder can then be placed in the Dock to function as a "poor man's" pop-up launcher, or cringe, a Start Menu...spit...that is automatically updated as new applications are added or installed.

Why did I make this Cheesy Thing you ask?

I originally started Dock (Micalin's) Launcher when a friend was transitioning from PC's and the lack of a Start Menu was giving her fits. As I had been meaning to do something like this since my pre-OS X days when I maintained an Apple Menu folder with aliases to all my applications, a practice that has continued via a Dock folder in OS X, I finally took the plunge (an hour- tops- I thought)...and found out how hard it is to make a simple user aid that doesn't cause more confusion than it prevents. It is not nearly good enough for something to do the adequate thing, the consistent thing, or the logical thing. Instead it must do that thing the user expects it to do in every situation, or it's worthless. As I tried to make it do what SHE expected this silly project seemed to expand without limit and I used working on it as a way to help me explore AppleScript, and now, AppleScript Studio.

In other words I just made it for fun. I realize other more sophisticated options exist and much of what this application does duplicates the Finder but the point was to see what I could do, and without peaking so much I wouldn't appreciate the answers. The experience has given me a much greater appreciation for what goes into making a piece of software, and for those who write it.

This may be just a big, glorified, kludgy AppleScript but it is MY big, glorified, kludgy AppleScript 

How does it work?

On "Install" Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  looks through your entire root Applications folder and creates aliases to EVERY SINGLE APPLICATION it finds there, classic, carbon, cocoa, dual forked, app packages you name it and places all these aliases in a folder it creates in your user Library, the Applications Launcher folder.  The user (yea, its interactive) then places that folder full of alias into the right side of the Dock to act as a pop-up.

Two folder actions are installed, one to watch your applications folder so it can create aliases to any new applications placed or installed there, and the other to watch the Launcher (Dock) folder to relocate applications dropped into it to the applications folder since some users confuse the two.

Filters are also liberally applied that attempt to weed out the various junk applications, such as Electronic Registrations, Setup Wizards, etc, and these filters are automatically appended as the user manually weeds out application aliases they find undesirable.

How Much Does it Cost?

Its freeware darn it!  It cost a friendly email or send kiwis, I love kiwis.

Will this mess up my computer?

I sure hope not. It has never caused problems that I know of. In general this application takes a conservative approach to what little it does. It never asks for an Admin password and does nothing that would require one. Except for its preference and log files located in the normal places no files or folders outside of the Launcher folder structure that this program creates are ever modified or moved, with the exception of having the Applications folder modified when items are moved into it from the Launcher folder.

However, you might ought to see the standard disclaimer in the documentation.

Current Issues with Dock (Micalin's) Launcher     

Download

This links downloads the most recent build released build.

Download Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  2.1 beta.

You can download older versions (1.x or earlier 2.x builds) here. 

Brought to you by the nut at Sliced Apple - Legacy the Verbose Way

 



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Document made with Nvu

Created  2/6/05    with release of Dock (Micalin's) Launcher  v1.0
Updated 2/15/05, 2/23/05, 2/35/05, & 2/28/05 for new or updated software.
Updated 3/29/05
Updated 4/22/05   to make is independent of the other NMS software.
Updated 4/30/05   for v2.0 beta and nav bar
Updated 6/17/05   with counter
Updated 7/8/05     for v2.0 beta 2
Updated 2/8/06     Every instance of Dock Launcher changed to Dock (Micalin's) Launcher for clarity
Updated 12/29/26 Updated email, domain, and removed .Mac mirror - and new site-wide counter