How can you display open applications?

[amw83]

Hey Guys,

Sorry I am very new, and learning the ropes. I have done a number of searches but havnt yet found anything about what I am after.

I am designing something for fun for work, and although we are just going to hide the start menu, I was wanting to know if there is a way to display currently open applications? (just like the start bar does)... Where if you open a new application, an icon would appear so you can toggle between the windows.

Thanks Heaps!

[jsmorley]

No, this is not something Rainmeter can do.

[balala]

I know open application and process is not the same thing, but the PerfMon plugin could be used to check if a process is running or not:

Code: Select all

[ProcessID]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=Plugins\PerfMon.dll
PerfMonObject="Process"
PerfMonCounter="ID Process"
PerfMonInstance="Notepad"
PerfMonDifference=0

[MetersShowProcess]
MeasureName=ProcessID
Meter=STRING
X=0
Y=0
FontColor=220,220,220
SolidColor=80,80,80,150
FontEffectColor=0,0,0
StringEffect=Shadow
FontSize=12
Padding=15,5,15,5
FontFace=Segoe UI
StringStyle=BOLD
StringAlign=LEFT
AntiAlias=1

The [ProcessID] measure will give a zero value if the PerfMonInstance process is not running and above zero if it is. If you want to check determined processes, this methode can be used.
Or, using the AdvancedCPU plugin, you can create a list of the running processes:

Code: Select all

[MeasureTopName1]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=AdvancedCPU
CPUExclude=Idle
TopProcess=2
DynamicVariables=1

[MeasureTopName2]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=AdvancedCPU
CPUExclude=Idle;[MeasureTopName1]
TopProcess=2
DynamicVariables=1

[MeasureTopName3]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=AdvancedCPU
CPUExclude=Idle;[MeasureTopName1];[MeasureTopName2]
TopProcess=2
DynamicVariables=1

[MeasureTopName4]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=AdvancedCPU
CPUExclude=Idle;[MeasureTopName1];[MeasureTopName2];[MeasureTopName3]
TopProcess=2
DynamicVariables=1

[MeasureTopName5]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=AdvancedCPU
CPUExclude=Idle;[MeasureTopName1];[MeasureTopName2];[MeasureTopName3];[MeasureTopName4]
TopProcess=2
DynamicVariables=1

[MeterTopName]
Meter=String
MeasureName=MeasureTopName1
MeasureName2=MeasureTopName2
MeasureName3=MeasureTopName3
MeasureName4=MeasureTopName4
MeasureName5=MeasureTopName5
X=0
Y=0
FontColor=255,255,255
FontSize=10
Padding=25,5,25,5
FontFace=Segoe UI
AntiAlias=1
Text=%1#CRLF#%2#CRLF#%3#CRLF#%4#CRLF#%5

[jsmorley]

Knowing that a "process" is running is nothing at all like what the taskbar does though.

[balala]

Knowing that a "process" is running is nothing at all like what the taskbar does though.

Yes, I know. Sometimes though it could be useful. Depend on the needs...

[amw83]

Thanks for the replies guys much appreciated.

[drakulaboy]

something like that?

[balala]

something like that?

Your skin uses an exe, not just the Rainmeter capabilities.

[jsmorley]

Your skin uses an exe, not just the Rainmeter capabilities.

Which is fine for what it is. There are times that some "addon" can be used to extend the capabilities of Rainmeter in a very useful way. There are other times when the best you can do is use Rainmeter to create a "pretty" button to launch the external program, and it does what it does on its own.

I stand by my original answer. You cannot replicate even 5% of the capabilities of the Windows taskbar in Rainmeter. It is not what it is designed to do. It is not a shell replacement, and has no role in modifying or replacing any core Windows desktop behavior.

Whenever I say this, inevitably folks jump in with addon executables to replicate the taskbar, system tray, start menu, start orb, and who knows what else. That's fine. Understand though that there is no integration between these kinds of addons and Rainmeter, and you are in effect using a Rainmeter skin to "launch" them. If that is the goal, then great. I'm all for it.

There is nothing wrong with that approach posted of using that little utility that displays programs currently on the taskbar in a tooltip / list at the cursor location, and gives "focus" to the selected program. That may be something that is just what someone is looking for. It's not even remotely like replacing the Windows taskbar though.