It is currently March 29th, 2024, 12:01 pm

Reading folders

Report bugs with the Rainmeter application and suggest features.
User avatar
Chewtoy
Moderator
Posts: 995
Joined: June 10th, 2009, 12:44 pm
Location: Sweden

Reading folders

Post by Chewtoy »

A really nice feature would be if rainmeter could read the contents of a folder.
Like, you have a button, and when clicked it will spit out the contents of the folder it's linked to without opening a folder, just displaying it with text.

This is really just because I want to make a "Start Menu" button (and remove the need for RocketDock! >:D ).
So, basically, what I would like the most as a feature in rainmeter would be that it should be able to read the RegKey and display all that's in that folder. Meaning, if you don't specify a RegValue, you get what's in the RegKey as a list.
Then, you should be able to click on the things that pops up.
To be blunt: what I'm really after is to be able to make a COMPLEATLY custom startmenu with rainmeter.

Now, I have been trying to figure out how bbLean does it, but I can't find the source code for it.
I am also trying to learn c++ so I can use Visual c++ and create a plugin wich reads the values I'm after.

But if Rainmeter could read and display (and also make it clickable) the contents of a folder, that would be great.
(If this is already possible, it's a miracle that I have not found it...)
I don't think, therefore I'm not.
User avatar
jsmorley
Developer
Posts: 22628
Joined: April 19th, 2009, 11:02 pm
Location: Fort Hunt, Virginia, USA

Re: Reading folders

Post by jsmorley »

Chewtoy wrote:A really nice feature would be if rainmeter could read the contents of a folder.
Like, you have a button, and when clicked it will spit out the contents of the folder it's linked to without opening a folder, just displaying it with text.

This is really just because I want to make a "Start Menu" button (and remove the need for RocketDock! >:D ).
So, basically, what I would like the most as a feature in rainmeter would be that it should be able to read the RegKey and display all that's in that folder. Meaning, if you don't specify a RegValue, you get what's in the RegKey as a list.
Then, you should be able to click on the things that pops up.
To be blunt: what I'm really after is to be able to make a COMPLEATLY custom startmenu with rainmeter.

Now, I have been trying to figure out how bbLean does it, but I can't find the source code for it.
I am also trying to learn c++ so I can use Visual c++ and create a plugin wich reads the values I'm after.

But if Rainmeter could read and display (and also make it clickable) the contents of a folder, that would be great.
(If this is already possible, it's a miracle that I have not found it...)
That would be nice in general, although in this particular case I wonder if just creating a button/meter that pops open the actual start menu (easy enough) even if the taskbar and "orb" are hidden wouldn't be another approach. There is just so much functionality in the Start Menu (context sensitive right-click menus, the "run/search" input box, the "power" buttons, etc.) that trying to even approach a workable Start Menu in Rainmeter might be a challenge.

In general though, I agree that two plugins would be great:

1. A plugin to read and return the filenames/size/date in a folder
2. A plugin to read and return all the lines in a text file (hard to believe there isn't one already. QuotePlugin only returns one random line, and there isn't really anything else.)

Both of these could return the values in an array like WebParser does with "StringIndex". In fact you could cannibalize WebParser quite a bit so you could use RegExp to search for files or lines in a text file. You could ALMOST just modify WebParser to allow pointing to a local file / folder address instead of a URL and be done with it.
dragonmage
Developer
Posts: 1270
Joined: April 3rd, 2009, 4:31 am
Location: NC, US

Re: Reading folders

Post by dragonmage »

One of gschoppe's main goals as a Rainmeter Developer is to completely replace the start menu and taskbar. I'm sure this won't be an overnight process, as I hear that the systray is one of the most difficult things to make a replacement for because of the way microsoft made it. I don't know if there is any shell replacement that handles the systray perfectly, most of them "miss" some tray icons or lose them.

For now though I think there are ways to bring up the regular start menu.
sgtevmckay

Re: Reading folders

Post by sgtevmckay »

Shoot, windows can not even get it right

Under Vista and 7, it is a craps shoot to get all you system tray goodies. more often than not you are missing up to three random icons.

If Schoppe-Sama can make something reliable, then he will have beat out Windows :D

I like this idea :twisted:
User avatar
jsmorley
Developer
Posts: 22628
Joined: April 19th, 2009, 11:02 pm
Location: Fort Hunt, Virginia, USA

Re: Reading folders

Post by jsmorley »

dragonmage wrote:One of gschoppe's main goals as a Rainmeter Developer is to completely replace the start menu and taskbar. I'm sure this won't be an overnight process, as I hear that the systray is one of the most difficult things to make a replacement for because of the way microsoft made it. I don't know if there is any shell replacement that handles the systray perfectly, most of them "miss" some tray icons or lose them.

For now though I think there are ways to bring up the regular start menu.
I apologize to gschoppe and don't mean to be a skunk at the wedding, but I hope this is not a HIGH priority give all the bugs with Rainmeter and Vista/Seven, the existing problems and things that really need work (like WebParser, USB support and WiFi support). Rainmeter crashes EVERY time I change my Windows Theme under "personalize" in Vista and Seven. This is a higher priority than replacing a perfectly good Start Menu, IMHO...

:mrgreen:
User avatar
GhostMatrix
Rainmeter Sage
Posts: 141
Joined: April 18th, 2009, 8:26 pm
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada 45.5658°N, 73.5898°W UTC -5

Re: Reading folders

Post by GhostMatrix »

You can create a customized Start Menu but you will not have some features of it, like some of the ones who "jsmorley" point out (the context sensitive right-click menus, the "run/search" input box).

You can use apps that can be used with Rainmeter to achieve this ...

From my side I try to make a customized one to have something similar to the Start Menu in my sidebar
The default action open the regular start menu
The other action will bring up my customize Start Menu (GUI not done yet!)

I use the Standalone Stack application if I want to have the specific content of a folder (you could also create a folder for a specific usage)
In the screenshot you have one who his linked to the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Menu Démarrer\Programmes

Image

Then if I click on "Jeux" (Games) it will bring up the folder

Image


I also use TaskStack ...

Image


I use an another application who bring up a customized "shutdown" window (Azenis2 skin)

Image


Up to now that is what I have done for my sidebar customized Start Menu ...


GM
If at first you don't succeed; call it version 0.1

Image
User avatar
Chewtoy
Moderator
Posts: 995
Joined: June 10th, 2009, 12:44 pm
Location: Sweden

Re: Reading folders

Post by Chewtoy »

Well. If you want ideas of how to make the start menu as such, you can check out how bbLean (http://bb4win.sourceforge.net/bblean/) handles it. It's really quite wonderfull, even though it has its limitations wich I'm hoping I can cancel out with the help of rainmeter.
But it handles the startmenu very nicely, but I can't seem to figure out HOW it handles it. >_<

So a look at bbLean might help with the start menu-problem.
I don't think, therefore I'm not.