For developers

Download source code

This application has been programmed in Java. The IDE NetBeans (http://netbeans.org/) has been used. It will be difficult to add or change code without it (see wanted enhancements).

Two text files are used, one for initiation (“MultiStart.ini”) and one for the wanted buttons (“MultiStartButtons.txt”). The application reads and writes to both of them.

The code is commented and documented. Please keep the documentation up to date with changes. The preferred language is English.

Suggested changes should be submitted through this project site, and will be reviewed by me for the time being. Suggestions that are accepted will be published here as a new (sub) version. If you would like to take over the project responsibilities, please feel free to suggest yourself to me.

Files

The program uses two files: MultisSart.ini and MultiStartButtons.txt.

MultiStart.ini

This file is read at start and sets certain options that the user has available. The format is like this:
// Inifile.
// First value below = 'Always on top (Minimize is always the opposite)'
// Second value below = 'Pause (sec) between each'
/////////////
false
1

Obviously, the contents will vary with the users choices. Here the user has asked for the program to be minimized whilst multiple programs are to be launched and wants a pause of one second between each launch.

MultiStartButtons.txt

// The format is <panel>,<program name with full path>,<argument>,
// <shortname> shown to user,<framestyle (not currently in use).

// Panel = 1 means upper panel, panel = 2 means lower panel.
// All arguments are compulsary.
// Lines starting with "//" and empty lines are ignored.

1,C:\Program Files\Taskbar Shuffle\taskbarshuffle.exe,,TaskbarShuffle,MIN
1,C:\PMAIL\Programs\winpm-32.exe, -A -I knuth,Pegasus Mail (<default>),MIN
1,C:\Program Files\Clock\clock.exe,,Clock!,NORMAL
2,C:\Program Files\UsbBoost\TurboHddUsb.exe,,USB Boost LaCie,MIN
REM 2,C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\bin\openvpn-gui.exe,,VPN HiBu,NORMAL
REM 2,C:\Program Files\Copernic Desktop Search
2,C:\Program Files\SyncToy 2.1\SyncToy.exe,,SyncToy,NORMAL
2,C:\Program Files\WinZip\WINZIP32.EXE,,WinZip,MAX
...

The user has choosen some programs. Some are to be shown i upper panel (panel 1) and some in lower panel (panel 2). Some of them have parameters.