Release: Blacklight for HPCs (beta / freeware keystroke launcher)

I have uploaded version 0.71 for all platforms, using the same links as at the top of the thread. Here is the list of what has changed:

Changes in Version 0.71 Beta
===========================
* The last 50 commands entered in Blacklight are now saved between sessions and can be accessed by using the drop-down combo box.
* Fixed bug in Commands List, where websites with an "=" in the URL were not launching properly. This change, however, required altering the format in how commands are saved. Please delete the commands.txt from your Blacklight directory before running this version. Alternatively, you can change the "=" in the Command.txt separating the alias and actual command to "*" (no double-quotes).
* Changed behavior of Command List option box. Only the alias will appear in the listbox now.
* The Command List option box is now longer to accomodate a larger note field for the command field.
* Added a rough calculator to Blacklight. Type "=" followed by a basic equation (e.g. "4+3" or use Dialect's math functions (such as exp(), sqrt(), sin(), and more), and a message box will pop up with the result.
* Fixed a crash bug when using the EXIT command.
* Fixed a bug on Windows CE devices where Blacklight was not receiving input focus upon being made visible. (Thanks Cmonex for reporting and testing this!)
* Upped the number of custom commands that can be created in Blacklight from 100 to 200.
* Added the Mobilecubed "branding" to the version box.
* Added some more error handling.
* New skins added.

The next version will include an actual HTML help document for Blacklight. Until that version is released, I will be holding off on making a wider announcement of Blacklight on my site. However, feel free to spread the word and provide feedback, feature requests, etc. I'd also be curious if anyone was able to come up with skins for Blacklight. I'm not great by any means at "creating" skins... maybe an HPCFactor skin? (*looks in Chris' direction*). I'd include it with the official release.

HP JORNADA 720 version para los estados Unidos.

Rrcc,

Alguien ya dijo que Blacklight trabaja con el HP Jornada 720. Es tratado el archivo mas nuevo (0.71)? Y tienes 4MB de memoria libre cuando corriendo a Blacklight?

I have uploaded version 0.75 for all platforms, using the same links as at the top of the thread. Here is the list of what has changed:

Changes in Version 0.75 Beta
===========================
* Custom commands can now take arguments. Create a custom command and include "$1" (minus double-quotes) in it (example: http://www.google.com/search?q=$1). When you run the alias (example: google blacklight), the second term will replace $1 in the command.
* An HTML manual is now included for Blacklight and can be launched from within the program by using the command HELP.
* Fixed bug where Blacklight wasn't receiving focus properly after some dialog
boxes where closed.
* New skins added.

As always, I appreciate feedback and hope you find this useful!

I haven't been able to get aliases to work yet. After creating an alias, when I summon Blacklight, type in the alias, and tap Enter (or press the 'Enter' key), it doesn't execute the path I've specified - it does nothing.

I'm anxious to get this working, particularly on my IZZI Pro, where redrawing the screen is a rather slow process, making navigation slow as well. It would allow me to open apps and switch between folders much faster without having to clutter the desktop with infinite icons. (And it looks cool too.)

I take it this is on CE and not the desktop? I'll have to take a look at that. Could you post the contents of your commands.txt file here and I can maybe take a stab at figuring the issue out? Thanks.

It's on my IZZI Pro (H/PC Pro MIPS). I tried using the alias "t" to call TCPMP, and the commands.txt file says:

t * \Storage Card\TCPMP The Core Pocket Media Player\PLAYER.EXE

Looks right to me. But it doesn't work.

If you put \Storage Card\TCPMP The Core Pocket Media Player\PLAYER.EXE in the START > RUN box and hit enter, will the app open?

No, it doesn't, if I type that in manually. But if I tap on Browse and navigate to it, then the same thing shows up as the path entered - except that it's surrounded by quotation marks - and then it does open. I used Browse in Blacklight to navigate to the file, but in that app the path it then shows does not have the quotation marks. So I tried adding them manually to the path name and then tapped "Add" and then "Close," and the next time I tried that alias it worked.

Edited by CE Geek 2007-08-28 9:53 PM

That's what I figured. I'll have to update the code to accommodate for this. Thanks.

Fantastic news on this release, and apologies for being so late to the game.

Please everyone have a look at the app and get involved here in the beta process. Julio is willing to listen to your feature requests, so we shouldn't disappoint

Not to "necro" a thread, but I was curious if anyone was using this app.

It's working nicely on the ARM (Jornada 820), MIPS (IZZI Pro), and SH3 (Phenom Express) H/PC Pro devices I'm using it on, with two exceptions:

1) .NET Compact Framework executables in H/PC Pro (see http://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=12404&posts=9&start=1 ) won't open with it if they have the .net file extension (if the extension is left as .exe, then the command executed has to be "netexec.exe [name of executable]" which can only be typed in manually since it points first to an executable file and then to a path); and

2) there's still the matter of having to manually type in the opening and closing quotation marks around the command path to make it work

One other suggestion: it would make Blacklight a lot easier to use if the alias is highlighted by default when Blacklight it summoned, so that the user can just type in the alias without having to stop and pick up the stylus (or use the touch pad in the case of the 820) in between.

Overall, I like it, though. (And the skins are cool too.)

CE Geek, thanks for the feedback. I'll address to the points below:



Yes, I'll fix that in the next update (yes, I plan on doing one! ).

Regarding the highlighting: it should already be doing that. It does it on the desktop IIRC. I'll have to take another stab at looking at that. Thanks for the head's up.

Thank you, Julio.