There are a number of application launchers I've tried, but the freeware product Quick Cliq from Apathy Softworks is one that I'm using on a regular basis. (In particular, I'm using the 64-bit beta version available on the download page.)
Quick Cliq is a multi-faceted tool, more of a Swiss knife utility. It provides extra functionality, including clipboard functionality (turned off), windows functionality (e.g., toggle to and from the desktop), and memos (including the ability to encrypt/decrypt them). I've embedded a Youtube video at the bottom of the post which provides a broader exploration of the application, and there is online documentation at the Apathy Softworks website describing all functionality in more detail.
This post is intended to provide a working example of how I've implemented use of the product as an application launcher. In the above image, the items "Search" through the "Browser" menu were custom-added; the "Windows" menu through the bottom of the window are standard/toggled features. The colors, font, background, and other characteristics were custom-configured via the "Add/Change" option (which also provides access to software settings, hotkey configurations, and the like). I access the menu through a default Windowskey-Z combination (the software also puts an icon in the system tray).
I have a shortlist of frequently accessed custom executables or files at the beginning of my menu. "Search" is my name for Voidtool's wonderful freeware search utility, Everything. Q-Dir is the exceptional freeware quad explorer. The next two commonly accessed files are launched in filetype default programs. (My text file default is Notepad++.)
I then created 5 custom folders: web (frequently accessed bookmarks), folders (including my portable program, synced data and startup directories), system (Windows update, program management, computer management, system services, msconfig (e.g., disable autorun for subsequent system reboot), and my backup application), utility (download tools, local website capture, security software, media burning, file viewers, editing tools, and console/command windows), and various web browsers.
Each custom item or folder is created through the Add/Change option. The first image below shows the result of adding a new item (note the leftmost item in the icon bar). There is a drop-down menu in the shortcut window bar that allows you to specify special items, like a folder menu. A folder menu (see second image) allows you not only to select an item within a folder but to open the folder itself in an explorer window (e.g., so I can add a new program shortcut to run at startup).
You may also enter multi-line commands (say, a housekeeping script) by toggling an icon at the right end of the shortcut window bar (not pictured). The following lines illustrate how this can be used:
cmd /k "copy c:\users\myuser\dropbox\ron.txt c:\users\myuser\dropbox\ron2.txt"
calc
cmd /c "move c:\users\myuser\dropbox\ron2.txt c:\users\myuser\programs\ron4.txt"
write "c:\users\myuser\programs\ron4.txt"
NB: VERY IMPORTANT: After entering your single/multi-line shortcut, make sure you click on the SAVE (floppy disk) icon in the shortcut menu.
This concludes my brief working example introduction to Quick Cliq. My intent is not to provide a comprehensive introduction but a minimalist approach, as John M. Carroll described in the Nurnberg Funnel. The general idea is to give computer users enough context and practical guidance so they are able to do something practical with software within a short period of time.
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| Adding a New Item Type via Add/Change |
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| An Example of the Folder Menu Feature |
