DXLab Launcher Online Help Contents
Configuring the DXLab launcher requires that you
Specify the pathname of the log file to be opened by DXKeeper after startup
Specify Main Window Captions for non-DXLab applications to enable their termination by the Launcher
Indicate whether or not you want the Launcher's main window to always be "on top"
Indicate whether the Launcher should check for new versions on startup
Indicate whether the Launcher should automatically shut down after you click the Terminate button
All of these actions can be accomplished in the Launcher's Configuration window; to display this window, click the Config button in the Launcher's Main window. The Configuration window contains two panels: the DXLab Applications panel, and the Other Applications panel. Each of these panels provides a row of controls for each application.
To specify a DXLab application's pathname, locate the application's row in the DXLab Applications panel, and click the Sel button in this row. The Launcher will display an Open dialog box that makes it easy to select the application's executable file, such as
C:\Program Files\DXLab Suite\WinWarbler\WinWarbler.exe
or
D:\Program Files\SpotCollector\SpotCollector180.exe
To specify the pathname of a log file to be opened by DXKeeper after startup, click the Sel button in the DXLab Application panel's Startup Parameters sub-panel, and choose the desired log file. If no log file pathname is specified, DXKeeper will open log in use during the previous operating session.
Specifying a non-DXLab application's pathname
The Launcher allows you to specify four non-DXLab applications that can be started when you start a group of DXLab applications; initially, these are depicted in the Other Applications panel as Application 1 through Application 4. To specify the pathname of such an application, click the Other Applications panel's Show Paths button, click the Sel button associated with an unused Program Path textbox, and use the Open dialog box to select the application's executable file, e.g.
C:\Program Files\DX Atlas\DxAtlas.exe
When you select an executable file, the Launcher updates the Application column with the executable file's simple name. Using the preceding example, the entry in the Application column would be DXAtlas.
Specifying a non-DXLab application's Main Window Caption
If you have specified the the caption of a non-DXLab application's Main Window, then clicking the Group Terminate button will terminate that non-DXLab application if its Enable box is checked n the Other Applications panel, or if the CTRL key was depressed when you clicked the Group Terminate button. To specify the Main Window caption of such an application, click the Other Applications panel's Show Captions button, and enter the caption in the application's Main Window Caption textbox. Note that the specified caption must exactly match the caption shown on the Windows Task Manager's Applications tab, including upper/lower case characters, spaces, and punctuation. Non-DXLab applications whose Main Window Caption changes over time cannot be terminated via the Group Terminate button.
The Launcher's Main window lets you start or stop DXLab applications individually. It also allows you to start or stop a group of applications with a single mouse click. Each member of this group is designated by checking the associated Enable box in the DXLab Applications and Other Applications panels. If the CTRL key is depressed when the Group Terminate button is clicked, applications are terminated whether or not their associated Enable box is checked.
If you want the Launcher to automatically start the specified operations without waiting for you to click the Start button, then check the Configuration window's Auto Start box.
If you want the Launcher's Main window to be visible even when another window is placed atop it, then check the Configuration window's Always On Top box.
Automatically minimizing the Launcher's Main window after starting the specified applications
If you want the Launcher's Main window to automatically minimize after the specified applications are started (either by your clicking the Start button or by having the Auto Start box checked), then check the Configuration window's Minimize After Start box.
Automatically checking for new versions on startup
If you want the Launcher to update the list of available versions and highlight any that are newer than those currently installed, then check the Check for New on Start box. You can check for new versions at any time by clicking the New ? button.
Automatically shutting down the Launcher after terminating the specified applications
If you want the Launcher to automatically minimize shut down after you click the Terminate button and all applications have terminated, then check the Configuration window's Shutdown After Terminate box.
Resetting application windows to the primary monitor
The Configuration window's Reset button directs all running DXLab applications to arrange their windows on the primary monitor. This operation is useful if you have switched from a dual-monitor configuration to a single-monitor configuration and need to regain access to windows previously resident on the second monitor.
When checked, the Configuration window's Log Debugging Information box produces a file named errorlog.txt that captures diagnostic information.
Other Settings
Use Dual Monitors: when checked, windows that resided on the secondary monitor during the previous session will be restored to the secondary monitor on startup
Log Debugging Info: when checked, debugging information will be recorded in the file errorlog.txt
Browser pathname: lets you specify the pathname of the HTML browser that's used to display online documentation; click the associated Sel button to display a file selector window that lets you choose the desired browser.