Project Ninja

Environment: VC6 SPx, Win: All

I’m a funny chap. I actually have the desire to load multiple projects first thing in the morning in different Dev Studios. Perhaps I’m alone in this desire but if I’m not, then this might well be the tool you’re after!

So what does it do?

Simple, it scans a preset directory for all .dsw (Dev Studio Workspace) files – either recursively or not. You then see these projects (with their path in brackets) in the main window (sorted on path – think about it – it makes sense). You can then check which ones you want to launch, click launch and – each project is loaded into it’s own Dev Studio and the app gracefully exits. To make it useful, the app will store your settings in the registry, and the next time you load it – re-scan the directory and re-check any projects you previously selected.

At this point you’re either with or against me. No matter 🙂

As a bonus the app will find out how to load Dev Studio via the registry – it checks HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT for the appropriate shell command (this was a pig, since Dev Studio is an ‘Open With’ app). So it should work where-ever it’s installed.

Project Ninja also features a quick launch mode – double click on an item to instantly launch the relevant app! Now you never need those horrible file open dialogs again 🙂

List of current features:

  • Searches for any filemask
  • Capable of searching recursively – i.e. look in sub directories for files
  • Any filetype supported (if your machine will load that type of file, then so will Project Ninja)
  • 10 item history for directories with drop down list, backed up to the registry when you quit Project Ninja (with alphabetic sorting)
  • 10 item history for file masks with drop down list, backed up to the registry when you quit Project Ninja (with alphabetic sorting)
  • Quicklaunch mode: double click on an item to instantly launch it’s associated application
  • Unique, sophisticated Ninja Help Mode;)
  • Start windows minimized: launch all windows in minimized to taskbar mode (avoid pre-coffee headaches in the morning)
  • Browse Directories Button: Browse directories with a full UI super-swanky file browsin’ dialog
  • Select All button: find out how many copies of word, devstudio and lord knows what else your machine can take before falling over
  • Select None button: guess what this does folks.
  • Guaranteed zero-hour-a-day support, 365 days per year – absolutely FREE!
  • FREEWARE – my homage to the ethos of the Amiga fraternity.
  • This a free tool, use at own risk etc – but let me know if you thought any of this was in ANY way a good idea. And yes, the icon is Dr. Evil….

    Updated to Version 0.5

    What’s new in 0.5?


    • Added: SORTING, can now sort on directory or project name. Yay!
    • Fixed: bug in project selection when changing dir
    • Added: Help dialog
    • Added: Combo-style History for filemasks. 10 items maximum (to keep it sensible) I’ve also made this reasonably intelligent – adding an 11th item will remove the first item added (first in, first out 😉 but the list will be alphabetically sorted to make it easier to use! History is, of course, backed up to the registry too!
    • Added: Combo-style History for directory. 10 items maximum (to keep it sensible)
    • Question: anyone want auto-search when you change a combo item (either mask or dir?) I’ll put it in if I start wanting it in the interim to 0.6 🙂

    Updated to Version 0.4

    What’s new in 0.4?


    • Fixed bug which meant nothing worked 😉
    • Tested (again) with .txt, .xls, .doc, .dsw all fine
    • Added: New launcher mode. Double click on an entry to launch it – NOW! Project Ninja
      will remain loaded when you launch apps rather than quitting after launch

    Updated to Version 0.3

    (in a hurry as i made some very dumb mistakes)



    What’s new in 0.3?



    – Fixed bug when opening devstudio windows – they object to SW_MINIMIZED so i’m going for

    SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE which seems to work better.

    – Fixed bug in searching registry for the correct commandline to launch your file. Amusing

    that the very thing i wanted it for (.doc) didn’t work correctly (doh!). If you find

    filetypes that aren’t supported please let me know (and if i’ve got the app installed

    i can fix it – else i’ll need you to send me bits of your registry 🙂

    – Tested now on: DevStudio 6, Office XP, Notepad

    – Programmer now knows better than to release code after a long day’s hacking




    Updated to Version 0.2

    BIG CHANGE folks, you can now use Project Ninja to launch ANY type of file (providing you have an application associated with it!)

    This was a request of my wife, who wants to load a ton of .doc files in the morning. Gawd bless her…

    What’s New in 0.2?


    – Added ‘all’ button for selection

    – Added ‘none’ button for selection

    – Added super-hi-tech ‘about” button for those who can’t find the menu…

    – Changed: now only saves registry entries for projects that are checked (doh!)

    – Now does search as soon as you selected a new dir from the browse dialog (yay!)

    – Major change: Now intelligently (hahahaha) recurses through your registry based

    on the file extension you ploink in. Should be able to launch pretty much anything

    now so long as it has a ‘command’ entry under the class defined for your file extension.

    Format for masks is ‘*.xxx’ where xxx is the three letter file extension of the files

    you want to search/launch with.

    – Added ‘start minimized’ checkbox: will attempt to launch apps as minimized taskbar apps

    (good if you’ve not had your coffee yet). Saved to the registry too… nice.

    Downloads

    Download demo project – 18Kb

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