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LNK files useless?

hi,
please advise if i am wrong with my thoughts.
i think it is useless and a waste of performance to use LNK files (at least the ms ones).
lets have a look at the calendar.lnk:
if you want to launch the calendar app, you are launching first the calendar.lnk. the lnk file points to a registry setting (mscalendar). so the launcher (or systemhandler or whatever) needs to lookup there to findout what the programm-name and the required parameters are (in this case "poutlook.exe calendar". now after a while of doing nothing effectively the system finally begins to execute poutlook.exe calendar...
so whats the point of using lnk files?
i see so many launchers, programms even tweak utilities which make use of lnk files.
e.g. if you change one of your softkeys with a tweak utility to "phone", it does the same useless thing: it points to a link file instead directly to cprog.exe.
hopefully i am totally wrong but then please give me some advise.
thx

lnk is shortcut files
same as in windows
in windows if you want to start your program from the desktop
and dont want to copy the tons of files the exe file needs to start
to the desktop too you have a shortcut to the exe file

Some more on the subject:
The use of lnk files does not slow down the loading, in fact it can make it much more officiant.
Take Skype for example: it has a large executable (several MB). If you were to place that exe under "programs" to launch it it will take the system several seconds (quite noticeable period of time) just to find the icon inside the exe so even if you were just scrolling through your programs the device would appear to hang while the icon was loading.
A solution to that (which now became official part of the program installation) was to keep the icon in smaller exe (a resource dll or just plain ico file can also be used) and the lnk will "state" that the icon is not in the main exe.
Another use of the lnk files is the one you mentioned your self:
poutlook.exe calendar
Without lnk files you would be forced to type any parameters manually every time just like in the good old dos days.
By the way, the process you described, lnk-registry-exe does not take that long on current devices.
Just try launching a given exe directly and check if you notice any difference in lag.
If anything, it is the certificate check combined with relatively slow read speeds of flash memory that make WM 5 and 6 devices look sluggish.

levenum,
thanks a lot for your time and explanation.
sure, i was aware that lnk files help you to launch more easily programs with longer command strings when you use the default launcher.
but how about a different launcher (e.g. rltoday), where you setup once your config within that launcher. would you really point to the calendar.lnk file (which points to registry, which points to an exe file) instead of typing "poutlook.exe -calendar" directly into the launching path within rltoday?
anyway, if you say that there is no time lag, the discussion is more or less of "academical nature".
thanks
oliver

I am not familiar with rltoday, but it all comes down to how the programmer implemented the launcher.
There are two different commands, CreateProcess designed specifically to launch executable files and for that purpose only.
SellExecuteEx that acts exactly like a click in file explorer. The writer of the launcher has the option of which to use and I suspect they often use the second command.
The reason is simple: they want to give the user as much options as possible. If you want to bother and look up the exe and its command line, good for you, go for it. But what if you are a regular user who just wants to get that stupid icon on his today screen?
He wouldn't know or care about lnk->registry->exe. He just knows to look under windows\start menu\programs for something familiar.
Also having to interpret input of different types may be extra work so some launcher creators may want to only allow lnk and let the system understand and run their content.
That way they do not need to implement options for different icons, command line parameters and control panel applets.

Creating HTCCPL application shortcuts?

I am struggling a little here and don't know why this isn't working, I was hoping someone has been through this before and knows how to do it
OK, I understand the registry settings needed to add applets to the settings pages for HTC applications. You create two registry keys and increment the 'TotalApplets' registry value to include enough for all the 'applet extensions'. I have backward engineered some existing ones to see this. Now I am trying to add another application without just creating a physical shortcut file. I have created an OEM package that has the following .rgu file:
Code:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Inbox\Settings\OEM]
"SMSInboxThreadingDisabled"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ControlPanel\SMS Mode]
"Group"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\HTCCPL\Applet16]
"CmdLine"=""
"Name"="SMS Mode"
"Path"="SMS.exe"
"Title"="SMS Mode"
I have then built my ROM and the Icon doesn't appear on the Settings, System page. The application is there as I can use file manager to browse to it and then execute it. I have verified that all the registry settings are there, however the Icon is not displayed. I know I could simply create a physical shortcut and put it in Start Menu\Settings, however I would prefer to get it working this way, and it's bugging me now...
Any takers?
Oh, its the 'sms.exe' application from ce4arab.com that allows you to change the WM 6.1 threaded SMS view settings.
Andy

i dont know if you found the solution or not..but did u change the " Total Applets " also..because if u didnt..it would'nt read any other added Entries
its in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\HTCCPL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

ather90 said:
i dont know if you found the solution or not..but did u change the " Total Applets " also..because if u didnt..it would'nt read any other added Entries
its in
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did solve it, however it is a bit of a weird one.... The SMS.exe application I was trying didn't have an Icon embedded in the file so when viewed in Explorer (on a PC or on the Wizard) it just looked like a regular .exe file. I simply swapped the file for another Threaded SMS enabler/disable someone else posted and it all worked.
I am not 100% sure it was just the fact the file didn't have an Icon, however that is all I can put it down to.
I have other issues now though; I can't get .NetCF 2.0 to work in my re-cooked 5.2.19588 ROM The Threaded SMS app is a .Net application so it's there and looks pretty, however it doesn't run.........
Andy

wm programs or folder from softkey

Hello guys,
I've been searching a lot, yet could not find the answer.
I would like to be able to open either programs (meaning path start/programs) or just a specific folder from softkey or hardware key.
Is there any way to open the specified folder. Do I need to create a shortcut to this folder? I have tried something like /fexplore.exe /My Documents (which works) but I would need to be able to open them not in list view yet as the programs do apear.
Is there any specific command to at least run the programs, where I would just click the specific folder?
Thank you in advance,
tampiss

I guess a workaround would be a similar apporach to your, /fexplore.exe /My Documents (which works).
Find a file manger that will display in icon view, rather than list, or details... then make a shortcut using that.
Any ideas?
Resco Explorer look promising,
http://www.resco.net/pocketpc/explorer/indepth.asp

Total Commander CE does an Icon View.
Now... does it respond to command line switches, so I can get it to start in a specified folder?

Opening *.txt files

Hi to all. First of all, I've tried to search but I got to ask since I can't find this topic anywhere.
Ok. Does anybody know how I can open a file with the extension *.txt with my preferred program? When I click directly on the filename, the text is opened in Word Mobile. I would like to just click the filename and don't open my application before I can edit my file. I'm using another application that I prefer for editing my txt files. All suggestions are welcome

use total commander to associate file extensions with programs if your pref
or do it manually using a reg-editor

Thanks for the reply. But if I associate from TC, it still open with MW when I start any txt file from todayscreen, (from within PocketPlus). I suppose that using the TC only work when you open from TC? So I'll try to use a reg.edit. and see what happens. Thanks again.

you can use Schap's Advanced Configuation and change file associations..

I've tried Adv Conf 3.3, but still the Mobile Word opens my txt files

what do you use to open them? you might have specific file associations in your file browser.

what about resco explorer? it works to fix this problem in my device

I prefer the NeboPad, and the registry sais that my txt files should be opened with NeboPad. It seems that MS override this, during the copyright

this is impossible. assiciations are set via OS.. if you set a specific association in Adv Config.. it'll work for the OS unless you're using a file manager that opens using its own preferences. try another file explorer like Resco

I'm running it from Spb Pocket Plus and not from any file explorer. In the Advanced Configuration 3.3 it's stated that file with the extension of *.txt, should be opened with \Program Files\NeboPad\NeboPad.exe. But still it's opened with Mobile Word. I think I'll have to go back to Notes with the *.pwi extension. Anyway, thank's for trying.
Regards

if you use notes and it works thru Spb Pocket Plus it means that this NeboPad is the problem, not your association.

nir36 said:
if you use notes and it works thru Spb Pocket Plus it means that this NeboPad is the problem, not your association.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well. I've tried a lot of editors and pad programs by this time, but every time I try to open a TXT file, it comes up in PWORD. This must be something in the OS itself I belive. Or has anyone managed it to work?

At last!
Finally I've found a program that's works. It's MobilePad (nice too).
EOT

Define your own press-and-hold endkey

Hi,
Made this for myself. Maybe others find it useful too.
It is a little mortscript script that launches the program you want by pressing and holding the endkey. Install the cab and edit "endkey.mscr" (which you will find in the windows directory) to define the program you want to run.
I use the script to launch (the great) iPhoneToday app as an alternative for the "action screen". To do so, I wrote the following line in "endkey.mscr":
Code:
Run("\Program Files\iPhoneToday\iPhoneToday.exe")
Of course you can enter any mortscrip code you want in the script...
Happy endkey-ing
----
BTW, I've added a seperate "endkey.mscr" file, in case you find this more comfortable. You can edit this file on your computer and copy it seperately to the windows dir on your device. (after you have installed the cab)

ThX!!
I searched for this a while and found nothing, work's nice ^^