Many times I find myself with way too many files, folders and shortcuts on the desktop for things that I am currently working on and/or testing. That’s in addition, of course, to the things I have on the desktop because I use them all the time. Because of the way I’ve grown to work over the last several years, having an overly cluttered desktop makes me inefficient. In fact, I’ve found that I need to have certain types of icons in certain places, and “empty space” on the desktop in certain other places.
Yesterday, I found myself with too many shortcuts on the desktop, all related to my current project at work. So I wrote a little utility that I called App Dashboard. Basically, it’s a series of buttons that launch the applications I previously had a bunch of shortcuts for. Initially, the paths were hardcoded, but I quickly changed my mind and allowed them to be user defined. Then I decided that rather than define them in a config file of some sort, to actually create a document type for these groups of applications.
Thus was born App Dashboard. You can download the binaries and/or the source below (usual disclaimer stuff here — use at your own risk, etc.).
Now I’m a big fan of SlickRun, so you’d think I’d just add MagicWords for these things, but the items I use App Dashboard for are more likely to fall into one of two categories:
- They are temporal, and will only require quick access for a limited time, and I don’t feel that is worth adding them to SlickRun (just my personal opinion — take it or leave it).
- They are items that I use a lot, and clicking a button is easier than typing a command when my hand is already on the mouse. Actually, many of these things have MagicWords already, but switching from mouse to keyboard is a pain. (It’s the little things…)
However, since App Dashboard has its own document type, I can easily create a MagicWord to open this dashboard or that dashboard. I see myself using them both in various combinations.
Additionally, I’ve included some basic functionality for associating a file type with the app and for using an identifiable icon for the dashboard group files. It’s optional, but you can run the install.bat file to setup these file type associations. The application will work fine without running that, but installing will allow you to simply double click on a *.adsh file to open that dashboard.
Anyway, I welcome any comments or suggestions. I don’t claim this to be a model example of how to accomplish any particular task. I only claim that it may help you as it has helped me to keep myself and my computer slightly more organized and efficient. If not, just delete it. (Note that if you did run the install.bat file, I recommend you run uninstall.bat before deleting to remove the file type associations. No need to leave that hanging around in Windows if you decide to not use App Dashboard.)
#1 — Francisco. Francisco is my trusty Dell XPS M140 laptop that I got about 19 months ago — that makes him middle-aged in computer years. A similarly equipped machine is now available from the same manufacturer for approximately 30% the cost I paid for Francisco, but our relationship is deeper than that. It’s not all about money, you know. And although he’s been feeling a little under the weather lately, and generally acting like someone suffering from some sort of bipolar disorder, we’ve been through a lot together, and have a strong bond. Really.
#2 — The 20″ Dell display. So I wanted to continue on for a moment with that thought you were having about me using my personal computer at work. I work at a startup company, and as you may be aware, it’s not 1999 anymore and I’m not in the Bay Area. As a result of the way the time-space continuum works, we are not funded with millions of dollars to spend on things like launch parties, massages, swanky lunches and high-end computers. Well, at least not at the beginning.
#3 — Photos of my kid. What proud father’s desk would be complete without photos of his most prized possession. This is my daughter, Charlize. We call her Charlie (named after my grandpa) and she’s the cutest baby ever. The way that you can tell is that everyone that does not have little kids says, “She is the cutest baby ever”, and the people that do have kids say, “She is the cutest baby ever except for my kids.” 
#4 — A top secret drawing. I can’t tell you what this is, or I’d have to… you know. Actually I almost forgot what it was myself. It’s a good thing I didn’t forget because it’s very, very important.
#5 — My new patented “Memory Replacement”. This might not be a “Standard” yet, but trust me: it will catch on like wildfire and will be popping up on desks across the globe. To the uneducated and uninformed it looks like a simple pad of sticky notes and a pen. Not so! Recent research efforts have proven this handy little invention of mine to be an effective memory replacement for those of us who suffer from ultra-short-term memory loss (USTML). USTML can be caused by a variety of factors, including 
#6 — A plastic fork. Not typically a “nonstandard” item, but I haven’t eaten anything with a fork at my desk at all in recent memory. I think I can remember how it found its home on my desk, but it’s just weird. I mean, think about it, who has a fork on their desk? Just sitting there?
#7 — A cool projectile toy. No, it’s not a fork, people; it’s a cool projectile toy. I can’t read Chinese, but the package says it’s called 
. 
#8 — An empty Live Cam box. What do you think I’m using to take these pictures with? Telepathy? A 5+ megapixel camera? My cell phone? Yeah right! Those are for losers! I use this fine piece of hardware that is currently set to take high quality photos at 240×180. It is a very versatile camera and it can be used to take pictures of computers, forks, toys, other pictures and even people. Try doing that with telepathy!
#9 — A QuickCam. What’s this? Another camera? Yes, but this one is still in it’s box. I’m sure there are many differences between this camera and the Live Cam. First, this one is called QuickCam instead of Live Cam. 2 – this one is still in the box. C) the QuickCam cost us about twice as much as the Live Cam and it is a round ball shape instead of a vertical-half-an-egg shape.
#10 — A cup of water and a cell phone in a cell phone recliner. I actually like to drink water a lot, and fortunately for me at work we have a reverse osmosis system hooked up to the fridge, so it’s like unlimited, free, good water. Woo hoo!
#11 — Some tape, lights, sensors and wire. Here is some work stuff:
#12 — An RFID reader. More work stuff. This thing is an RFID reader. That means it reads RFID. But not just any RFID, it reads passive, UHF, Class 1 Gen 2, EPCGlobal compliant RFID tags. Yeah, but the impressive part is that yellow cord hanging out of the side of it. That thing is awesome. It makes it so much easier to switch between different types of sensors. Previously, testing new sensors meant unwiring the current one and rewiring the new one, trying to remember which wire goes where. Fortunately most sensors use the same color scheme for wire colors, however, it was still a pain. Now we only use sensors that support this quick connect cable and life is easier. It kind of makes me wonder why we didn’t try this sooner.
#13 — My whiteboard. OK, yeah, this isn’t really on my desk. In fact, it’s behind me as I face my desk so it’s on a completely different side of the room. I just decided to include it so that I could have a bonus section. I always wanted to have a reason to have a bonus section in a list.