Idea for a utitlity: Build Tool Bars for FM

[K.Daube]

After years of creating and updating the Enhanced Tool Bars I feel the time ready to develop a utility. Although this could be a script running in FM I envision an external utility:

• All necessary data can be accessed without FM processes (*.ini,*. xml).

• I will use AutoHotKey for the script. This can be compiled so that a used do not need to have AHK installed.

Envisioned UI

There may be multiple FM versions installed, hence a first step will define where to build the TB.

Toolbar entries can be collected from existing tool bars: here we have all necessary data available.

More challenging will be to work from the commands: The icons are in DLLs and their names are not harmonised with the command names. The icons can come from various dlls...

Major obstacles

• Icons for the built in tool bars are located in dll’s. Hence they must be extracted for the use in the utility. This can be done with ResourceHacker (legally, since FM is not modified).
• Placing the icons in the UI.
• Others will come up

→ What do You think about this idea?

I do not have a schedule...

[LinSims]

I love this idea. Being able to customize the toolbar for how I work is right up there with having the workspace set up for how I work as far as usefulness goes.

ETA: and not being able to has been a cause of much under the breath muttering.

Go Klaus!

[K.Daube]

Lin, after more than a week You seem to be the only promoter of my idea. But you may know the story of the iPhone... I'm already at work - but with the pace of an 80 year old. I will publish progress here.

[LinSims]

Err ... no? I don't use Apple products.

Maybe no one remembers how a lot of the word processing programs let you customize your toolbars, or used to. Being able to have only the functions I use on a regular basis and none of the ones I don't use sounds like paradise to me.