Shortflow

A lightweight Windows desktop app that lets you assign global hotkeys to launch groups of apps instantly — organized by profiles.

Features

• Global Hotkeys — work system-wide, even when the app is minimized
• App Groups — one shortcut can launch multiple apps at once
• Delay Support — set a delay (ms) between each app launch
• Profiles — separate shortcut sets for Work, Gaming, Study, etc.
• System Tray — always running, switch profiles from tray
• Enable/Disable — toggle individual shortcuts without deleting them
• Conflict Detection — warns if a keybinding is already in use
• Notifications — toast alert when a shortcut fires
• Start with Windows — auto-launch on startup

---

Getting Started

Option 1 — Download (Recommended)

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download the latest Shortflow Setup.exe
3. Run the installer — no Node.js required

Option 2 — Run from Source

Prerequisites: Node.js v18 or higher, Windows 10/11

git clone https://github.com/CodebyAhad/shortflow
cd shortflow
npm install
npm start

---

How to Use

1. Create a Profile

Click + next to "Profiles" in the sidebar → enter a name and emoji icon.

2. Add a Shortcut

Click + New Shortcut → fill in:

• Name — e.g. "Dev Setup"
• Keybinding — click the recorder and press your key combo (e.g. Ctrl+Alt+D)
• Apps — click + Add App to browse for .exe files, set optional delay per app

3. Save & Use

Save the shortcut — it's immediately active globally. Press your hotkey anywhere in Windows to launch the apps.

4. Switch Profiles

Click a profile in the sidebar, or right-click the tray icon to switch.

---

Project Structure

shortflow/
├── main.js                        ← Electron main process, tray, windows
├── src/
│   ├── preload.js                 ← Secure IPC bridge
│   ├── modules/
│   │   ├── store.js               ← Data persistence (electron-store)
│   │   ├── launcher.js            ← Spawns .exe files with delays
│   │   ├── shortcuts.js           ← Global hotkey registration
│   │   └── ipc.js                 ← All IPC handlers
│   └── windows/
│       ├── dashboard/             ← Main UI
│       └── settings/              ← Settings window
├── assets/
│   └── tray-icon.ico
└── package.json

---

Keybinding Format

Electron uses Accelerator strings:

Key	Notation
Ctrl	Ctrl
Alt	Alt
Shift	Shift
Windows key	Super
Letters	A–Z
Function keys	F1–F24
Numpad	num0–num9

Example: Ctrl+Alt+D, Ctrl+Shift+F1

---

Data Storage

All data is stored locally in a JSON file via electron-store:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\shortflow\config.json

No data ever leaves your machine.

---

License

MIT – see LICENSE.md for details.