Launcher

A SpaceX-inspired Windows system tray application for launching development tools and managing projects.

Features

• System Tray Integration: Sits quietly in your system tray, always accessible
• Project Management: Create and manage multiple project configurations
• Multi-Tool Launcher: Launch all your tools with a single click
• SpaceX-Inspired Design: Sleek, modern UI with dark theme and blue accents
• Supported Tools:
  • VS Code (in specific directory)
  • Terminal / PowerShell (in specific directory)
  • Browser (to specific URLs)
  • Docker Compose
  • Custom commands
  • Files and applications

Installation

1. Install dependencies:

npm install

2. Create icon assets:
   • Follow instructions in assets/README.md to create proper icon files
   • Or use the provided SVG files and convert them to PNG/ICO

Usage

Development Mode

Run the app in development mode:

npm start

Or with dev flag:

npm run dev

Building for Production

Build the app for Windows:

npm run build

This will create an installer in the dist folder.

Creating a Project

1. Click the system tray icon or right-click and select "Open Launcher"
2. Click "+ NEW" button
3. Enter project details:
   • Name: Your project name
   • Description: Brief description
4. Add tools by clicking "+ ADD TOOL"
5. For each tool:
   • Name: Display name for the tool
   • Type: Select tool type (VS Code, Terminal, Browser, etc.)
   • Configuration: Enter path, URL, or command based on type
6. Click "SAVE PROJECT"

Example Project Configuration

Project: E-Commerce Site

• VS Code: C:\dev\ecommerce
• Terminal: C:\dev\ecommerce
• Docker Compose: C:\dev\ecommerce
• Browser: http://localhost:8080
• Browser: https://portal.azure.com

Tool Types

VS Code

• Opens VS Code in the specified directory
• Field: path - Directory path

Terminal / PowerShell

• Opens Command Prompt or PowerShell in the specified directory
• Field: path - Directory path

Browser

• Opens the specified URL in your default browser
• Field: url - Full URL including http/https

Docker Compose

• Opens terminal and runs docker-compose up in the specified directory
• Field: path - Directory containing docker-compose.yml

Custom Command

• Runs any custom command
• Field: command - Command to execute

Open File

• Opens a file or application
• Field: path - File or application path

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Esc - Close/minimize window
• Click tool card - Launch individual tool
• "LAUNCH ALL" button - Launch all tools in sequence

Configuration Storage

Projects are stored in:

%APPDATA%\launcher\projects.json

You can manually edit this file to backup or transfer configurations.

Tech Stack

• Electron - Cross-platform desktop framework
• Node.js - JavaScript runtime
• HTML/CSS/JavaScript - UI layer

Design Philosophy

Inspired by SpaceX's clean, futuristic aesthetic:

• Dark theme with deep blacks
• Blue gradient accents (#005288 to #00a8e8)
• Condensed sans-serif fonts (Roboto Condensed)
• Minimal, functional design
• Focus on efficiency and speed

Troubleshooting

Icons not showing

• Make sure you've created PNG/ICO files in the assets folder
• See assets/README.md for instructions

Tools not launching

• Verify paths are correct and accessible
• For VS Code, ensure code command is in PATH
• For terminal commands, use full paths if needed

System tray icon missing

• Check Windows system tray settings
• Ensure app has permission to show notifications

Future Enhancements

• Auto-start with Windows
• Global keyboard shortcuts
• Import/export project configurations
• Cloud sync for projects
• More tool integrations
• Themes and customization
• Launch profiles (dev, staging, production)

License

MIT License - Feel free to use and modify!

Contributing

Feel free to submit issues and enhancement requests!