LaunchPad - Revision history

Dgarratt: Updated by push_wiki.py

2026-04-09T07:56:11Z

Updated by push_wiki.py

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:56, 9 April 2026
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	LaunchPad is a macOS application organiser and launcher. It provides a tabbed grid interface for grouping macOS applications (.app bundles) into named categories and launching them with a double-click. It is a companion tool to the Commander4j suite, used to organise the suite's tools and supporting applications in a single place.		LaunchPad is a macOS application organiser and launcher. It provides a tabbed grid interface for grouping macOS applications (.app bundles) into named categories and launching them with a double-click. It is a companion tool to the Commander4j suite, used to organise the suite's tools and supporting applications in a single place.

			[[File:JLaunchPad.png\|thumb\|right\|500px\|JLaunchPad showing the Desktop tab]]

	== Purpose ==		== Purpose ==
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	== Running LaunchPad ==		== Running LaunchPad ==

	~~A native macOS install package~~ is available from the [[Downloads]] page and is the ~~preferred installation method~~.		The easiest way to run LaunchPad is to double-click the <code>JLaunchPad.app</code> bundle. This is available from the [[Downloads]] page and launches the application exactly as you would any other macOS application.

	Alternatively, LaunchPad can be run ~~directly~~ from the ~~distribution archive. It is a Java 21 desktop (Swing) application for macOS~~:		Alternatively, LaunchPad can be run from the command line using:

	java -jar JLaunchPad.jar		java -jar JLaunchPad.jar

Dgarratt: Updated by push_wiki.py

2026-04-01T15:28:41Z

Updated by push_wiki.py

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:28, 1 April 2026
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	== Running LaunchPad ==		== Running LaunchPad ==

	LaunchPad is a Java 21 desktop (Swing) application for macOS:		A native macOS install package is available from the [[Downloads]] page and is the preferred installation method.

			Alternatively, LaunchPad can be run directly from the distribution archive. It is a Java 21 desktop (Swing) application for macOS:

	java -jar JLaunchPad.jar		java -jar JLaunchPad.jar

Dgarratt: Updated by push_wiki.py

2026-04-01T11:29:47Z

Updated by push_wiki.py

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:29, 1 April 2026
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	~~This~~ application is a ~~functionally equivalent program~~ to the ~~MacOS LaunchPad~~.		LaunchPad is a macOS application organiser and launcher. It provides a tabbed grid interface for grouping macOS applications (.app bundles) into named categories and launching them with a double-click. It is a companion tool to the Commander4j suite, used to organise the suite's tools and supporting applications in a single place.

	=~~Getting Started~~=		== Purpose ==

	~~Download~~ the ~~installer for the appropriate Apple hardware, either Intel~~ or ~~Apple Silicon~~.		LaunchPad replaces cluttered Dock folders and aliases with a structured, tabbed grid. Each tab is a named category and each cell in the grid holds one application. Applications are added by browsing or dragging from Finder.

	~~Run the installer and select the folder that you want to install into.~~		== Running LaunchPad ==

	~~[[file~~:~~LaunchPad_Install1.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|100px]]~~		LaunchPad is a Java 21 desktop (Swing) application for macOS:

	~~[[file:LaunchPad_Install2~~.~~png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]~~		java -jar JLaunchPad.jar

	~~When~~ the ~~application is installed you should run it and you will see~~ the ~~default empty launchpad~~.		The window opens at 1300 × 900 pixels. Tabs are listed on the left edge; the grid fills the rest of the window.

	~~Unlike the MacOs the launchpad will not be populated with all your applications at startup.~~		== Adding Applications ==

	~~What I recommend it that you use the + button to create your Categories first. You may want to create a category called "Imported" or "Temp" as well.~~		=== Single Application ===

			Click the '''Add App''' toolbar button. A file chooser opens, defaulting to <code>/Applications</code> and your home directory. Select any <code>.app</code> bundle. If you select <code>/Applications</code>, LaunchPad also scans <code>/System/Applications</code> and <code>/System/Applications/Utilities</code> automatically.

	~~[[file:LaunchPad_Install3.png\|link~~=~~[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]~~		=== Importing a Folder ===

	~~When these categories have been created (~~and ~~you can add/edit/remove them later) You have 3 ways to add the~~ applications ~~to your launchpad~~.		Click '''Import Folder''' to scan a directory recursively for application bundles. LaunchPad filters out uninstall helpers, login item helpers, and background-only bundles, adding only user-facing applications.

	~~Option 1)~~		=== Drag and Drop ===

	~~With Launchpad open, use the Macos~~ Finder ~~to drag and drop~~ the ~~application want to the appropriate catergory/~~tab ~~on the left of the LaunchPad~~. ~~You~~ only ~~need to drop it on the "title" or name of the category and it will be added to it automatically~~.		Drag a <code>.app</code> bundle from Finder directly onto the grid or onto a tab. An application can only appear once across all tabs — dragging a duplicate has no effect.

	~~[[file:LaunchPad_Install4.png\|link~~=~~[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]~~		== Grid Layout ==

	~~[[file:LaunchPad_Install5~~.~~png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]~~		Each tab contains a 7-column grid of 150 × 150 pixel cells. Each cell displays the application icon (120 × 120 pixels) and the application's display name. Click '''Pack Icons''' to remove empty cells from the current tab, compacting the grid.

	~~Option 2)~~		Applications can be reordered within the grid by dragging from one cell to another. The same drag operation works between tabs.

	Use the button on the toolbar to the left to import applications from a folder. Select your "Applications" folder and let the LaunchPad application create icons for all the programs it finds. They will be imported into whatever the Category you have selected. You may therefore find it useful to select the "Import" or "Temp" category before you do this. You can then drag and drop all the imported programs from this tab into the required category.		== Tab Management ==

	~~[[file~~:~~LaunchPad_Install6.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]~~		The toolbar provides buttons for:

	~~[[file:LaunchPad_Install7.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]~~		* '''Add Tab''' — create a new named category
			* '''Edit Tab''' — rename the selected tab
			* '''Delete Tab''' — remove the selected tab (with confirmation)
			* '''Move Up / Move Down''' — reorder tabs

	~~[[file:LaunchPad_Install8.png\|link~~=~~[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]~~		== Launching Applications ==

	~~Option 3)~~		Double-click any application icon to launch it. LaunchPad uses the macOS <code>open</code> command to launch the bundle, so the application opens exactly as if you had double-clicked it in Finder.

	~~Use the option to import a single app using the same technique as above.~~		== Cell Context Menu ==

	Things to be aware of. If you have some applications installed which are inherently designed for IOS they may not get the appropriate icon create. You may have a default folder icon or blank. This is due to how the appl bundle is constructed and the fact that the LaunchPad application is Java based. As a workaround, you can right click on any ~~of these applications and manually select an Icon that you have created~~ or ~~downloaded.~~		Right-click any cell or application to access:

	[[file~~:LaunchPad_Install9~~.png~~\|link=~~[[~~LaunchPad~~]]~~\|500px~~]]		* '''Assign Custom Icon...''' — replace the icon with any PNG, JPG, GIF, or ICNS image
			* '''Remove App''' — clear the cell
			* '''Reveal in Finder''' — open the application's location in Finder

			== Icon Resolution ==

			When an application is added, LaunchPad attempts to extract its icon automatically. It tries the following in order:

			# The <code>.icns</code> file named in the app's <code>Info.plist</code>
			# PNG icons listed in <code>Info.plist</code> under <code>CFBundleIcons</code>
			# The app's <code>Assets.car</code> (rendered via QuickLook)
			# A generic system icon as a last resort

			Extracted icons are scaled to 120 × 120 pixels and cached to <code>images/appIcons/</code> on disk. On subsequent launches the cached PNG is used unless the app itself has been updated.

			== Configuration ==

			LaunchPad saves its state automatically on exit and restores it on the next launch.

			=== launchpad.xml ===

			Located at <code>xml/config/launchpad.xml</code>. This file records all tabs, their names, and the path of each application in the grid. It is written automatically — you do not need to edit it manually.

			=== images/appIcons/ ===

			The icon cache directory. Each application has a <code><BundleName>.png</code> file here. If you use '''Assign Custom Icon...''', the cache file for that application is overwritten with your chosen image.

			See also: [[Menu4j]], [[ZPLRenderer]], [[Downloads]]

			[[Category:Commander4j]]

Dgarratt at 16:40, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T16:40:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:40, 30 September 2025
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	Things to be aware of. If you have some applications installed which are inherently designed for IOS they may not get the appropriate icon create. You may have a default folder icon or blank. This is due to how the appl bundle is constructed and the fact that the LaunchPad application is Java based. As a workaround, you can right click on any of these applications and manually select an Icon that you have created or downloaded.		Things to be aware of. If you have some applications installed which are inherently designed for IOS they may not get the appropriate icon create. You may have a default folder icon or blank. This is due to how the appl bundle is constructed and the fact that the LaunchPad application is Java based. As a workaround, you can right click on any of these applications and manually select an Icon that you have created or downloaded.

			[[file:LaunchPad_Install9.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]

Dgarratt at 16:38, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T16:38:53Z

Dgarratt at 16:37, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T16:37:42Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:37, 30 September 2025
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	[[file:LaunchPad_Install7.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install7.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]

			[[file:LaunchPad_Install8.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]

	Option 3)		Option 3)

Dgarratt at 16:35, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T16:35:29Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:35, 30 September 2025
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	[[file:LaunchPad_Install6.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install6.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]

			[[file:LaunchPad_Install7.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]

	Option 3)		Option 3)

Dgarratt at 16:33, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T16:33:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:33, 30 September 2025
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	Use the button on the toolbar to the left to import applications from a folder. Select your "Applications" folder and let the LaunchPad application create icons for all the programs it finds. They will be imported into whatever the Category you have selected. You may therefore find it useful to select the "Import" or "Temp" category before you do this. You can then drag and drop all the imported programs from this tab into the required category.		Use the button on the toolbar to the left to import applications from a folder. Select your "Applications" folder and let the LaunchPad application create icons for all the programs it finds. They will be imported into whatever the Category you have selected. You may therefore find it useful to select the "Import" or "Temp" category before you do this. You can then drag and drop all the imported programs from this tab into the required category.

			[[file:LaunchPad_Install6.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]

	Option 3)		Option 3)

Dgarratt at 16:32, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T16:32:05Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:32, 30 September 2025
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	[[file:LaunchPad_Install1.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install1.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]


	[[file:LaunchPad_Install2.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install2.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]

Dgarratt at 16:31, 30 September 2025

2025-09-30T16:31:13Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:31, 30 September 2025
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	With Launchpad open, use the Macos Finder to drag and drop the application want to the appropriate catergory/tab on the left of the LaunchPad. You only need to drop it on the "title" or name of the category and it will be added to it automatically.		With Launchpad open, use the Macos Finder to drag and drop the application want to the appropriate catergory/tab on the left of the LaunchPad. You only need to drop it on the "title" or name of the category and it will be added to it automatically.

			[[file:LaunchPad_Install4.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]

			[[file:LaunchPad_Install5.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|300px]]

	Option 2)		Option 2)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:38, 30 September 2025
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	Run the installer and select the folder that you want to install into.		Run the installer and select the folder that you want to install into.

	[[file:LaunchPad_Install1.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|~~300px~~]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install1.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|100px]]

	[[file:LaunchPad_Install2.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|~~300px~~]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install2.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]

	When the application is installed you should run it and you will see the default empty launchpad.		When the application is installed you should run it and you will see the default empty launchpad.
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	[[file:LaunchPad_Install3.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|~~300px~~]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install3.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]

	When these categories have been created (and you can add/edit/remove them later) You have 3 ways to add the applications to your launchpad.		When these categories have been created (and you can add/edit/remove them later) You have 3 ways to add the applications to your launchpad.
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	With Launchpad open, use the Macos Finder to drag and drop the application want to the appropriate catergory/tab on the left of the LaunchPad. You only need to drop it on the "title" or name of the category and it will be added to it automatically.		With Launchpad open, use the Macos Finder to drag and drop the application want to the appropriate catergory/tab on the left of the LaunchPad. You only need to drop it on the "title" or name of the category and it will be added to it automatically.

	[[file:LaunchPad_Install4.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|~~300px~~]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install4.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]

	[[file:LaunchPad_Install5.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|~~300px~~]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install5.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]

	Option 2)		Option 2)
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	Use the button on the toolbar to the left to import applications from a folder. Select your "Applications" folder and let the LaunchPad application create icons for all the programs it finds. They will be imported into whatever the Category you have selected. You may therefore find it useful to select the "Import" or "Temp" category before you do this. You can then drag and drop all the imported programs from this tab into the required category.		Use the button on the toolbar to the left to import applications from a folder. Select your "Applications" folder and let the LaunchPad application create icons for all the programs it finds. They will be imported into whatever the Category you have selected. You may therefore find it useful to select the "Import" or "Temp" category before you do this. You can then drag and drop all the imported programs from this tab into the required category.

	[[file:LaunchPad_Install6.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|~~300px~~]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install6.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]

	[[file:LaunchPad_Install7.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|~~300px~~]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install7.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]

	[[file:LaunchPad_Install8.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|~~300px~~]]		[[file:LaunchPad_Install8.png\|link=[[LaunchPad]]\|500px]]

	Option 3)		Option 3)