LaunchPad: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 09:56, 9 April 2026

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.

Purpose

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.

Running LaunchPad

The easiest way to run LaunchPad is to double-click the JLaunchPad.app 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 from the command line using:

java -jar JLaunchPad.jar

The window opens at 1300 × 900 pixels. Tabs are listed on the left edge; the grid fills the rest of the window.

Adding Applications

Single Application

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

Importing a Folder

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.

Drag and Drop

Drag a .app 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.

Grid Layout

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.

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

Tab Management

The toolbar provides buttons for:

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

Launching Applications

Double-click any application icon to launch it. LaunchPad uses the macOS open command to launch the bundle, so the application opens exactly as if you had double-clicked it in Finder.

Cell Context Menu

Right-click any cell or application to access:

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

Extracted icons are scaled to 120 × 120 pixels and cached to images/appIcons/ 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 xml/config/launchpad.xml. 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 <BundleName>.png 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

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-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.
-Download the installer for the appropriate Apple hardware, either Intel or Apple Silicon.
+[[File:JLaunchPad.png|thumb|right|500px|JLaunchPad showing the Desktop tab]]
-Run the installer and select the folder that you want to install into.
+== Purpose ==
-When the application is installed you should run it and you will see the default empty launchpad.
+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.
-Unlike the MacOs the launchpad will not be populated with all your applications at startup.
+== Running LaunchPad ==
-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.
+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.
-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.
+Alternatively, LaunchPad can be run from the command line using:
-Option 1)
+ java -jar JLaunchPad.jar
-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.
+The window opens at 1300 × 900 pixels. Tabs are listed on the left edge; the grid fills the rest of the window.
-Option 2)
+== Adding Applications ==
-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.
+=== Single Application ===
-Option 3)
+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.
-Use the option to import a single app using the same technique as above.
+=== Importing a Folder ===
-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.
+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.
+=== Drag and Drop ===
+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.
+== Grid Layout ==
+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.
+Applications can be reordered within the grid by dragging from one cell to another. The same drag operation works between tabs.
+== Tab Management ==
+The toolbar provides buttons for:
+* '''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
+== Launching Applications ==
+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.
+== Cell Context Menu ==
+Right-click any cell or application to access:
+* '''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>&lt;BundleName&gt;.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]]