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An AppleScript to quickly launch applications
Authored by: brettmac on Feb 23, '04 01:47:44PM

Is this quicker or easier than opening your applications folder (which is two clicks away)? Really? I know it's cool to write scripts, but this seems fairly labor intensive when two clicks will get you to the applications folder...



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An AppleScript to quickly launch applications
Authored by: lstewart on Feb 23, '04 02:36:48PM

The problem with the Applications folder is that some of us like to wear many hats. I am a professional software developer and graphic designer, and an amateur video editor, sound editor, music arranger, genealogist, web developer, etc.

The wide array of applications that goes along with all those hats, means my Applications folder has many, many applications in it, organized into a broad topical heirarchy. Going there every time I want to launch some particular application that's not on my dock is a minor pain I'd like to avoid. Also, putting an alias to the Applications folder on the dock doesn't work so well, because my Mac (dual G4 450) really lags every time I right-click on the icon, because it has to go through and make sure all the icons are up-to-date for the pop-up menu.

I appreciate this hint's approach to solving the problem. I may try it. My own approach in the past has been: make a "Shortcuts" folder in my home directory, and make aliases to all my semi-frequently used apps in that folder. Then I put that folder on the dock. It looks just like I've put the Applications folder in the dock, but it pops up without any delay--I presume maybe because the icons are somehow stored as resources in the aliases, so the Dock doesn't have to look through the app bundles to get each icon. But this still requires manually keeping these aliases up-to-date... thus I rather like the idea of just typing the app's name.



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An AppleScript to quickly launch applications
Authored by: RickoKid on Feb 23, '04 10:49:35PM

Bingo! That's why I wrote this script - because it's much faster than right-clicking the Applications folder for me ... I tried moving the applications into task specific categories - but that almost certainly break apple apps when you try to upgrade them. It's just not worth it. Plus I'm used to being able to type in the application to launch it in linux (and even in the dark days when I still used Windows via the shortcut WindowsKey-R).



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An AppleScript to quickly launch applications
Authored by: osxpounder on Feb 25, '04 01:22:42PM

Yes, it is quicker. Many of who use our Macs in production environments, or use so many applications that the notion of using the Applications folder directly as our menu becomes laughably unsuitable. In fact, the tendency of Apple to insist on placing certain apps in the Applications folder is, itself, wholly unsuitable for my needs.

My workaround until now has been to create a folder merely for shortcuts [aliases], called "Application Menu", and put THAT on the dock. I can organize my apps into submenus without screwing up Apple's expectation that iMovie or iDVD will be in Apple's chosen folder.

But I do all that because I didn't have the talent or time to write this proposed AppleScript solution. Now that the author has kindly shared the script, I must consider it.

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osxpounder



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An AppleScript to quickly launch applications
Authored by: vtrhps on Feb 25, '04 04:23:26PM

I just click on the small piece of the desktop on the side of the Dock to activate the Finder, then press COMMAND-SHIFT-A to open the Apps folder.



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