Thread: Front end chooser ? anyone ?

I would use that if someone made it...

I wrote an app that does something similiar to this. Basically because I/we all enable our front ends as the shell sometimes this can limit our abilities to access certian features of our PC's. In my hardware design my front end is stored on an external 2.5" drive. Forseeing myself forgetting to put in the 2.5" drive ocasionally, causing the system to boot with no front end, I devised a plan.

My plan was to have a CF card (in the MII's CF slot) with my frontend on it. The OS on a CF card connected to IDE and a 2.5" External drive capable of mass storage, with my front end on it.

The shell I designed is actually the new windows shell. When loaded it figures out if the primary front end is available (on the 2.5" drive) If its not then looks for the secondary front end (located on the CF card) If thats not available, then is loads explorer.exe... If thats not available it will try to load a "launch file window" (for diagnostics)

The app has an editable XML file where you can chose (Primary,Secondary,Emergency) applications. Also one addition, is that it watches the primary and secondary applications for termination (a crash) if the app crashed, it relaunches it within 5 seconds. Like windows will do to its shell.

I can post some base code OR possibly re-design the app to how you guys want it... Of course I'll do this only if there's enough interest. But when I get home I will at least post the basecode.

Yip, this is getting on to the right track

Someone could easily edit the code to do what you guys wanted. Its all based of XML for one thing so that would really make it easier.

what about this? CarShell v2

altho intellas idea is purdy cool!

Code:

 

   Private primary_directory As String
    Private secondary_directory As String
    Private emergency_directory As String

    Public Enum ENUM_ShellState
        primary
        secondary
        cleared
        emergency
    End Enum

    Private ShellState As ENUM_ShellState


Private Sub frm_main_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load


        Dim node_data As String
        Dim settings As New XmlDocument
        Dim node As XmlNode




        If File.Exists("settings.xml") Then
            settings.Load("settings.xml")





            Dim primary_app As XmlNodeList
            primary_app = settings.GetElementsByTagName("application")

            Dim p_nodes As XmlNode
            For Each p_nodes In primary_app
                node_data = p_nodes.ChildNodes(0).ChildNodes(0).Value
                Select Case (p_nodes.ChildNodes(1).ChildNodes(0).Value)
                    Case "1"
                        primary_directory = node_data

                    Case "2"
                        secondary_directory = node_data
                    Case "3"
                        emergency_directory = node_data

                End Select

            Next

            Call launch_something()



        Else
            lbl_status.Text = "settings.XML missing"
        End If





    End Sub


   Private Sub launch_something()
        Dim filename As String

        Try
            Shell(primary_directory)
            ShellState = ENUM_ShellState.primary
        Catch ex As Exception
            ShellState = ENUM_ShellState.cleared
            Try
                Shell(secondary_directory)
                ShellState = ENUM_ShellState.secondary
            Catch ex2 As Exception
                ShellState = ENUM_ShellState.cleared
                Try
                    Shell(emergency_directory)
                    ShellState = ENUM_ShellState.emergency
                    lbl_status.Text = "Emergency mode!"
                    process.Enabled = False

                Catch ex3 As Exception


                    'diag_emergency.ShowDialog()

                    FileExp.Filter = "Exec (*.exe)|*.exe|" & "All files|*.*"
                    If FileExp.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
                        'showDialog method makes the dialog box visible at run time
                        FileName = FileExp.FileName
                    End If


                    If Not filename = "" Then
                        Try
                            Shell(filename)
                        Catch ex4 As Exception
                            launch_something()
                        End Try

                    Else
                        launch_something()
                    End If


                    lbl_status.Text = "Catastrophic Failure!"

                End Try




            End Try



        End Try




    End Sub

  Private Sub process_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles process.Tick
        Dim Proc As Process



        If Not ShellState = ENUM_ShellState.cleared Then
            Try
                Proc = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessesByName("Carinterface")(0)

            Catch ex As Exception

                launch_something()


            End Try
        End If
       



      





    End Sub

Below is the XML file. In directory tag you put the applications shell path
The priority is self explanitory.
The name tag is for the process name, so launch your app press ctrl + alt + delete and look for the exe of your front end and put that here.

Oh and don't try Explorer.exe if its already as your windows shell, it freaks the machine out... not sure why...

Code:

<settings>

	<application>
		<directory>C:\carinterface.exe</directory>
		<priority>1</priority>
		<name>CarInterface</name>
	</application>

	<application>
		<directory>E:\</directory>
		<priority>2</priority>
		<name>CarInterface</name>
	</application>
	
	<application>
		<directory>C:\</directory>
		<priority>3</priority>
		<name>Emercency</name>
	</application>
	

	

</settings>