Launchy

Short description: Application launch utility for Windows

Launchy

Original author(s)| Josh Karlin
Initial release| January 22, 2007 (2007-01-22)
Stable release|

2.5 / April 4, 2010 (2010-04-04)

Written in| C++ (Qt)
Platform| Windows, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, and Linux
Type|

* Application launcher
* Linux on the desktop

License| GNU General Public License
Website| www.launchy.net

Launchy is a free and open-source application launcher for Windows, Mac OS X, FreeBSD and Linux. It indexes shortcuts in the start menu, and files in specific folders, to allow quicker access to programs without opening the start menu or browsing to folders.[1][2][3]

## Contents

* 1 Program usage
* 2 Platform
* 3 Included plugins
* 3.1 Controly
* 3.2 Weby
* 3.3 Calcy
* 4 Community Plugins
* 5 Plugin development
* 6 Awards
* 6.1 2007
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links

## Program usage

Launchy automatically loads on boot and waits for the user to call it by pressing Alt + Space or a custom hotkey. The user then starts typing the name of the program or file they wish to launch. Launchy automatically searches its list of programs for the closest match as the user types. When it finds the desired program, the user hits Enter and it is automatically launched.[4]

Launchy can add folders and file formats to its catalog for indexing, so it can launch almost anything on a computer, including programs, URLs (also from bookmarks) and documents; as well as run Google, Wikipedia, MSN and Yahoo searches, bringing the results up in the default browser.

Launchy can be extended with plug-ins.[3]

## Platform

Launchy was originally written in C# (ver. 0.5), and in C++ since version 0.6.[5] The latest version, 2.0, has been completely rewritten using Qt. This has resulted in incompatibility with older skins and plugins.[6]

## Included plugins

The following plugins are included with the 2.0 release:

### Controly

* Adds control panel items to the catalog

### Weby

* Allows web search
* Can launch URLs, also from bookmarks

### Calcy

* A simple calculator

## Community Plugins

* Ampy controls Winamp, iTunes and foobar2000.
* gCal Plugin posts events to Google Calendar.
* iTuny controls iTunes.
* Killy terminates tasks by name.
* Launchy# allows loading of plugins written in a .NET language.
* MathyResurrected adds additional mathematical capabilities.
* PuTTY Launchy Plugin launches saved PuTTY sessions.
* PyLaunchy allows loading of plugins written in the Python programming language.

## Plugin development

Launchy 2 has a C++ API[7] for developing extension plugins that add new types of objects to the catalog.

Community-developed bindings for other programming languages are provided as plugins:

* PyLaunchy[8] allows developing Python programming language plugins.
* Launchy#[9] allows developing plugins in .NET languages.

## Awards

### 2007

* SourceForge.Net Community Choice Awards, Honorable Mention: Best New Project[10]
* PC World 15 Best Downloads of the Year: Powertools[4]
* CNet Download.Com Top Ten Downloads of the Year[1]

## See also

* Comparison of application launchers

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rosenblatt, Seth (December 22, 2007). "The 10 best downloads of 2007". CNet. http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-9835850-12.html?tag=blog.4.
2. ↑ Dolcourt, Jessica (December 20, 2007). "Launchy 2.0 quick-starts apps with class". CNet. http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-9836546-12.html?tag=blog.1.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Spector, Lincoln (October 21, 2007). "Fifteen Great Time Saving Utilities". PC World. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138571-page,2-c,utilities/article.html.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gralla, Preston (December 24, 2007). "The 15 Best Downloads of the Year". PC World. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140721-page,3-c,utilities/article.html.
5. ↑ Project Details - Programming Language
6. ↑ "Launchy 2.0". https://www.neowin.net/news/launchy-20. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
7. ↑ Launchy 2 Plugin API
8. ↑ PyLaunchy: Python plugins for Launchy
9. ↑ Launchy#: .NET plugins for Launchy
10. ↑ "SourceForge.Net Community Choice Awards". 2007. http://sourceforge.net/community/index.php/landing-pages/cca07/.

## External links

* Launchy on SourceForge.net

* v
* t
* e

Desktop search software

* Apple Spotlight
* Beagle
* Copernic Desktop Search
* DocFetcher
* GNOME Storage
* Google Desktop
* Google Quick Search Box
* Launchy
* Lookeen
* Tracker
* Recoll
* Strigi
* Unity Dash
* Windows Desktop Search

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