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Watcha! Package ver 2.10

[ Watcha! Hack | Watch-Ya! Viewer]

[ Launcha! DA | Easy-going Document ]


Launcha! DA 2.10

produced by abby (abby.t@mbd.nifty.com)

1. Introduction

Launcha! DA is a DA type application launcher. It uses the database generated by Watcha! Hack. After install, Launcha! DA can be launched by any of DA Launching soft and it shows the appropriate icon list by referring the database.

Note: Launcha! DA requires a DA launching software & Watcha! Hack.
And Watcha! Hack requires HackMaster.

I've confirmed that Watcha! Hack works on the devices below.

I think it should work on other devices/OSs, but if you find Watcha! Hack doesn't work in your environment, please report to me.

2. Install

Install Launcha.prc on your device through HotSync. To use Launcha! DA, HackMaster and Watcha! Hack are required. Please make sure that they are installed. To say the truth, Launcha! DA can be used without Watcha! Hack itself, as long as "the database of Watcha! Hack" exists. But in this case, the status of application usage will never be updated. (It means usually inconvenience, but might be convenient if you want the icon list fixed.)

You need also some kind of DA launching software. It works no matter what launcher is used, I personally prefer Swipe! launcher.

3. How to use

3.1: Launching Launcha! DA

Launcha! DA screenshotWhen you launch Launcha! DA by your DA launcher, you will see the Popup window(see the figure of right side). You can move this window by dragging the title bar. The moved position is recorded and you will get the window at the last position for the next time you launch it. You can get the Info by tapping i at the upper-right corner.

3.2: Application launching

As described in the Watcha! Hack document, the database of Watcha! Hack holds the record such as the numbers of times the apps are launched, or the last times the apps are launched. By referring these record, Launcha! DA shows an icon list which is called as Launcha! List. Launcha! DA's function is to launch the application which is selected on this list.

Tapping an icon shown on the popup, you can launch the application that the icon indicates. For example(see the screenshot), if you tap the 'Memo' icon, the 'Memo' application will be launched. By launching an app, Launcha! DA will disappear automatically. You may also abort the Launcha! DA by tapping outside of popup.

When some of the icons are unavailable

If the database of Watcha! Hack has record less than four, Launcha! DA displays "No" icons as the figure rightside shows. If you tap that "No", Launcha! DA is aborted. (No application will be launched.)

3.3: Switching or navigating of lists.

As the same as Watcha! List, Launcha! List can be shown in two different orders. The one is the order by the last times of the launch(the newest comes first), and the other is the order by the numbers of the times the each apps are launched(the greatest comes first).

Launcha! DA shows the list in order of the last launched time first. You can switch the order by tapping the buttons at the bottom-center of the popup. The TIME button is for the order of the last launched time. And the NUM button is for the order by the numbers of the times the apps are launched. Your selection is to be recorded and retrieved each time you call the Launcha! DA.

You can navigate in the list by the buttons at both corner of the bottom of the popup. Tapping the Forward(right arrow) button, you can get lower items and with the Backward(left arrow), you get higher items. If you Backward when you are on the top of the list, you get to the bottom of the list, and vice versa. You can also scroll the list with Hardware scroll buttons.

4. The combination with Watcha! or Watch-Ya!

Launcha! DA doesn't work without Watcha! Hack . And also Watch-Ya! viewer affects the function of Launcha! DA. For the individual information about Watcha! Hack or Watch-Ya!, see Watcha2.html or Watch-Ya2.html .

4.1: Deactivating Watcha! Hack

Though Launcha! DA uses the database generated by Watcha! Hack, it doesn't depend on Watcha! Hack itself. Thus, if you get the desirable list after a while, you can deactivate or even delete Watcha! Hack. The existence of the database( has the name of 'Watcha!HackDB' internal) is the only requirement for Launcha! DA. But, Launcha! DA cannot delete the entries of the list for the deleted applications. Though these invalid entries don't affect any functions of Launcha! DA, they might slows the speed slightly. These entries can be deleted by Watcha! Hack's switching functions or launching Watch-Ya! viewer.

4.2: Count bit

Launcha! DA also ignores the applications whose count bits are off. About the count bit, see that section in Watch-Ya.html.

5. Disclaimer, support, distribution and etc.

Disclaimer, support, distribution are all the same as them of Watcha! Hack. See that section of Watcha! Hack's document.

5.1: Known problems

Nothing for now. If you find one, send e-mail to me(abby.t@mbd.nifty.com).

5.2: History

2000-05-20
Adapted to new coming Palm devices(with OS 3.5).
2000-01-21
Adapted to the data format of the new version of Watcha! Hack.
2000-01-19
Fixed a bug(freeze if launched when all count bits are off).
2000-01-14
The first release of Watcha! package 1.00.
2000-01-13
Fixed a bug. As a result, the speed slows down. X-<
2000-01-11
Optimize the database queries.
2000-01-10
Implemented the scrolling function.
Adapted to the 2-byte characters in the app name.
2000-01-09
Alpha version. Display the icons. Launch function.

6. And other...

The appearance of PalmOS 3.5 has a great impact to Launcha DA. Because of some changes on Form/Window functions, Launcha DA doesn't work with OS 3.5 devices. It's popup appeared with no icons on it, and was fixed the upper-left corner of the window and couldn't be dragged, but it reappeared bottom-right corner when released... What the hell going on!?

I had to fix those problems but these messes are also a precious chance to complete the version 2.00 left unfinished for a while. Perhaps I must thank them in PalmComputing OS developing team. ;-)

Now, I think of the next version. It might be more useful if you can launch the app with the hardware button. What do you say?

So, now, the time to the practice. Have a fun!


2000-06-11 1:18:45
© 1999,2000 Taro Abiru
E-mail: abby.t@mbd.nifty.com