LauncherTree Basics

To create new connections (TERMINAL LAUNCHERS), COMMANDs/ SCRIPTs/ PLUGINs launchers user has to add them on the LauncherTree either by right-clicking on the LauncherTree and selecting Add Launcher to the Tree menu or by clicking on the New button (flashing green) on the toolbar of the LauncherTree window.

In the process of creating new connections (TERMINAL LAUNCHERS), COMMANDs/ SCRIPTs/ PLUGINs launchers user provides some essential information needed for execution of such launchers.

Every launcher has a tooltip field that allows to supply text that will be shown when user hovers the mouse pointer over the launcher. The rest of the launcher fields will depend on the type of the launcher. There are 12 types of launchers:

• 3 launcher types to create terminal windows and (re-)connect them (TELNET-TERMINAL, COM-PORT-TERMINAL, SHELL-TERMINAL). They differ by connection types:
  • TELNET-TERMINAL allows TELNET and TELNET-TLS connections
  • COM-PORT-TERMINAL allows COM-PORT connections
  • SHELL-TERMINAL allows terminal to connect to local process running on CYGWIN PTY or on local Windows console window. For example, local CYGWIN bash/ssh/sftp/telnet/ftp/screen processes or local windows CMD or POWERSHELL console processes.
• 5 launcher types for terminal automation (COMMAND, SCRIPT, I-SCRIPT, PLUGIN, I-PLUGIN). COMMAND can also be used to automate non-terminal windows by injecting text into keyboard buffer as if user typed this text from keyboard. COMMAND and SCRIPT do not require any programming skills to use. To use I-SCRIPT user has to understand only PCRE regular expressions syntax as I-SCRIPT uses regular expressions to identify the command prompt in terminal (similar to expect). To use PLUGIN user has to know at least one scripting language like perl, python, expect etc and to be able to program unbuffered input/output for STDIN/STDOUT/STDERR of the script and master regular expressions.
• 4 others launcher types are not related to terminal.
  • SUBTREE is to group launchers on the tree. It is possible to nest one SUBTREE into another without limitation on the depth of the nesting. Without SUBTREE functionality the tree would be limited to the depth of one layer. It is similar to how folder on the disk is used to group files and to nest another folders into it.
  • LAUNCH is to start Windows application. It is similar to Windows shortcut. The difference is that it can also optionally "suck in" (GRAB) new application window inside of Proxy32 workspace.
  • VIEWER is based on LAUNCH internally and allows to open file or URL in the application that is associated with the type of file or type of URL protocol. It is similar to Windows Explorer using "file type association" or "URL protocol type association" to open proper application. Proxy32 association table is stored not in Windows registry but in the file "ViewerDefinition.xml" in the Proxy32.exe start-up directory. The other difference is that it is using Regular Expressions to set file type or URL type to be associated with application.
  • E-SCRIPT contains AHK script for execution.

After launchers are created and visible on the LauncherTree, to use (execute) connections (TERMINAL LAUNCHERS), COMMANDs/ SCRIPTs/ PLUGINs, user has to double-click them on LauncherTree:

• Double click on the new “connection” (SHELL-TERMINAL, TELNET-TERMINAL, COM-PORT-TERMINAL launcher) will create new Terminal window in the current workspace and connect it according to the connection info that is stored in the launcher (SHELL-TERMINAL, TELNET-TERMINAL, COM-PORT-TERMINAL) itself.
• Double-click on “terminal automation launcher” (COMMAND, SCRIPT, I-SCRIPT, PLUGIN, I-PLUGIN) will execute it into existing active (highlighted with red frame) terminal.
• Double-click on SUBTREE will open or close it (similar to folder in Windows Explorer Directory Tree). This will show or hide children nodes under SUBTREE.
• Double-click on LAUNCH or VIEWER will start pre-configured Windows application process (for example, Notepad, PuTTy or Firefox).
• Double-click on E-SCRIPT will execute (pass to AHK-interpreter for execution) AHK script saved in the E-SCRIPT launcher.

LauncherTree is stored in XML format on the disk and can be exported/imported in whole and by parts to transfer between Proxy32 installations of different users. VIEWER, SCRIPT and I-SCRIPT will retain their associated local files (local files to which they refer/point) during LauncherTree export/import.