AutoPowerShell

• I want less windows. I think the running tasks should be a pane or dock in the output window, and output windows should share the same window.

• It's not clear to me that when I close an output window that the script remains running. Make some UI hints to make this obvious.

Great advice! thanks Hal.
Hal Rottenberg wrote:

Here are some random thoughts on the UI:

• What would be cool is a launcher window with better chrome, something Windows7-like that pops up from the tray icon
• ability to add/edit/delete scripts from the launcher. Oh, just realized you can right-click on the buttons to do this. That's weird, turn that off and use more common conventions IMO.
• turn categories into tabs or sliding panes (like Outlook, or Powershell Plus's QuickClick bar)
• Heck, why not look at Quickclick and see if it makes sense to use the very same storage format (XML, I think)

The user interface could be a lot prettier, thats for sure. This current design was inspired by a program called Type It In, which is popular in the corporate world and overseas. I'll begin a redesign shortly.

• Instead of calling these AutoPS Scripts, perhaps come up with another name. Script implies actual .ps1 files.
  

well, they literally are scripts as far as PS is concerned, `get-command -type script` in the APS host returns the names of the buttons that are defined, heh.

• Make a wizard for creating new scripts, something that does not expose every option available (e.g. runspaces). Include a medium-sized text editor control (there's free ones out there isn't there? Maybe something that comes with visual studio? I like that you support external editors, and that's probably what I'll continue to use, but I think that with a relatively small amount of work, you can make it more obvious that you support full scripts here. Right now, it "feels" like short scripts need to fit into the tiny box.
  

i like the wizard idea, definitely will be including that. And i'll add a text editor control if i can figure out how to put it in the property grid control.

• when scripts execute, the output window is buried. I would expect it to surface to the top

Yeah, this was a tough decision for me. Because i want to use the aps scripts to automate windows, when the script is activated the launcher will raise up to the top whatever window was below it, and thats what buries the output window. I do this so if your script wants to send-keys to the current active window you don't mess it up by changing the focus when you click the launcher to activate it.

• output window needs some toolbar icons :)
  

agreed.

• and a throbber with some subtle animation in the status bar for actively running scripts.
  

ooohh, good idea.

Hal Rottenberg wrote:

• It's not clear to me that when I close an output window that the script remains running. Make some UI hints to make this obvious.

A notification balloon in the system tray, maybe?

Hal Rottenberg wrote:

• I want less windows. I think the running tasks should be a pane or dock in the output window, and output windows should share the same window.

Hal, how does this design suit you?