DXLab Launcher Online Help Contents
Using the Launcher's Configuration window, you can
Specify the pathname of the log file to be opened by DXKeeper after startup
Starting an individual non-DXLab application - as described here
Terminating an individual non-DXLab application - as described here
Indicate whether or not you want the Launcher's main window to always be "on top"
Indicate whether the Workspaces window should be displayed on startup
Direct the Launcher to immediate check for new versions of installed applications
Specify the web site or local folder from which applications will be installed or upgraded
Indicate whether the Launcher should automatically shut down after you click the Terminate button
To display the Launcher's Configuration window, click the Config button in the Launcher's Main window. The Configuration window contains three tabs: the Apps Started Before DXLab Apps tab, the DXLab Apps tab, and the Apps Started After DXLab Apps tab.
To specify a DXLab application's pathname, locate the application's row on the DXLab Apps tab, and click the Sel button in this row. The Launcher will display an Open dialog box that makes it easy to select the application's executable file, such as
C:\Program Files\DXLab Suite\WinWarbler\WinWarbler.exe
or
D:\Program Files\SpotCollector\SpotCollector180.exe
The pathname of the file you select will appear in the application's Program Path textbox.
If on startup,
the Launcher finds an installed DXLab application whose Program Path
textbox is empty, it will initialize this textbox with the pathname of
the installed executable. If you have downloaded a later version of this
application's executable to a different pathname, use the Sel
button to select that pathname.
To specify the
pathname of a log file to be opened by DXKeeper after startup, click the
Sel button in the DXLab Apps tab's Startup
Parameters
sub-panel, and choose the desired log file. If no log file pathname is
specified, DXKeeper will open log in use during the previous operating
session.
Specifying non-DXLab applications to be started before DXLab applications and terminated after DXLab applications
The Launcher enables you to specify up to 8 non-DXLab applications that can be started in a specified order before you start a group of DXLab applications, and terminated after that group of DXLab applications are terminated. Initially, these are depicted on the Apps Started Before DXLab Apps tab as Before App 1 through Before App 8. To specify the pathname of such an application, click the Sel button associated with an unused Command Line textbox, and use the Open dialog box to select the application's executable file, e.g.
C:\Program Files\DX Atlas\DxAtlas.exe
When you select an executable file, the Launcher updates the Application column with the executable file's simple name. Using the preceding example, the entry in the Application column would be DXAtlas.
You can optionally append command line switches to the Command line, e.g.
D:\HamApps\JTAlert\JTAlert.exe /wsjtx
Check the Enab box associated with any non-DXLab application that should be started when you click the Start button on the Launcher's Main window and terminated when you click the Terminate button on the Launcher's Main window.
Check the Start Minimized box associated with any application that should be started with its Main window minimized; note that not all applications obey this directive.
To delay the start of subsequent non-DXLab or DXLab applications for a specified interval after a non-DXLab application is launched, specify the duration of that interval in seconds in the Delay box associated with this application.
Set the
Termination
selector to specify how the application should be terminated, either by
clicking the Main window's
Terminate
button, or by clicking the application's individual
Terminate
button.
Specifying non-DXLab applications to be started after DXLab applications and terminated before DXLab applications
The Launcher allows you to specify up to 8 non-DXLab applications that can be started in a specified order after you start a group of DXLab applications. Initially, these are depicted on the Apps Started After Other Applications tab as After App 1 through After App 8. To specify the program pathname of such an application, click the Sel button associated with an unused Command Line textbox, and use the Open dialog box to select the application's executable file, e.g.
C:\Program Files\DX Atlas\DxAtlas.exe
When you select an executable file, the Launcher updates the Application column with the executable file's simple name. Using the preceding example, the entry in the Application column would be DXAtlas.
You can optionally append command line arguments to the Command Line's program path, e.g.
D:\HamApps\JTAlert\JTAlert.exe /wsjtx
Check the Enab box associated with any non-DXLab application that should be started when you click the Start button on the Launcher's Main window and terminated when you click the Terminate button on the Launcher's Main window.
Check the Start Minimized box associated with any application that should be started with its Main window minimized; note that not all applications obey this directive.
Set the
Termination
selector to specify how the application should be terminated, either by
clicking the Main window's
Terminate
button, or by clicking the application's individual
Terminate
button.
The Launcher's
Main window lets you start
or
stop DXLab applications individually. It also allows you to start
or
stop a group of applications with a single mouse click. Each
member of this group is designated by checking the associated Enab
box in the DXLab Apps tab, Apps Started Before DXLab Apps
tab, and Apps Started After DXLab Apps tab.
If the CTRL key is depressed when the Terminate
button is clicked, applications are terminated whether or not their
associated Enab box is checked.
If you want the
Launcher to automatically start all
enabled applications without waiting
for you to click the Start button, then check the Configuration
window's Auto Start box.
Starting an individual non-DXLab application
To start a non-DXLab application, locate its entry on the
Apps Started Before DXLab Apps
or Apps Started After DXLab Apps tab, and click its Start
button.
Terminating an
individual non-DXLab application
To terminate
a non-DXLab application, locate its entry on the
Apps Started Before DXLab Apps
or Apps Started After DXLab Apps tab, and click its Terminate
button; the application will be terminated using the method specified by its
Termination
selector.
To terminate a non-DXLab application without being
prompted for confirmation, depress the CTRL key while clicking its
Terminate button.
If you want the
Launcher's Main window to be visible even when another window is placed
atop it, then check the Configuration window's Always On Top
box.
Automatically minimizing the Launcher's Main window after starting the specified applications
If you want the
Launcher's Main window to automatically minimize after the specified
applications are started (either by your clicking the Start
button or by having the Auto Start box checked), then check the
Configuration window's Minimize After Start box.
Indicating whether the Workspaces window should be displayed on startup
If you want the
Launcher to display the Workspaces
window on startup, then check the Configuration window's Workspaces
On Startup box.
Automatically check for new versions of installed applications on startup and daily thereafter
If you want the
Launcher to report the availability of new versions of installed DXLab
applications on startup and daily thereafter, then check the Check
for New each day box.
Immediately check for new versions of databases and installed applications
To immediately check for new versions of databases and installed DXLab applications, click the New ? button. To see what versions of the DXCC, IOTA, USAP, LOTW, and eQSL AG databases are presently installed and available, click the Databases button to display the Launcher's Databases window. Double-clicking the DXCC Database's Installed or Available version number will display its Change Notes.
The Launcher determines what versions of DXLab applications and databases are available by downloading a file from www.dxlabsuite.com . If the Launcher cannot access this site, it displays the message "Can't access internet" on its Main window; potential causes include
problems at your Internet Service Provider
www.dxlabsuite.com is inaccessible or not responding
an anti-malware or firewall application is preventing the Launcher from accessing the internet
internet access is disabled or misconfigured in Windows
a cable is
unplugged, or a hardware device is powered down or malfunctioning
Specifying the web site or local folder from which DXLab applications are installed or upgraded
Several web sites host DXLab development versions. Specify the site from which the Launcher will download new version via the Distribution Site selector. You can direct your web browser to navigate to the select Distribution Site's download web page by clicking the Visit button.
Alternatively, you can set the Distribution Site selector to local folder and set the Install folder pathname to designate a folder containing
a file named FullInfo.txt that enumerates the available full (archive) releases formatted as shown in this example
a file named ReleaseInfo.txt that enumerates the available update releases formatted as shown in this example
a folder for each DXLab application, each of which contains the application's archive and update self-extracting executables; these folders must be named
Commander
DXKeeper
DXView
Pathfinder
PropView
SpotCollector
WinWarbler
DXLabLauncher
Automatically shutting down the Launcher after terminating the specified applications
If you want the
Launcher to automatically shut down after you click the
Terminate button and all applications have terminated, then
check the Configuration window's Shutdown After Terminate
box.
Automatically terminate all specified applications when the Launcher is shut down
If you want all
specified applications to be terminated when the Launcher is shut down,
then check the Configuration window's Terminate on Shutdown
box.
Resetting application windows to the primary monitor
The Configuration window's Reset button directs all running DXLab applications to arrange their windows on the primary monitor. This operation is useful if you have switched from a dual-monitor configuration to a single-monitor configuration and need to regain access to windows previously resident on the second monitor.
When checked,
the Configuration window's Log Debugging Information box produces a file
named errorlog.txt
that captures diagnostic information.
Other Settings
Use Multiple Monitors: if not checked, windows that were displayed on a secondary monitor during the previous session will be restored to the primary monitor on startup
Log Debugging Info: when checked, debugging information will be recorded in the file errorlog.txt
Browser
pathname: lets you specify the pathname of the HTML browser that's
used to display online documentation; click the associated Sel
button to display a file selector window that lets you choose the
desired browser.
Other Functions
Error Log - when clicked, displays the Errorlog.txt file from the DXView folder
License - when clicked, display's DXView's License
Help - when clicked, displays DXView's reference documentation