
Right click menu associated with this screen:

(1) These menu buttons are only available in move mode,
after having clicked the 'General/Move' button.
Click on the item on the images above that you would like
further infomation on.
Running links
Click on any entry in the main list to run that link. Unless
you have disabled the option, you can hold down the control key
on your keyboard, then select multiple links on the main list. Once
you release the control key, and provided at least two links are selected,
all of the selected links will be launched. Note that with the link
shown, pressing the '1' key on the keyboard would also run this link.
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Changing filesets
The QuickSwitch bar, shown at the top of the main window above, is used
to quickly navigate between different filesets. Left clicking on a tab
on this bar will activate that fileset, changing the main list to that
of the now-active fileset. Right clicking on the bar will bring up the
fileset manager, where you can organize the links of multiple filesets.
In the main window, the spacebar key can be used to cycle to the next
fileset, and the backspace key will move to the previous fileset. Note
that you can also drag external files onto the
QuickSwitch bar to have VLink create a link to the
file in the appropriate fileset.
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Open Directory
This is another mode that VLink can be in, shown by the title bar's
caption. Turned on, this mode will open the selected link's containing
directory in an explorer window. For example, clicking on a link with
the file path 'C:\myprogram\myprogram.exe' would launch the directory
'c:\ myprogram'. If the link's path was itself a directory, the containing
directory of that directory would be opened. So, if a link path was
'C:\myprogram\', the directory 'c:\' would be launched. See also: one-time
modes.
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Refresh list
Clicking on this will reload the current main list from its corresponding
files on disk.
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Save list
This will save the current list to files on disk. Note that this is
done automatically and frequently by VLink, and you will not usually
need to use this command yourself.
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Create multirun
This adds a 'Create' button to VLink's lower status area, and is used
to create a multiple run item from items already on your main list.
You will be able to select multiple items from the main list by clicking
on them and holding down the shift and/or ctrl keys. Once you are happy
with your selection, click Create, enter a name for your new item in
the add dialog, and click ok.
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Centralise main window
This will simply centre the main window on your screen.
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Help
This opens the relevant help file for the currently active window/dialog.
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Select all
Used in general management mode, this selects all the links on the main
list.
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Select none
Used in general management/move mode, this deselects all of the selected
(if any) links on the main list.
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Invert selection
Used in general management mode, this selects all the links that weren't
selected on the main list, and deselects all the links that were selected.
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MiniLink
Clicking on this icon toggles between MiniLink and standard display
modes. The MiniLink window occupies less screen space, but gives slightly
slower access to links, and fewer menu options. You can switch to MiniLink
and back using Ctrl+I.
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Drag and drop
You can drag files from Windows onto VLink, to have VLink create a link
to the dragged file. If you drag a file over the main list, a link to
it will be inserted at the place where you release the mouse button
that you used to drag the file. If you drag a file onto a QuickSwitch
tab, a link will be added to the fileset that you have dragged over.
Dropping a file on any other part of the main window will add a link
at the end of the main list of the current fileset. See Remove drag/drop
extensions in general options for an
option related to drag and drop.
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Move items
Click on this button or press Ctrl+M or Ctrl+G to put
VLink into its main in-place link manager mode. In this mode, you will
be presented with the additional controls on the main window, shown
below.
You can select multiple items at once, using combinations
of control and shift, and drag them to a different place in the list,
or you can use the 'U' and 'D' buttons to move the selected items up
or down in the list by the number specified in the text box in
the centre.
With multiple items selected, you can also press the delete
key on your keyboard to delete the selected links. You can also cut,
copy and paste items on the list, and between filesets,
using Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V, respectively.
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Management
Add item
Selecting this will open the add
link dialog box, and cancel any previously active management modes.
You can also do this by pressing the Insert key on your keyboard,
or clicking anywhere in the gray area of the window shown with the middle
button of your mouse, if your mouse has three buttons.
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Edit item
Clicking this button, or pressing F2 on your keyboard, will put
VLink into edit mode, shown by a label in the lower status area reading
EDIT. In this mode, clicking on a link will open it in the add/edit
dialog box, and you will be able to change the link before clicking
OK to save your changes. Closing the edit window without clicking OK
will leave VLink in edit mode.
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Cut, Copy & Paste
Use these menu buttons while in move mode to make use of VLink's
internal clipboard, and move links between filesets, or just copy one
or more links. You can also double click on an item to make a copy of
it.
When not in move move, the copy button will put VLink in single
item copy mode, in which the item that you click on with be copied to
the end of the current main list.
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Delete links
As with copy, this mode works differently depending on whether or not
you are currently in VLink's General Manager mode. If you are in this
mode, clicking delete (or pressing the Delete key on your keyboard)
will delete all of the selected links, asking for confirmation depending
on how your general options are configured. If you are not in
General/Move manager, delete will enter single-item delete mode (shown
by a DELETE label in VLink's lower status area), in which an item that
you click on after entering this mode will be deleted. Delete links
will never delete the actual file that was linked to.
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Clearing the list
Click on Clear list to have all of your links in the current fileset
deleted. You will be asked to confirm your decision before VLink actually
deletes any links.
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Options
Click on this menu button to open the general
options dialog, or press F12. Right clicking on the tab labeled
'Example' in the image shown would open the fileset manager. Clicking
on the word 'VLink' in the title bar (the white text) with the middle
mouse button will also open the general options dialog.
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File sets
Making use of multiple filesets in VLink means that you
can organize your links into different categories. See the fileset
manager help for more details on management of multiple filesets
and additional options.
Switch fileset
The Switch submenu maintains a list of all the directories in
VLink's base directory that contain the files link.vxl and name.vxl,
and form a fileset. A tick next to one of these names indicates the
currently active fileset ('Example' in the picture at the top). Clicking
on a different fileset name will switch to that fileset. From the main
list, you can cycle forward through your filesets using the space
bar, and backwards using the backspace key.
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New fileset
Click on this, or press Shift+Insert to have VLink create a new,
empty fileset named as 'NewFileSet' plus the first unused number. See
fileset manager help for
more details on creating and naming filesets.
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Delete fileset
Clicking on this menu button or using its shortcut key Shift+Delete
will delete the currently active fileset, unless the active fileset
is VLink's base fileset (depicted in the example as 'VLink2.3'), in
which case it will clear the current list. In both cases, you will first
be asked to confirm your choice, provided you have not changed your
options.
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Import
This will import an existing fileset's links into the current fileset.
Once you have selected a fileset to import, you will have the option
to either append the new links to the end of your list, or overwrite
your existing list.
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Export
Clicking this will export your current fileset to another location of
your choice. In this way, you can copy an entire fileset or save a backup
copy.
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QuickSwitch bar
This tab control provides a faster method of accessing filesets and
the links they contain. As shown in the image at the top of this page,
each fileset has a tab, named from the name of that fileset's directory.
To access the links in a fileset without switching to it, right click
on the relevant tab. If you right click on the tab of the currently
active fileset, the fileset manager will be displayed. You can switch
this bar on and off in the fileset
manager options dialog.
Task/Event
These modes provide a way of automating some actions after an event
has occurred, for example closing VLink after you have run a link. Only
one task/event mode can be active at once. Turning on one mode after
another will disable the previous mode. However, they can be linked
with non task/event modes such as Open directory. You can have VLink
remember which task/event mode was last in use after it closes in general
options.
Run/Exit
This mode of Task/Event will exit VLink after a link (or multiple links)
have been executed. This is most useful when running full screen software
such as games from which you will not need to use VLink for some time,
and you wish to give the maximum amount of available resources. It can
be toggled on and off using F3. Note that if you use the Shutdown
Windows on exit option, it may be wise to also use the 'Except
on mode' option, otherwise Windows will be shutdown after VLink
exits.
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Drop/Launch
This mode will run files that have just been dropped onto the main list
from outside Windows (for example using drag and drop from Windows Explorer).
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Drop/Launch/Exit
This will do the same as Drop/Launch, but will exit VLink once the files
have been launched.
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Run/Minimize
With this mode on, VLink will minimize itself after running a link.
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Drop/Launch/Minimize
This mode will launch the file that has just been dropped onto the main
list, then minimize VLink.
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Sorting the main list
You can sort VLink's main list in a variety of ways, and have VLink
remember and enforce a sort mode when new links are added, or existing
links are edited etc. See general
options for more on the configuration of VLink.
Link name
The list is sorted is ascending alphabetical order of link name.
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File name
Items on the main list are sorted in ascending alphabetical order of
their file name.
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File path
The list is sorted is ascending alphabetical order of the file path
associated with the link (that is, the full directory path, such as
'C:\myprograms\programfolder\').
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File type
Items on the main list are sorted in ascending alphabetical order of
their file extension.
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Reverse
This can be used alongside any of the previous sorting methods, and
will simply reverse the order.
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Windows
Shut down commands in Windows can be executed directly from VLink's
menu or by using the relevant shortcut keys.
Shutdown
Exit Windows and prepare your computer to be switched off.
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Restart
Shut down Windows and then start it up again. VLink will no longer be
running when Windows starts up.
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Log off
Sign off your account in Windows and exit to the Log in screen.
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