I have been looking over some of the neat ways everyone has to automate their setup processes and the like and have come to a somewhat saddening conclusion:

We have some really sweet batch file parsers, what we need a batch file MAKER.

See, we have all these neat things like RunOnceEX.cmd and cmdlines.txt and all the other batch file automation setups (I absolutely LOVE the idea behind XPlode by the way) but then you (or people like me in this case) run into a problem.

Some of us are, well, lets just say, not all that great at making, editing and maintaining these files.

We need an application that allows you to enter your info, and create a batchfile from it

I invision something that say, opens up with an empty tree like dialogue.

You click an ADD item button, and up pops a dialogue asking: What kind of item? <New user, new program, reg tweak, file operation etc> and when you pick one, it gives you a couple of data boxes to fill your info out in (user names/passwords/groups, or program location/application switches etc).

Once that has been done, you move on to the next item and populate your list.

Then, you click the make batch file button and it makes you a properly formatted XPlode .xml batch file.

Any chance we could get someone with a bit of spare time to whip us up something like this?

heck, if someone REALLY wanted to go the extra mile, you could even give it a couple of options to configure your window type in XPlode (Standalone, or Gui, with all the fixins) adjust the position of an item in the item order, and maybe even load existing batch files for editing?

As I've stated before in other things, there are no plans (for me, at least) to make such a tool.

I'm having enough trouble finding time to work on XPlode alone, let alone other tools.

Maybe someone else will want to help you out, but, I'll have to say, don't get your hopes up.

sounds like an amazing idea and i would love to create it unfortunately i dont have the first clue about creating a actual program my limits are around batch files and html i am sure with the varied range of knowledge available with all the members somebody could work on this?

Well, It has been a while since i programmed anything, however a program of this nature shouldnt be too dificult.

Just store a bunch of info, give a couple of ways to manipulate it, and then write it to file.

I think the biggest hurdle would be getting and maintaining a full list of all the syntax that XPlode uses for its XML files.

Hell, I would try my hand at coding the thing (if I wasnt so bloody lazy, and hadnt programmed anything since VC++ in computers class in colledge about 3 years ago )

someone do this!

you cant make somebody do it lol just ask kindly and hope somebody does

i really don't see the point honestly. Maybe for a selection program, but not for a making a batch file.

I think a program to create a RunOnceEx.cmd would be very usefull, that would make things alot easier. And not much data is needed, so such a program could be written very fast, not?

someone do this!

more excitement for the idea then a demand

anything to make things easier im all for

someone do this!

yeah .. something like the dialogue in the movie MASK when jim carrey says:

Somebody .. Stop me!

gotta admit .. the idea got me excited as well.

if you wouldnt have mentioned it, maybe i wouldve.