How and where PittLaunch stores shortcut information

Icons in PittLaunch are not the application themselves - they point to the location of where the applications or files are stored. This is similar to how Windows shortcuts work.

Who is this article designed for?

The information within this article is more of an advanced topic, and ideal for:

• Anyone curious or wanting more information on how PittLaunch stores shortcuts.
• If you are looking to set PittLaunch up for multiple users, e.g. so everyone has access to the same shortcuts.

Shortcut information is stored in an SQLite database.

You do not need to know anything about SQLite or databases - PittLaunch does all the work in keeping the shortcut information.

The database includes information on the different categories, and information on icons in each category, for example the captions, location of the icon files and where the application/file to be opened is located.

Why store the information in a database? Why not just use folders or Windows shortcuts? Using a database allows additional information to be stored (both in the current version and in future releases of PittLaunch), keeps all the shortcut and category information in one place and makes it easier for PittLaunch to be set up and used by multiple users.

Do you need additional software to use PittLaunch? No - all the files PittLaunch needs to run (for SQLite a DLL file) are provided and installed with the software.

Can the SQLite database used by PittLaunch be edited manually? We do not recommend this, as PittLaunch manages the database for you, and while possible (if you have the right tools installed on your computer) making changes to the database could result in PittLaunch being unable to read data. Please note that if you try to edit the SQLite database manually, or even open it using another tool, we can not provide support for this!

You can learn more about SQLite at www.sqlite.org

Where is the shortcut database stored?

Each time PittLaunch launches, it looks in the following locations for the database, in the following order:

1. The same folder in which the application is installed - for example the version of PittLaunch that can be tried without installing includes a database in the same folder so no additional files are installed or set up elsewhere on your system.
2. The global/"all users" settings folder, for example C:\ProgramData\PittLaunch - if you want all your users to have the same shortcuts/icons for PittLaunch, then this is the location to store your database. If users do not have administrative access to the database or write permissions, then those users will not be able to make changes to any of the shortcuts, and only launch items (ideal if you don't want everyone to make changes to the shortcuts).
3. The users settings folder, for example C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\PittLaunch - this is the final location that is checked, and if a database is not found in any of the three locations, then a blank database will be created here. In this location, each individual user has their own categories and icons, and can make changes.

If it finds a database in one of the above locations, it does not look elsewhere (e.g. if the database is found in location 1, then it does not look in location 2 or 3).

You can easily copy or move the database to another location - for example the database in location 1 or 3 could be copied to location 2.

What happens when you uninstall software or delete the original file?

When you uninstall software from your computer, or delete/move a file from your computer, and there is a shortcut within PittLaunch for that item, you will need to delete or modify that icon in PittLaunch.

Why does it not remove shortcuts automatically when the original file is deleted? If a file is stored in a network location, or temporarily unavailable, or you just want to modify the shortcut yourself, its not always safe to assume that an icon can be deleted if the original file can't be found!

The same applies to any background images in the tabs or icons you may have set. If you delete, rename or move an image file on your computer that you have set as a tab background picture, the picture will no longer be displayed (if you wish to keep the background image, you will need to modify the tab and set the background picture to the new location). The same applies to any icons you have set for tabs or shortcuts.

PittLaunch Start and Desktop menus.

The Start and Desktop menus within PittLaunch get their items from the Windows Start menu/Desktop menus, and this information is not stored in the database.

When changes are made to the Windows Start menu (e.g. when you uninstall an application) or the desktop (e.g. you delete a file) these changes are automtically applied to the PittLaunch Start and Desktop menus.

Application settings.

Settings, for example the items found in the Options menu are not stored in the shortcut database, and can be set/changed by each individual user, regardless of where the database is stored.

Need further help or have questions?

We are happy to answer any questions you may have, or advise on the best location for your shortcut database. You can contact Simon Pittman at: simon@pittlaunch.co.uk