FlashCom is a lightning fast command launcher for Windows power users.
Create a "command tree" to assign a hotkey-based hierarchy to all of your most common commands, then instantly execute them by invoking FlashCom and traversing the tree.
Lightweight, fast, and minimal: FlashCom is a small Win32 native process and uses Windows Composition APIs to render beautiful visuals without a heavy UI framework or bundled browser.
Download the latest release from GitHub, or install from the Windows Store.
Be sure to install the latest Microsoft VC Redistributable if you are not using the packaged or Windows Store app.
After launching, FlashCom will appear in your system tray as a pink lightning bolt.
FlashCom can then be invoked by pressing Win+Space.
To customize the command tree, right click the tray icon and select "Settings,"
then edit the settings.json shown.
settings.json is used to customize the command tree shown in FlashCom along
with other settings.
For the packaged app, settings.json is located in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\164HaydenMcAfee.FlashCom_nqvw84mb3bsjc\LocalState.
For the unpackaged app, settings.json is located in %LOCALAPPDATA%\FlashCom.
The following fields can be set in the settings.json root object:
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
"showStartupNotification" |
true / false |
Determines whether the "FlashCom is running" toast notification is shown on startup. |
"use24HourClock" |
true / false |
Determines whether a 12-hour or 24-hour clock is shown. |
"commands" |
Array of Command Objects | The set of commands shown in FlashCom. |
| Name | "type" | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ShellExecute Command | "shellExecute" |
Launches arbitrary Windows executables. |
| URI Command | "uri" |
Activates the given URI with the default protocol handler. |
| AUMID Command | "aumid" |
Activates the Windows Packaged app with the given AUMID. |
The "commands" field defines the set of commands shown in FlashCom:
{
"commands": [
{
"name": "Calculator",
"key": "C",
"type": "shellExecute",
"executeFile": "calc.exe",
"executeParameters": ""
},
{
"name": "Notepad",
"key": "N",
"type": "shellExecute",
"executeFile": "notepad.exe",
"executeParameters": ""
}
]
}A command can be one of several types. The "type" field will determine what
happens when the command is executed.
A command can also serve as a container or folder for other commands. These
commands don't have a "type" field, but instead have a "children" field:
{
"commands": [
{
"name": "Tools",
"key": "T",
"children": [
{
"name": "Calculator",
"key": "C",
"type": "shellExecute",
"executeFile": "calc.exe",
"executeParameters": ""
},
{
"name": "Notepad",
"key": "N",
"type": "shellExecute",
"executeFile": "notepad.exe",
"executeParameters": ""
}
]
}
]
}These commands simply run the given executable file with the provided parameters.
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
"type" |
required string | "shellExecute" |
"executeFile" |
required string | Path to executable to launch. |
"executeParameters" |
optional string | Arguments to provide when launching the executable. |
"executeDirectory" |
optional string | Working directory where the executable will be started. |
{
"commands": [
{
"name": "Calculator",
"key": "C",
"type": "shellExecute",
"executeFile": "calc.exe"
},
{
"name": "Spotify Web",
"key": "S",
"type": "shellExecute",
"executeFile": "msedge.exe",
"executeParameters": "--app=\"https://open.spotify.com\""
},
{
"name": "C Drive",
"key": "A",
"type": "shellExecute",
"executeFile": "C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe",
"executeParameters": "C:\\"
},
{
"name": "VS Code",
"key": "A",
"type": "shellExecute",
"executeFile": "C:\\Users\\Hayden\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Microsoft VS Code\\Code.exe",
"executeParameters": "",
"executeDirectory": "C:\\Users\\Hayden\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Microsoft VS Code"
}
]
}These commands launch the given URI using the default protocol handler. In addition to launching websites, you can also use these commands to launch applications that use protocol activation.
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
"type" |
required string | "uri" |
"uri" |
required string | URI to activate. |
{
"commands": [
{
"name": "Steam Library",
"key": "S",
"type": "uri",
"uri": "steam://open/games"
},
{
"name": "Obsidian",
"key": "B",
"type": "uri",
"uri": "obsidian://open?vault=Personal"
},
{
"name": "Hacker News",
"key": "A",
"type": "uri",
"uri": "https://news.ycombinator.com"
}
]
}Packaged apps on Windows can be activated using an "application user model id" or AUMID.
An AUMID is a string consisting of a "Package Family Name" followed by ! and
the application ID you wish to launch. For example, the Clock app on Windows can
be launched with the AUMID Microsoft.WindowsAlarms_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App.
An easy way to find the AUMID for an installed app is to use the
Get-AppPackage
PowerShell command to find the package family name and installation location,
then look at the AppxManifest.xml in the installation location to determine
the Application ID you wish to launch.
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
"type" |
required string | "aumid" |
"aumid" |
required string | Application User Model ID of the packaged application to activate. |
{
"commands": [
{
"name": "Alarms + Clock",
"key": "A",
"type": "aumid",
"aumid": "Microsoft.WindowsAlarms_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"
},
{
"name": "foobar2000",
"key": "F",
"type": "aumid",
"aumid": "Resolute.foobar2000modern_cg7j1awqsza28!foobar2000"
}
]
}If FlashCom refuses to start, you may have an error in your settings.json.
Read the above and ensure your file conforms to the guidance.
If settings.json is deleted FlashCom will generate a default settings.json
that is known to work.
FlashCom stores log files alongside settings.json in these locations:
- Packaged App:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\164HaydenMcAfee.FlashCom_nqvw84mb3bsjc\LocalState\FlashCom.log - Unpackaged:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\FlashCom\FlashCom.log
Also ensure you have the latest Microsoft VC Redistributable installed.
If you're still running into problems please file an issue and attach your
FlashCom.log file (note that the log file may contain information present in
your settings.json, remove any information that you don't want revealed before
posting).
MIT License
Copyright (c) 2013-2022 Niels Lohmann
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
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to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
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The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
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AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.
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THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT
SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR ANYONE DISTRIBUTING THE SOFTWARE BE LIABLE
FOR ANY DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE,
ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
The MIT License (MIT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Gabi Melman.
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
THE SOFTWARE.