Game Launcher in C#
User Request: I need a C# script that will be called GameLauncher, and it should have an array of 5 items. The item will store a SceneName.exe and allow
the user to choose which one to run. It would be great if this could be a GUI. Explain how to compile and setup in Visual Studio
the user to choose which one to run. It would be great if this could be a GUI. Explain how to compile and setup in Visual Studio
[NOTE: See the end for the final results after it evolved and improved]
Response:
To create a simple GameLauncher with a GUI in C#, you can use the Windows Forms framework in Visual Studio.
First, you need to set up a new Windows Forms project in Visual Studio.
Open Visual Studio and select "Create a new project."
Search for "Windows Forms App" and choose the "Windows Forms App (.NET)" template.
Choose a project location and name it "GameLauncher", then click "Create."
Now, follow these steps to create the GameLauncher with a GUI:
Add a ListBox and a Button to the form in the designer by dragging and dropping them from the Toolbox.
Resize the form and adjust the ListBox and Button as needed.
Double-click the Button to create a click event handler in the code.
To create a simple GameLauncher with a GUI in C#, you can use the Windows Forms framework in Visual Studio.
First, you need to set up a new Windows Forms project in Visual Studio.
Open Visual Studio and select "Create a new project."
Search for "Windows Forms App" and choose the "Windows Forms App (.NET)" template.
Choose a project location and name it "GameLauncher", then click "Create."
Now, follow these steps to create the GameLauncher with a GUI:
Add a ListBox and a Button to the form in the designer by dragging and dropping them from the Toolbox.
Resize the form and adjust the ListBox and Button as needed.
Double-click the Button to create a click event handler in the code.
Now, replace the code in the Form1.cs file with the following code:
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using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace GameLauncher
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
private string[] gameExecutables = new string[]
{
"SceneName1.exe",
"SceneName2.exe",
"SceneName3.exe",
"SceneName4.exe",
"SceneName5.exe",
};
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
InitializeGameList();
}
private void InitializeGameList()
{
listBox1.Items.Clear();
foreach (string gameExecutable in gameExecutables)
{
listBox1.Items.Add(gameExecutable);
}
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
LaunchSelectedGame();
}
private void LaunchSelectedGame()
{
if (listBox1.SelectedIndex >= 0)
{
string selectedGameExecutable = gameExecutables[listBox1.SelectedIndex];
try
{
Process.Start(selectedGameExecutable);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show($"Error launching {selectedGameExecutable}: {ex.Message}", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
}
}
else
{
MessageBox.Show("Please select a game from the list.", "No game selected", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
}
}
}
}
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This code defines an array of 5 game executables, initializes a ListBox with the game names, and defines a button click event to launch the selected game.
To compile and run the project, press F5 or click the "Start" button in Visual Studio. The GameLauncher will start, and you can choose a game from the list and click the button to launch it.
Please note that this example assumes that the executable files are located in the same folder as the GameLauncher.exe. If the game executables are in a different folder, you need to provide the full path to the executable files in the gameExecutables array.
This code defines an array of 5 game executables, initializes a ListBox with the game names, and defines a button click event to launch the selected game.
To compile and run the project, press F5 or click the "Start" button in Visual Studio. The GameLauncher will start, and you can choose a game from the list and click the button to launch it.
Please note that this example assumes that the executable files are located in the same folder as the GameLauncher.exe. If the game executables are in a different folder, you need to provide the full path to the executable files in the gameExecutables array.
User: so just to confirm, this will allow the user to choose and then click on the game to launch right? but how about we then Hid the GameLauncher program, but keep it running the background and tell the user they can Toggle the GameLauncher program on/off with Ctrl+G
Yes, this script allows the user to select a game from the ListBox and then click the button to launch the selected game. To hide the GameLauncher program while keeping it running in the background and allowing the user to toggle its visibility with Ctrl+G, you can add a global hotkey for the toggle functionality. You'll need to add the following code:
Add a reference to the System.Runtime.InteropServices namespace at the top of the Form1.cs file.
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using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
Add the following code to your Form1 class to define the necessary constants, methods, and fields for the hotkey.
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private const int WM_HOTKEY = 0x0312;
private const int TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID = 1;
private const int MOD_CONTROL = 0x0002;
private const int VK_G = 0x47;
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern bool RegisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id, int fsModifiers, int vlc);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern bool UnregisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id);
Add the following code to the Form1 constructor to register the hotkey:
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RegisterHotKey(this.Handle, TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID, MOD_CONTROL, VK_G);
Override the WndProc method in the Form1 class to handle the WM_HOTKEY message:
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protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
{
base.WndProc(ref m);
if (m.Msg == WM_HOTKEY)
{
if ((int)m.WParam == TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID)
{
ToggleGameLauncherVisibility();
}
}
}
Add the ToggleGameLauncherVisibility method to the Form1 class:
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private void ToggleGameLauncherVisibility()
{
if (this.Visible)
{
this.Hide();
}
else
{
this.Show();
this.WindowState = FormWindowState.Normal;
this.Activate();
}
}
Add the following code to the Form1 Dispose method to unregister the hotkey when the form is disposed:
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protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
{
if (disposing && (components != null))
{
components.Dispose();
}
UnregisterHotKey(this.Handle, TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID);
base.Dispose(disposing);
}
Now, when the user presses Ctrl+G, the GameLauncher will toggle between hidden and visible states. When the GameLauncher is hidden, it will continue running in the background, and the user can bring it back by pressing Ctrl+G again.
To provide the user with a way to quit or stop the program, you can add an "Exit" button to the form. Follow these steps to add an Exit button:
Go to the form designer in Visual Studio.
Drag and drop a new Button from the Toolbox to the form.
Set the Button's Text property to "Exit" in the Properties window.
Double-click the "Exit" button to create a click event handler in the code.
Now, replace the default event handler code with the following code:
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private void exitButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Application.Exit();
}
With this code, when the user clicks the "Exit" button, the GameLauncher application will close.
If you want to give the user the ability to close the application by right-clicking the application icon in the system tray, you can use a NotifyIcon component. Follow these steps to add a NotifyIcon component:
Go to the form designer in Visual Studio.
Drag and drop a NotifyIcon component from the Toolbox to the form.
Set the NotifyIcon's Text property to "GameLauncher" in the Properties window.
Set the NotifyIcon's Visible property to true in the Properties window.
Now, add the following code to the ToggleGameLauncherVisibility method to show the NotifyIcon when the form is hidden:
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private void ToggleGameLauncherVisibility()
{
if (this.Visible)
{
this.Hide();
notifyIcon1.Visible = true;
}
else
{
this.Show();
this.WindowState = FormWindowState.Normal;
this.Activate();
notifyIcon1.Visible = false;
}
}
Next, add an event handler for the NotifyIcon's MouseClick event:
Select the NotifyIcon component in the form designer.
Go to the Properties window, click the Events icon (a lightning bolt), and double-click the MouseClick event to generate an event handler.
Replace the default event handler code with the following code:
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private void notifyIcon1_MouseClick(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
{
if (e.Button == MouseButtons.Right)
{
ContextMenu contextMenu = new ContextMenu();
MenuItem exitMenuItem = new MenuItem("Exit", exitMenuItem_Click);
contextMenu.MenuItems.Add(exitMenuItem);
notifyIcon1.ContextMenu = contextMenu;
}
}
Finally, add the event handler for the "Exit" menu item click:
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private void exitMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Application.Exit();
}
Now, when the user right-clicks the NotifyIcon in the system tray, they will see an "Exit" menu item, and clicking it will close the GameLauncher application.
Extra Tips:
In Visual Studio, you can find the Toolbox on the left or right side of the screen, depending on your layout settings. The Toolbox contains a list of controls and components that you can drag and drop onto your form in the designer.
To access the Toolbox:
Make sure you have your Windows Forms project open in Visual Studio.
Click on the "Form1.cs [Design]" tab at the top of the form designer window to switch to the design view.
If the Toolbox is not visible, go to the "View" menu at the top of Visual Studio, and click on "Toolbox" (or press Ctrl + Alt + X as a shortcut). The Toolbox should appear on the left or right side of the screen.
You can expand the different sections in the Toolbox by clicking on the arrows next to the section names. For a ListBox and a Button, they are located under the "Common Controls" section. You can click, drag, and drop these controls onto your form in the designer.
If you are using Visual Studio 2022, you might need to pin the Toolbox to the side of the screen to keep it visible. You can do this by clicking on the pin icon at the top-right corner of the Toolbox.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DEBUGGING LOG:
Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Error CS0115 'Form1.Dispose(bool)': no suitable method found to override WinFormsApp1 D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\Form1.Designer.cs 14 Active
My apologies for the confusion. In a Windows Forms project, the Dispose method is generated by Visual Studio in the Form1.Designer.cs file, and it's declared as protected override void Dispose(bool disposing). My previous response instructed you to add code to the Dispose method, but it appears there's a conflict due to the method being generated in the Form1.Designer.cs file.
To fix this issue, you can move the hotkey unregistering code to the FormClosing event instead. Follow these steps:
Remove the Dispose method modification from my previous instructions.
Go to the form designer in Visual Studio.
Click on the form to select it.
Go to the Properties window, click the Events icon (a lightning bolt), and double-click the FormClosing event to generate an event handler.
Now, add the following code to the Form1_FormClosing event handler:
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private void Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
{
UnregisterHotKey(this.Handle, TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID);
}
This code will unregister the hotkey when the form is closing, ensuring proper cleanup.
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Here is the complete corrected script for the Form1.cs file:
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using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace GameLauncher
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
private string[] gameExecutables = new string[]
{
"SceneName1.exe",
"SceneName2.exe",
"SceneName3.exe",
"SceneName4.exe",
"SceneName5.exe",
};
private const int WM_HOTKEY = 0x0312;
private const int TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID = 1;
private const int MOD_CONTROL = 0x0002;
private const int VK_G = 0x47;
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern bool RegisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id, int fsModifiers, int vlc);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern bool UnregisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id);
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
InitializeGameList();
RegisterHotKey(this.Handle, TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID, MOD_CONTROL, VK_G);
}
private void InitializeGameList()
{
listBox1.Items.Clear();
foreach (string gameExecutable in gameExecutables)
{
listBox1.Items.Add(gameExecutable);
}
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
LaunchSelectedGame();
}
private void LaunchSelectedGame()
{
if (listBox1.SelectedIndex >= 0)
{
string selectedGameExecutable = gameExecutables[listBox1.SelectedIndex];
try
{
Process.Start(selectedGameExecutable);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show($"Error launching {selectedGameExecutable}: {ex.Message}", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
}
}
else
{
MessageBox.Show("Please select a game from the list.", "No game selected", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
}
}
private void ToggleGameLauncherVisibility()
{
if (this.Visible)
{
this.Hide();
}
else
{
this.Show();
this.WindowState = FormWindowState.Normal;
this.Activate();
}
}
protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
{
base.WndProc(ref m);
if (m.Msg == WM_HOTKEY)
{
if ((int)m.WParam == TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID)
{
ToggleGameLauncherVisibility();
}
}
}
private void exitButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Application.Exit();
}
private void Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
{
UnregisterHotKey(this.Handle, TOGGLE_HOTKEY_ID);
}
}
}
This code includes the hotkey registration, hotkey handling, and hotkey unregistration in the FormClosing event. It also provides the basic game launching functionality with a ListBox and a Button. The user can press Ctrl+G to toggle the GameLauncher visibility and click the "Exit" button to quit the application.
User:
in which file should this script go?
This script should go into the Form1.cs file in your Windows Forms project. The Form1.cs file contains the code for the main form in your application.
To replace the existing code in the Form1.cs file with the provided script, follow these steps:
Open your Windows Forms project in Visual Studio.
In the Solution Explorer, expand the project node and find the Form1.cs file.
Double-click the Form1.cs file to open it in the code editor.
Select all the existing code in the Form1.cs file and delete it.
Copy the complete corrected script provided in the previous response, and paste it into the Form1.cs file, replacing the deleted code.
Save the changes to the Form1.cs file by pressing Ctrl + S.
After updating the Form1.cs file with the provided script, your project should compile without errors, and you can run the application by pressing F5 or clicking the "Start" button in Visual Studio.
User:
I still have errors, shall I paste them here?
Yes, please paste the errors here, and I will help you resolve them.
User:
Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Error CS0103 The name 'InitializeComponent' does not exist in the current context WinFormsApp1 D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\Form1.Designer.cs 32 Active
I apologize for the confusion. The 'InitializeComponent' method is generated by Visual Studio and located in the Form1.Designer.cs file. It seems like the method is missing or the file is not linked properly.
To fix the issue, follow these steps:
In the Solution Explorer, expand the Form1.cs node. You should see the Form1.Designer.cs file nested under it. If it's not there, let me know.
Double-click the Form1.Designer.cs file to open it in the code editor.
Ensure the 'InitializeComponent' method is defined within the Form1 class as a private method. If it's not there, add the following method definition:
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private void InitializeComponent()
{
// This method should contain the code to initialize the form's components
}
In the Form1.Designer.cs file, make sure that the namespace of the Form1 class matches the namespace in the Form1.cs file. If they don't match, change the namespace in the Form1.Designer.cs file to match the one in the Form1.cs file.
Save the changes to the Form1.Designer.cs file by pressing Ctrl + S.
After completing these steps, the error should be resolved, and your project should compile without issues. If you still encounter errors, please let me know, and I'll help you address them.
User
Ok show me the complete Forms1.Desginer.cs code
Here is the complete Form1.Designer.cs code for the GameLauncher project:
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namespace GameLauncher
{
partial class Form1
{
/// <summary>
/// Required designer variable.
/// </summary>
private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;
/// <summary>
/// Clean up any resources being used.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="disposing">true if managed resources should be disposed; otherwise, false.</param>
protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
{
if (disposing && (components != null))
{
components.Dispose();
}
base.Dispose(disposing);
}
#region Windows Form Designer generated code
/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>
private void InitializeComponent()
{
this.listBox1 = new System.Windows.Forms.ListBox();
this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
this.exitButton = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
this.SuspendLayout();
//
// listBox1
//
this.listBox1.FormattingEnabled = true;
this.listBox1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 12);
this.listBox1.Name = "listBox1";
this.listBox1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(240, 134);
this.listBox1.TabIndex = 0;
//
// button1
//
this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 152);
this.button1.Name = "button1";
this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
this.button1.TabIndex = 1;
this.button1.Text = "Launch";
this.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);
//
// exitButton
//
this.exitButton.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(177, 152);
this.exitButton.Name = "exitButton";
this.exitButton.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
this.exitButton.TabIndex = 2;
this.exitButton.Text = "Exit";
this.exitButton.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
this.exitButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.exitButton_Click);
//
// Form1
//
this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(264, 181);
this.Controls.Add(this.exitButton);
this.Controls.Add(this.button1);
this.Controls.Add(this.listBox1);
this.Name = "Form1";
this.Text = "Game Launcher";
this.FormClosing += new System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventHandler(this.Form1_FormClosing);
this.ResumeLayout(false);
}
#endregion
private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox listBox1;
private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;
private System.Windows.Forms.Button exitButton;
}
}
This code defines the form design, including the ListBox, Launch Button, and Exit Button. The InitializeComponent method initializes these components and sets their properties.
Copy the code above and paste it into your Form1.Designer.cs file. Make sure the namespace in this file matches the namespace in your Form1.cs file.
After updating the Form1.Designer.cs file with the provided code, your project should compile without errors, and you can run the application by pressing F5 or clicking the "Start" button in Visual Studio.
User:
is this correct?
is this correct?
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace GameLauncher
{
partial class Form1
{
/// <summary>
/// Required designer variable.
/// </summary>
private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;
/// <summary>
/// Clean up any resources being used.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="disposing">true if managed resources should be disposed; otherwise, false.</param>
protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
{
if (disposing && (components != null))
{
components.Dispose();
}
base.Dispose(disposing);
}
#region Windows Form Designer generated code
/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>
private void InitializeComponent()
{
this.listBox1 = new System.Windows.Forms.ListBox();
this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
this.exitButton = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
this.SuspendLayout();
//
// listBox1
//
this.listBox1.FormattingEnabled = true;
this.listBox1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 12);
this.listBox1.Name = "listBox1";
this.listBox1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(240, 134);
this.listBox1.TabIndex = 0;
//
// button1
//
this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 152);
this.button1.Name = "button1";
this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
this.button1.TabIndex = 1;
this.button1.Text = "Launch";
this.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);
//
// exitButton
//
this.exitButton.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(177, 152);
this.exitButton.Name = "exitButton";
this.exitButton.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
this.exitButton.TabIndex = 2;
this.exitButton.Text = "Exit";
this.exitButton.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
this.exitButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.exitButton_Click);
//
// Form1
//
this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(264, 181);
this.Controls.Add(this.exitButton);
this.Controls.Add(this.button1);
this.Controls.Add(this.listBox1);
this.Name = "Form1";
this.Text = "Game Launcher";
this.FormClosing += new System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventHandler(this.Form1_FormClosing);
this.ResumeLayout(false);
}
#endregion
private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox listBox1;
private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;
private System.Windows.Forms.Button exitButton;
}
}
My apologies for the confusion. The 'using' statements at the top of the file are not needed in the Form1.Designer.cs file. They are already included in the Form1.cs file, which is part of the same partial class.
Please remove the 'using' statements from the Form1.Designer.cs file. The corrected code should look like this:
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namespace GameLauncher
{
partial class Form1
{
/// <summary>
/// Required designer variable.
/// </summary>
private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components = null;
/// <summary>
/// Clean up any resources being used.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="disposing">true if managed resources should be disposed; otherwise, false.</param>
protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
{
if (disposing && (components != null))
{
components.Dispose();
}
base.Dispose(disposing);
}
#region Windows Form Designer generated code
/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>
private void InitializeComponent()
{
this.listBox1 = new System.Windows.Forms.ListBox();
this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
this.exitButton = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
this.SuspendLayout();
//
// listBox1
//
this.listBox1.FormattingEnabled = true;
this.listBox1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 12);
this.listBox1.Name = "listBox1";
this.listBox1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(240, 134);
this.listBox1.TabIndex = 0;
//
// button1
//
this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 152);
this.button1.Name = "button1";
this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
this.button1.TabIndex = 1;
this.button1.Text = "Launch";
this.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);
//
// exitButton
//
this.exitButton.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(177, 152);
this.exitButton.Name = "exitButton";
this.exitButton.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(75, 23);
this.exitButton.TabIndex = 2;
this.exitButton.Text = "Exit";
this.exitButton.UseVisualStyleBackColor = true;
this.exitButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.exitButton_Click);
//
// Form1
//
this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(264, 181);
this.Controls.Add(this.exitButton);
this.Controls.Add(this.button1);
this.Controls.Add(this.listBox1);
this.Name = "Form1";
this.Text = "Game Launcher";
this.FormClosing += new System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventHandler(this.Form1_FormClosing);
this.ResumeLayout(false);
}
#endregion
private System.Windows.Forms.ListBox listBox1;
private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;
private System.Windows.Forms.Button exitButton;
}
}
Please replace the code in your Form1.Designer.cs file with the corrected code above. Your project should now compile without errors, and you can run the application by pressing F5 or clicking the "Start" button in Visual Studio.
User:
Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Error CS1061 'Form1' does not contain a definition for 'exitButton_Click' and no accessible extension method 'exitButton_Click' accepting a first argument of type 'Form1' could be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) WinFormsApp1 D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\Form1.Designer.cs 68 Active
I apologize for the oversight. It seems like the exitButton_Click event handler method is missing from your Form1.cs file. To fix this error, please add the missing exitButton_Click method to your Form1.cs file. The method should look like this:
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private void exitButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Application.Exit();
}
Here's the complete Form1.cs code with the added exitButton_Click method:
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using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace GameLauncher
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern bool RegisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id, int fsModifiers, int vlc);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern bool UnregisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id);
private const int HOTKEY_ID = 1;
private const int MOD_CTRL = 0x0002;
private const int VK_G = 0x47;
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.FormClosing += Form1_FormClosing;
RegisterHotKey(this.Handle, HOTKEY_ID, MOD_CTRL, VK_G);
// Add games to the list
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene1.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene2.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene3.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene4.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene5.exe");
}
protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
{
if (m.Msg == 0x0312 && m.WParam.ToInt32() == HOTKEY_ID)
{
// Toggle visibility when the hotkey is pressed
this.Visible = !this.Visible;
}
base.WndProc(ref m);
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (listBox1.SelectedIndex >= 0)
{
string selectedGame = listBox1.SelectedItem.ToString();
Process.Start(selectedGame);
}
}
private void Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
{
UnregisterHotKey(this.Handle, HOTKEY_ID);
}
private void exitButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Application.Exit();
}
}
}
After updating your Form1.cs file with the provided code, your project should compile without errors, and you can run the application by pressing F5 or clicking the "Start" button in Visual Studio.
User:
like this?
using System;
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace GameLauncher
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern bool RegisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id, int fsModifiers, int vlc);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern bool UnregisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id);
private const int HOTKEY_ID = 1;
private const int MOD_CTRL = 0x0002;
private const int VK_G = 0x47;
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.FormClosing += Form1_FormClosing;
RegisterHotKey(this.Handle, HOTKEY_ID, MOD_CTRL, VK_G);
// Add games to the list
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene1.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene2.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene3.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene4.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene5.exe");
}
protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
{
if (m.Msg == 0x0312 && m.WParam.ToInt32() == HOTKEY_ID)
{
// Toggle visibility when the hotkey is pressed
this.Visible = !this.Visible;
}
base.WndProc(ref m
```
Yes, the code you provided is almost correct. However, it seems to be cut off in the middle. Please ensure that the complete code for Form1.cs is included:
csharp
Copy code
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace GameLauncher
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern bool RegisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id, int fsModifiers, int vlc);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern bool UnregisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id);
private const int HOTKEY_ID = 1;
private const int MOD_CTRL = 0x0002;
private const int VK_G = 0x47;
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.FormClosing += Form1_FormClosing;
RegisterHotKey(this.Handle, HOTKEY_ID, MOD_CTRL, VK_G);
// Add games to the list
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene1.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene2.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene3.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene4.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene5.exe");
}
protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
{
if (m.Msg == 0x0312 && m.WParam.ToInt32() == HOTKEY_ID)
{
// Toggle visibility when the hotkey is pressed
this.Visible = !this.Visible;
}
base.WndProc(ref m);
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (listBox1.SelectedIndex >= 0)
{
string selectedGame = listBox1.SelectedItem.ToString();
Process.Start(selectedGame);
}
}
private void Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
{
UnregisterHotKey(this.Handle, HOTKEY_ID);
}
private void exitButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Application.Exit();
}
}
}
Please copy and paste the complete code above into your Form1.cs file. After doing this, your project should compile without errors, and you can run the application by pressing F5 or clicking the "Start" button in Visual Studio.
User:
Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Error CS1503 Argument 1: cannot convert from 'WinFormsApp1.Form1' to 'System.Windows.Forms.Form' WinFormsApp1 D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\Program.cs 14 Active
It looks like there is a namespace mismatch between your Form1 class and your Program class. Please update the namespace in your Form1.cs and Form1.Designer.cs files to match the namespace in your Program.cs file.
In your Form1.cs and Form1.Designer.cs files, change the namespace from GameLauncher to WinFormsApp1:
Form1.cs:
csharp
Copy code
// Change this line:
namespace GameLauncher
// To this:
namespace WinFormsApp1
Form1.Designer.cs:
csharp
Copy code
// Change this line:
namespace GameLauncher
// To this:
namespace WinFormsApp1
After making these changes, your project should compile without errors, and you can run the application by pressing F5 or clicking the "Start" button in Visual Studio.
User:
Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Error CS1503 Argument 1: cannot convert from 'WinFormsApp1.Form1' to 'System.Windows.Forms.Form' WinFormsApp1 D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\Program.cs 14 Active
I apologize for the confusion. It seems like the error might be in the Program.cs file. Please ensure that the Main method in the Program.cs file is using the correct namespace and class name for your form.
Here is the correct Program.cs file content:
csharp
Copy code
using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace WinFormsApp1
{
static class Program
{
/// <summary>
/// The main entry point for the application.
/// </summary>
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
Application.Run(new Form1());
}
}
}
Please make sure your Program.cs file matches the code above, and then try compiling and running the application again.
User
like this? using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;
namespace WinFormsApp1
{
static class Program
{
/// <summary>
/// The main entry point for the application.
/// </summary>
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.EnableVisualStyles();
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
Application.Run(new Form1());
}
}
}
Yes, the code you provided for the Program.cs file is correct. With this code in place, your project should compile without errors, and you can run the application by pressing F5 or clicking the "Start" button in Visual Studio.
Make sure that the Form1.cs and Form1.Designer.cs files also have the correct namespace WinFormsApp1. If you still encounter any issues, please let me know, and I'll be happy to help.
---We are finally get closer to working solution---
User: I now have 0 errors and 3 warnings, do you want to see the warnings?
Sure, please share the warnings you're encountering. I'll help you understand and address them if necessary.
User:
Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Warning CS8622 Nullability of reference types in type of parameter 'sender' of 'void Form1.Form1_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)' doesn't match the target delegate 'FormClosingEventHandler' (possibly because of nullability attributes). WinFormsApp1 D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\Form1.cs 24 Active
This warning is related to the nullability of reference types in C# 8.0 and later. The warning indicates that the nullability of the sender parameter in your Form1_FormClosing method does not match the nullability of the FormClosingEventHandler delegate. To resolve this warning, you can add the nullable annotation to the sender parameter in the Form1_FormClosing method.
Update the Form1_FormClosing method in your Form1.cs file as follows:
csharp
Copy code
private void Form1_FormClosing(object? sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
{
UnregisterHotKey(this.Handle, HOTKEY_ID);
}
By adding the ? to the object type for the sender parameter, you indicate that the parameter can accept a nullable reference. This should resolve the warning in your project.
User:
ok. here is the next warning. Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Warning CS8600 Converting null literal or possible null value to non-nullable type. WinFormsApp1 D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\Form1.cs 50 Active
This warning is also related to the nullability of reference types in C# 8.0 and later. The warning indicates that there's a potential issue with converting a null literal or a possible null value to a non-nullable type. In this case, it is related to the SelectedItem property of the ListBox control.
To resolve this warning, you can add a null check for the selectedGame variable before attempting to start the process. Update the button1_Click method in your Form1.cs file as follows:
csharp
Copy code
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (listBox1.SelectedIndex >= 0)
{
string? selectedGame = listBox1.SelectedItem?.ToString();
if (selectedGame != null)
{
Process.Start(selectedGame);
}
}
}
By adding the null check if (selectedGame != null) before calling Process.Start(selectedGame), you ensure that you're not trying to start a process with a potentially null value. This should resolve the warning in your project.
User:
ok no issues found, so now how do compile it to a standalone exe?
To compile your project into a standalone executable file, follow these steps:
Open your project in Visual Studio.
From the menu, click on "Build" and then select "Build Solution" (or press Ctrl+Shift+B). This will build your project and create an executable file.
After the build is complete, navigate to the output directory of your project. By default, this will be in the bin\Debug or bin\Release folder inside your project's folder, depending on the build configuration you've chosen. For example, if your project is in D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1, the output directory will be D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\bin\Debug or D:\TEST\GameLauncher\GameLauncher\WinFormsApp1\bin\Release.
In the output directory, you'll find the standalone executable file named WinFormsApp1.exe (or the name of your project with a .exe extension).
To distribute your application, you can simply share the .exe file along with any necessary dependencies (such as .dll files or other resources) that are also located in the output directory. The users can run the .exe file on their machines to use your application.
Please note that the users will need to have the .NET runtime installed on their machines to run the application. If they don't have it, you can provide them with a link to download the appropriate runtime from the official Microsoft website: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/runtime
User:
ok great , it works.
I'm glad to hear that it works! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. Good luck with your project, and happy coding!
-------------------------------------------------
Now lets make it call an actual game: For Example : D:\TEST\FoxValleyV0.0.34\FoxValley.exe
To modify your game launcher to call an actual game, you can simply replace the placeholder game names in the listBox1.Items.Add lines with the actual game's file path. In your case, you can replace one of the placeholder game names with the file path to FoxValley.exe.
In your Form1.cs file, update the lines where you're adding the games to the list as follows:
csharp
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// Add games to the list
listBox1.Items.Add("D:\\TEST\\FoxValleyV0.0.34\\FoxValley.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene2.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene3.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene4.exe");
listBox1.Items.Add("Scene5.exe");
This will add the FoxValley.exe game to the list in your game launcher. When the user selects this item from the list and clicks the "Launch" button, it will launch the FoxValley.exe game.
You can replace the other placeholder game names with the actual paths to other games if you want to add more games to the launcher. Make sure to use double backslashes \\ in the file paths, as single backslashes \ are considered escape characters in C# strings.
--------------------------------------------------
To rename your project and give it an icon, follow these steps:
Rename the project in Visual Studio:
a. In the Solution Explorer, right-click on the WinFormsApp1 project, and then click "Rename."
b. Enter the new name "MafutaGameLauncher" and press Enter.
Update the namespace to match the new project name:
a. Open the Form1.cs, Form1.Designer.cs, and Program.cs files.
b. In each file, replace the namespace WinFormsApp1 with the new namespace MafutaGameLauncher.
Add an icon to your project:
a. First, prepare an .ico file that you want to use as the application icon. You can use image editing software or an online converter to create the .ico file from an existing image.
b. In the Solution Explorer, right-click on the MafutaGameLauncher project, and then click "Add" > "Existing Item."
c. Browse to the location of your .ico file, select it, and click "Add" to add it to your project.
d. In the Solution Explorer, right-click on the MafutaGameLauncher project again, and then click "Properties" to open the project properties.
e. In the "Application" tab, locate the "Icon" option, click on the dropdown list, and select the .ico file you added to your project.
f. Save the changes to the project properties by clicking "File" > "Save All" in the Visual Studio menu or by pressing Ctrl+Shift+S.
Build your project:
a. From the menu, click on "Build" and then select "Build Solution" (or press Ctrl+Shift+B). This will build your project with the new name and icon.
After completing these steps, the executable file generated in the output directory (bin\Debug or bin\Release) will have the new name "MafutaGameLauncher.exe" and the specified icon. Users will see the icon when they run your application or view the executable file in File Explorer.
---------------------------------------
So what if I want the user to enter the game to launch as per this example
"listBox1.Items.Add("D:\\TEST\\FoxValleyV0.0.34\\FoxValley.exe");
To allow the user to enter the path of the game they want to launch, you can add a TextBox control to the form and a new Button for adding the game path to the ListBox. Here's how you can do it:
Open the Form1 designer in Visual Studio.
From the Toolbox, drag and drop a TextBox control onto the form. Name it "textBoxGamePath".
Drag and drop a Button control onto the form. Name it "buttonAddGame" and set its Text property to "Add Game".
Double-click the "buttonAddGame" control to create a new click event handler in Form1.cs.
In the newly created click event handler, add the following code to add the content of the TextBox to the ListBox:
csharp
Copy code
private void buttonAddGame_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string gamePath = textBoxGamePath.Text;
if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(gamePath))
{
listBox1.Items.Add(gamePath);
}
}
Now, when the user enters a game path in the "textBoxGamePath" and clicks the "Add Game" button, the path will be added to the ListBox. The user can then select the game path from the ListBox and click the "Launch" button to launch the game.
You might also want to add validation checks to ensure that the entered path is a valid file path and that the file exists before adding it to the ListBox.
User:
ok let's add validation and also the ability to add up to 10 games and edit the name at runtime
To add validation, limit the number of games to 10, and allow the user to edit the display name for each game, you can follow these steps:
Add a new class named GameInfo to store the game path and display name. In the Solution Explorer, right-click the project, select "Add" > "Class...", and name it "GameInfo.cs". Then, add the following code:
csharp
Copy code
public class GameInfo
{
public string DisplayName { get; set; }
public string FilePath { get; set; }
public override string ToString()
{
return DisplayName;
}
}
Modify the buttonAddGame_Click method in the Form1.cs file to perform validation and limit the number of games:
csharp
Copy code
private void buttonAddGame_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
string gamePath = textBoxGamePath.Text;
if (listBox1.Items.Count >= 10)
{
MessageBox.Show("You can add up to 10 games only.", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
return;
}
if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(gamePath) && File.Exists(gamePath))
{
listBox1.Items.Add(new GameInfo { DisplayName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(gamePath), FilePath = gamePath });
}
else
{
MessageBox.Show("Please enter a valid game path.", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);
}
}
Modify the button1_Click method in the Form1.cs file to launch the game using the FilePath property:
csharp
Copy code
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (listBox1.SelectedItem is GameInfo selectedGame)
{
Process.Start(selectedGame.FilePath);
}
}
Add a new Button to the form to edit the display name of the selected game. Name it "buttonEditName" and set its Text property to "Edit Name".
Double-click the "buttonEditName" control to create a new click event handler in Form1.cs. Add the following code to allow the user to edit the display name of the selected game:
csharp
Copy code
private void buttonEditName_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (listBox1.SelectedItem is GameInfo selectedGame)
{
string input = Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction.InputBox("Enter a new display name for the game:", "Edit Display Name", selectedGame.DisplayName);
if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(input))
{
selectedGame.DisplayName = input;
listBox1.Items[listBox1.SelectedIndex] = selectedGame; // Refresh the display name in the ListBox.
}
}
}
Now, the user can add up to 10 games with validation checks on the file path, and they can edit the display name for each game at runtime. Note that the Microsoft.VisualBasic namespace is used for the InputBox. To use it, you need to add a reference to Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll in your project (right-click on "References" in the Solution Explorer, then click "Add Reference...", and find the assembly under the "Assemblies" tab).
User:
is that all the steps?
Yes, those are the steps required to add validation, limit the number of games to 10, and allow the user to edit the display name for each game at runtime.
To summarize, here's what you need to do:
Create a new class GameInfo to store the game path and display name.
Modify the buttonAddGame_Click method to perform validation and limit the number of games.
Modify the button1_Click method to launch the game using the FilePath property of GameInfo.
Add a new Button to the form to edit the display name of the selected game.
Create a click event handler for the new button to allow the user to edit the display name of the selected game.
Add a reference to Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll in your project to use the InputBox.
After completing these steps, you should have a working game launcher application that meets your requirements.
To add a clickable icon between the buttons and make it open a link in the default web browser, you can follow these steps:
In Visual Studio, make sure you have the Form1.cs file open in the Design view.
Add a PictureBox control to the form by dragging and dropping it from the Toolbox between the buttons.
In the Properties window for the PictureBox control, find the "Image" property and click the small button with an ellipsis (...) to open the "Select Resource" dialog. Import the desired image as you did previously for the form background image.
Set the "SizeMode" property of the PictureBox to "Zoom" or "CenterImage" to adjust the display of the image within the PictureBox.
Add a click event handler for the PictureBox control. To do this, double-click the PictureBox control in the designer. This will generate a new event handler method in the Form1.cs code file.
In the generated click event handler method, add the following code to open the URL in the default web browser when the PictureBox is clicked:
csharp
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private void pictureBox1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("https://mafuta.itch.io/");
}
Now, when you run the application and click the icon in the PictureBox control, it will open the specified URL in the default web browser.
-------------------------------------------------------
When the button is clicked on the icon we get an error related to start process to the url provided.
I apologize for the issue. In some cases, Process.Start() may not work as expected when trying to open a URL. To resolve this, you can use the following code in the PictureBox click event handler instead:
csharp
Copy code
private void pictureBox1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
try
{
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo
{
FileName = "https://mafuta.itch.io/",
UseShellExecute = true
});
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show("Error opening the URL: " + ex.Message);
}
}
This code uses a ProcessStartInfo object to specify that the process should use the system shell to execute the command, which ensures that the URL is opened in the default web browser. The try-catch block is used to handle any exceptions that might occur while opening the URL, and it will display an error message in a message box if there's a problem.
And here is the final
Your script looks good. It includes the necessary changes to search for game executables in the specified directory, filtering out the ones starting with "Unity", and sorting the list alphabetically. The gamePaths dictionary is used to store the full paths for each game, ensuring that the correct file is launched when a user clicks the button.
Here's the reviewed script:
csharp
Copy code
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Collections.Generic;
namespace MafutaGameLauncher
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern bool RegisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id, int fsModifiers, int vlc);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern bool UnregisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id);
private const int HOTKEY_ID = 1;
private const int MOD_CTRL = 0x0002;
private const int VK_G = 0x47;
private Dictionary<string, string> gamePaths = new Dictionary<string, string>();
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
this.FormClosing += Form1_FormClosing;
RegisterHotKey(this.Handle, HOTKEY_ID, MOD_CTRL, VK_G);
// Add games to the list
PopulateGameList();
}
private void PopulateGameList()
{
string gameDirectory = @"D:\GAMES";
string[] files = Directory.GetFiles(gameDirectory, "*.exe", SearchOption.AllDirectories);
foreach (string file in files)
{
string fileName = Path.GetFileName(file);
if (!fileName.StartsWith("Unity"))
{
listBox1.Items.Add(fileName);
gamePaths[fileName] = file;
}
}
listBox1.Sorted = true;
}
protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
{
if (m.Msg == 0x0312 && m.WParam.ToInt32() == HOTKEY_ID)
{
// Toggle visibility when the hotkey is pressed
this.Visible = !this.Visible;
}
base.WndProc(ref m);
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (listBox1.SelectedIndex >= 0)
{
string? selectedGame = listBox1.SelectedItem?.ToString();
if (selectedGame != null && gamePaths.TryGetValue(selectedGame, out string? fullPath))
{
Process.Start(fullPath);
}
}
}
private void pictureBox1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
try
{
System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(new System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo
{
FileName = "https://mafuta.itch.io/",
UseShellExecute = true
});
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show("Error opening the URL: " + ex.Message);
}
}
private void Form1_FormClosing(object? sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
{
UnregisterHotKey(this.Handle, HOTKEY_ID);
}
private void exitButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Application.Exit();
}
}
}
You can proceed to build and test the application. It should now display the list of game executables found in the specified directory and launch the selected game when the button is clicked.
User:Can you summarize the final result please
Certainly! Here's a summary of the final MafutaGameLauncher application:
The launcher application is a Windows Forms application.
It scans for game executables in the "D:\GAMES" directory, recursively searching in subdirectories.
The application filters out executables starting with "Unity".
The found game executables are listed alphabetically in a ListBox without their full paths, only showing the executable names.
A dictionary (gamePaths) is used to store the full path of each game executable.
Users can click on an item in the ListBox to select a game.
When the "Launch" button is clicked, the application launches the selected game using its full path.
A PictureBox with a link to "https://mafuta.itch.io/" is included, and when clicked, it opens the URL in the default web browser.
The application can be hidden or shown by pressing the hotkey combination Ctrl+G.
The application properly cleans up and unregisters the hotkey when it is closed.
With these features, the MafutaGameLauncher provides a convenient way for users to browse and launch games found in the specified directory, while also providing a quick link to the game developer's website.
Conclusion: This test assumed the user has no programming knowledge and yet was able to work with AI assistent to create a working program. Here is the Final Version.
Note: The icon links to URL of Dev Site for actual games.
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