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5 changes: 5 additions & 0 deletions .vscode/settings.json
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{
"cSpell.ignoreWords": [
"flowlauncher"
]
}
4 changes: 1 addition & 3 deletions README.md
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## Welcome

Here you will find documentation on usage tips, design information, plugin development, and more.

If you have just started using Flow, please head over to the [Usage Tips](/usage-tips.md) section to find out how you can get the most out of Flow. Otherwise, if you are completely new to Flow and want to find out its features and give it a spin, please visit [here](https://github.com/Flow-Launcher/Flow.Launcher/#-features).
If you have just started using Flow, this documentation should help familiarise you with how to get to the settings to customise Flow to your liking, show you some usage tips to use Flow more effectively, as well as provide more detailed documentation for plugin authors.
10 changes: 6 additions & 4 deletions _sidebar.md
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- [**Introduction**](/README.md)
- [**Installation**](/installation.md)
- [**Settings**](/settings.md)
- [**Usage Tips**](/usage-tips.md)
- [**Support**](/support.md)
- [**Plugin Directory**](/plugins.md)
- [**Explorer Plugin**](/plugin-explorer-usage.md)
- Plugin Development
- [**Get Started**](/plugin-dev.md)
- [**Explorer Plugin**](/plugin-explorer.md)
- [**Bookmark Plugin**](/plugin-bookmark.md)
- [**Plugin Development**](/plugin-dev.md)
- [**plugin.json**](/plugin.json.md)
- Dotnet Plugins
- [**Development Guide**](/develop-dotnet-plugins.md)
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- Porting Plugins
- [**Porting Plugins Guide**](/port-plugins.md)
- [**How To Create A Theme**](/how-to-create-a-theme.md)
- [**Bookmark Locations**](/bookmark-custom-locations.md)
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9 changes: 9 additions & 0 deletions cspell.json
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{
"version": "0.2",
"ignorePaths": [],
"dictionaryDefinitions": [],
"dictionaries": [],
"words": [],
"ignoreWords": [],
"import": []
}
32 changes: 32 additions & 0 deletions installation.md
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### Installation

Flow Launcher can be installed several ways, including Windows package managers Winget, Scoop, and Chocolatey. The most popular method is to download the installer file from the main Flow Launcher website. This downloads the latest release package from the Flow Launcher GitHub repository (repo).

#### Security

When installing Flow Launcher, you will get the Microsoft Defender SmartScreen installer window warning:

![MS SmartScreen install warning](/assets/Flow_smartscreen.png)

This appears as Flow Launcher has not been downloaded enough times, or users have not flagged this as "safe", for Microsoft to yet allow the installer to run without this warning. Over time we are hoping this becomes a trusted app with Microsoft; however this does not mean Flow Launcher is dangerous or malicious. As you should do with all software, you should be satisfied of the pedigree of the installation executable. For Flow Launcher you should ensure you download from flowlauncher.com, or the official repo. Flow Launcher is open source so anyone can download and review the source code. Any issues or concerns are welcome in the Issues part of the repo.

You may also get false positives from third-party antivirus and antimalware applications. As above, once you are sure you have downloaded the installer from an official source, and asked any questions you have with GitHub Issues, we ask that you submit a false-positive report to the AV vendor.

#### Plugins

Flow Launcher installs with a set of "core" plugins that are maintained by the Flow Launcher team. These are:

- Browser Bookmarks
- Calculator
- Explorer
- Plugin Indicator
- Plugins Manager
- Process Killer
- Program
- Shell
- System Commands
- URL
- Web Searches
- Window Settings

There are also over 200 third-party plugins that extend Flow Launcher's functionality and these can be browsed and installed in the Plugin Store settings page.
4 changes: 3 additions & 1 deletion bookmark-custom-locations.md → plugin-bookmark.md
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## Custom location list
## Bookmark Plugin

### Custom location list

This page contains the information for setting custom browser locations for the Bookmark plugin that are not included by default.
- These locations may not be the exact path, but they are the typical bookmark location for each browser; you can use them as a reference guide.
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19 changes: 19 additions & 0 deletions settings.md
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### Settings

The settings allow you to configure and customise Flow and its plugins, and gives visual access to the Plugin Store.


Settings can be accessed three ways:

1. Type `settings` in the Flow Launcher search bar and choose "Tweak Flow Launcher's settings".

![Settings via search bar](/assets/Flow_settings_launch.png)

2. Right-click on the Flow Launcher taskbar icon and choose "Settings".

![Settings via taskbar](/assets/Flow_settings_taskbar.png)

3. Activate Flow Launcher and right-click anywhere in the search bar and choose "Settings".

![Settings via search bar right-click](/assets/Flow_settings_launch_right_click.png)

19 changes: 19 additions & 0 deletions support.md
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### Support

Flow Launcher is an open source project that is updated and maintained by a team of volunteers. If you have any issues or questions, the Flow Launcher team and other users can help in the following ways:

- For any errors or bug reports raise an issue in the GitHub Repository. Please follow the new issue template and try to describe in as much detail as you can what you were doing when the error occurred. If it is determined the error is with a third party plugin, you may be directed to open the issue in the plugin author's repository so they can investigate.

**Github**

https://github.com/Flow-Launcher/Flow.Launcher/issues

- For problems, suggestions, hints, tips, help with plugin dev, or just to connect with other Flow Launcher users world-wide, pop in and say hello on

**Discord:**

https://discord.gg/AvgAQgh

**Reddit:**

https://www.reddit.com/r/FlowLauncher/
43 changes: 30 additions & 13 deletions usage-tips.md
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- Search programs, bookmarks and control panel items using:
### Usage Tips

#### Installation
- Flow is published as a self-contained app, this means on Windows machines (7 and up) Flow can run straight away without needing to install .NET runtime and framework. Coupled with portable mode, it can be stored on Dropbox or cloud storage provider and run on any Windows machines. The slight drawback is that the installed package size is slightly bigger at around 250 MB because it needs to bundle the required .NET components together.
#### Searching
- Search for items using:
- Acronyms e.g. `gk` or `gp` for GitKraken Preview.
- Fuzzy eg. `acr` or `rea` for Acrobat Reader DC.
- Fuzzy e.g. `acr` or `rea` for Acrobat Reader DC.
- Single word e.g. `code` or `visual` for Visual Studio Code.
- Right-click with the mouse, or press right-arrow on the keyboard, on a result to access the context menu for additional actions. The context menu is specific to the plugin providing the result

#### Plugins
- Typing `?` in the search bar will show you the keywords currently active. This can be refined by typing the first letter or two of the keywords you are after.
- The plugin results order can be prioritised. This can be done by going to the plugin's settings page. Under the plugin's title and the description, click the number next to 'Priority'; this is where you can assign weight to the plugin's result. The higher the weight is, the higher the selected plugin's results will be in Flow's result list.
- Press `F5` while in the query window or type `reload plugin data` to reload all plugin data.
- Right-click on a result will also take you to the context menu for additional actions.
- Flow's settings including installed plugins are located at:
- If using roaming: `%APPDATA%\FlowLauncher`
- If using portable, by default: `%localappdata%\FlowLauncher\app-<VersionOfYourFlowLauncher>\UserData`
- To back up your Flow's settings including installed plugins, back up your UserData folder. You can locate it quickly via querying `flow launcher userdata`.
- To restore your saved settings, ensure Flow is exited, delete the current UserData folder and copy yours in. Start Flow and all your settings will be setup. One exception, however, is your saved Quick Access files and folder paths in the Explorer plugin you may need to update if the locations have changed.
- When migrating from a system with a high screen resolution to one with a lower resolution, it may be necessary to adjust "SettingWindowWidth", "SettingWindowHeight" "SettingWindowTop" and "SettingWindowLeft" as the settings may otherwise appear outside the visible area. Default values for 1920x1080: 1000, 700, 0, 0.
- Resetting Flow back to default settings is also easy, move/delete the UserData folder after closing the app, and the defaults will be recreated.
- Both Program and Bookmarks plugin will automatically detect new changes, so your newly installed apps or bookmarks will be available soon after they are added.
- If your plugin is not triggering, open Flow's settings and go to the Plugins tab, click on the plugin and check if it is set to a particular action keyword. You can set the plugin's action keyword to global: `*` but be wary sometimes a plugin sets a dedicated keyword is because it may return lots of results cluttering the result list.
- If your plugin is not triggering, open Flow's settings, navigate to the Plugins tab, and check if the plugin is set to a specific action keyword. Note that sometimes a dedicated keyword is used to limit the number of results and avoid cluttering the list..
- For Explorer plugin results, you can press `Ctrl + Enter` to open the folder directly instead of navigating into the folder.
- You can save your frequently used or favourite files/folder locations via Explorer plugin. Navigate to the file/location you want to save, then go to the context menu and select `Add to Quick Access`. It will be particularly handy if you have set a custom action keyword instead of the default '*', which when used will display your list of saved Quick Access files and folders. You can change the default action keyword via the plugin's settings page.
- Flow is published as a self-contained app, this means on Windows machines (7 and up) Flow can run straight away without needing to install .NET runtime and framework. Coupled with portable mode, it can be stored on Dropbox or cloud storage provider and run on any Windows machines. The slight drawback is that the installed package size is slightly bigger at around 250mb because it needs to bundle the required .NET components together.
- Prioritize the plugin results order, this can be done by going to the plugin's settings page. Under the plugin's title and the description, click the number next to 'Priority'; this is where you can assign weight to the plugin's result. The higher the weight is, the higher the selected plugin's results will be in Flow's result list.
- Press ctrl + enter/click on a Shell plugin command will run it directly as admin.
- In the plugins download list, you can press ctrl + enter/click to open the plugin's url.
- Explorer's Search action keyword combines both Path and Index search, so you can use it without worrying about which action keyword to use for what, put in what you need to search for. Path (searches a specific path) and Index (search a file or folder name) search allows users to do just their specific searches and are disabled by default.
- Whilst in the query window and searching inside a directory, pressing `Ctrl + Backspace` will go back up one level in the directory tree.

#### Settings
- Flow's settings including installed plugins are located at:
- If using roaming: `%APPDATA%\FlowLauncher`
- If using portable, by default: `%localappdata%\FlowLauncher\app-<VersionOfYourFlowLauncher>\UserData`
- To back up your Flow's settings including installed plugins, back up your UserData folder. You can locate it quickly via querying `flow launcher userdata` in the search bar.
- To restore your saved settings, ensure Flow is exited, delete the current UserData folder and copy yours in. Start Flow and all your settings will be set up. One exception, however, is your saved Quick Access files and folder paths in the Explorer plugin you may need to update if the locations have changed.
- When migrating from a system with a high screen resolution to one with a lower resolution, it may be necessary to adjust "SettingWindowWidth", "SettingWindowHeight" "SettingWindowTop" and "SettingWindowLeft" as the settings may otherwise appear outside the visible area. Default values for 1920x1080: 1000, 700, 0, 0.
- Resetting Flow back to default settings is also easy, move/delete the UserData folder after closing the app, and the defaults will be recreated.