Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/sgm1018/BetterWinTab/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

BetterWinTab doubles as an application launcher without any extra configuration. If you search for something and no open window matches, the launcher suggestions panel appears automatically below the search bar, showing installed apps whose names contain your query. You can open any of them with a single Enter keypress — without leaving the keyboard.

​
How to Use the Launcher

1

Open the overlay

Press Ctrl+Tab to show the BetterWinTab overlay.
2

Type an app name

Start typing any part of the app’s name. If no open windows match, the launcher suggestions panel appears automatically beneath the search bar.To jump directly to Apps mode without waiting for the window search to return zero results, press Tab while the search bar is active to toggle the mode indicator from All to Apps.
3

Navigate suggestions

Use Arrow Up / Arrow Down to move between the up-to-8 launch suggestions. Prefix matches appear first, followed by contains matches.
4

Launch the app

Press Enter to launch the highlighted suggestion. The app opens via the Windows Shell — the same mechanism as double-clicking a shortcut in Explorer.
5

Run an arbitrary command (optional)

If no suggestions are returned for your query, BetterWinTab falls back to a Run dialog style execution: press Enter and the query is passed directly to the Windows Shell (UseShellExecute = true). This works for executable names on your PATH (e.g., powershell), folder paths, shell: URIs, and file paths — and does not trigger a browser web search.

​
How Apps Are Discovered

LaunchService enumerates .lnk shortcut files from both the per-user and all-users Start Menu Programs folders: 
# Per-user
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

# All-users
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
Both roots are scanned recursively (SearchOption.AllDirectories), so apps installed in subdirectories (e.g. Microsoft Office) are picked up without any manual path configuration. After scanning, the list is:
  1. De-duplicated by name — the per-user shortcut wins when both locations contain a shortcut with the same name (the per-user root is listed first).
  2. Sorted alphabetically — results are stored alphabetically so prefix matches are consistent.
  3. Filtered for noise — shortcuts containing common noise keywords (uninstall, readme, release notes, changelog, help, documentation, license) are silently excluded to keep results clean.
The cache is built lazily on the first search call and held in memory. Call LaunchService.InvalidateCache() to force a rebuild if apps are installed or uninstalled while BetterWinTab is running.

​
The LaunchItem Model

Each discovered shortcut is represented as a simple record: 
public record LaunchItem(string Name, string ShortcutPath);
PropertyDescription
NameDisplay name derived from the shortcut filename (without extension)
ShortcutPathAbsolute path to the .lnk file

​
LaunchService API Reference

​
Search(query, maxResults = 8)

Returns up to maxResults items (default 8) whose names match the query string: 
IReadOnlyList<LaunchItem> Search(string query, int maxResults = 8)
Prefix matches are sorted before contains matches so that typing "vs" surfaces Visual Studio Code before AVS Audio Converter, even though both contain the substring "vs".

​
Launch(item)

Launches a LaunchItem through the Windows Shell: 
void Launch(LaunchItem item)
Uses Process.Start with UseShellExecute = true, which makes Windows resolve the shortcut target, apply any working directory specified in the .lnk, and handle UAC elevation prompts. Works correctly for .lnk shortcuts, .exe paths, and folder paths.

​
RunQuery(query)

Executes an arbitrary string directly via the Shell, equivalent to typing in the Win+R Run dialog: 
void RunQuery(string query)
Accepts executable names on PATH, absolute file/folder paths, and shell: URIs. Does not open a browser or perform a web search.
The app launcher indexes only Start Menu shortcuts (.lnk files in the Programs folders). Executables that live on your PATH but have no Start Menu entry — for example git, node, or custom scripts — are not listed in the suggestions panel. To run them, type the command name (or full path) and press Enter when no suggestions appear. BetterWinTab passes the raw query to LaunchService.RunQuery, which resolves it through the Windows Shell just like the Win+R dialog does.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us