How-To Open Apps (Alternative Methods)

Foxtrot has an Open App action which is available from the Action Pane (Computer -> Open App) or when targeting an application in the list of the actions available to this target. However, there are cases when Foxtrot is not able to perform the' Open App' action.

There are two options to make this work even if 'Open App' action doesn’t work:

Option #1 – using a shortcut on the desktop

1. Create a shortcut of the application you want to run, locate it on the desktop.
2. Target the desktop and select 'Send Value' action. In the Send field type a name of the shortcut and add [^Enter]. Set Mode to None:

This will open your application as if you would open it manually from the desktop.

IMPORTANT: When you use this approach, after a while you might experience an error "Target Not Found" on the 'Send Value' action. That is not a problem. This is because the Windows desktop hierarchy sometimes changes (there are two possible hierarchies). Solution:

• Add a second 'Send Value' action while the hierarchy is in the state where the original 'Send Value' action does not work.
• Set both 'Send Value' Actions to 'Ignore Error and Continue'. This way, both methods are attempted and one *should* work.
• Warning: This solution may fail if BOTH Actions fail and ignore the error. The script would proceed without the target app being launched. One way to avoid this problem may be to set up an 'If-statement' or an Error Task for each 'Send Value' Action and use them to build a more solid solution in case both fail.

Option #2 – using Search Windows

1. Target the desktop and select Send Value action. In the Send field type [^Windows Key]Name of the app, you want to open[^Enter]. Set Mode to None:

This will search for the application on your PC, and the will open it