[Request] Search contacts from start menu - Printable Version
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[Request] Search contacts from start menu by NoWhereMan on 05-01-2011 at 06:57 PM
I was wondering if there could be a way to search contacts from the start menu (win7) to start a chat session
EDIT: Title said 'search from contacts start menu'
RE: [Request] Search from contacts start menu by matty on 05-01-2011 at 11:12 PM
We could alter the SendTo script to do something along these lines.
This would have to be done by CookieRevised as he has taken over the script.
RE: [Request] Search from contacts start menu by CookieRevised on 05-02-2011 at 01:27 PM
The SendTo script is meant to send files to contacts, not to open a conversation window with them. As such I think that such a feature is out of the scope of SendTo and thus I wont add it.
RE: [Request] Search from contacts start menu by matty on 05-02-2011 at 02:06 PM
quote:I meant create a new script based off of SendTo that would store the contact links in a Folder in the Start Menu.
Originally posted by CookieRevised
The SendTo script is meant to send files to contacts, not to open a conversation window with them. As such I think that such a feature is out of the scope of SendTo and thus I wont add it.
RE: [Request] Search from contacts start menu by CookieRevised on 05-02-2011 at 02:14 PM
Ah... that could be done (the DLL itself doesn't need to be changed though; only the script itself. Because you could use the same parameters as the SendTo script needs; the only thing to change is how you would handle those parameters in the script itself)....
However. All that isn't realy needed.
If you have polygamy disabled, you don't need any script at all for this; Messenger already supports it. Simply open Messenger with the following command:
"C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\msnmsgr.exe" /sendim
and the 'Send instant message' window will pop up (provided Messenger was already running and you were signed in of course).
Aka, create a shortcut with the above command line and parameter and place that shortcut in your Start menu.
(though, of course make sure the path is correct)
Other similar command line parameters you can use:
/available Sets your status to online
/busy Sets your status to busy
/away Sets your status to away
/invisible Sets your status as appear offline
/signout Sign out
/signoutal Sign out at all logged in computers
/sendim Opens the 'Send instant message' window
/msn Opens the MSN home page
/email Opens your Hotmail inbox
/profile Opens your Windows Live profile
RE: [Request] Search from contacts start menu by NoWhereMan on 05-04-2011 at 04:51 PM
the sendto mod sounds neat, though
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by whiz on 05-04-2011 at 08:23 PM
But surely the /sendim command just opens the window... does it take a contact email address as a parameter?
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by CookieRevised on 05-04-2011 at 08:31 PM
quote:no, but that is not what he is asking.
Originally posted by whiz
But surely the /sendim command just opens the window... does it take a contact email address as a parameter?
Evenso, if you want that, then create a desktop contact.
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by whiz on 05-05-2011 at 07:11 AM
quote:
Originally posted by CookieRevised
quote:no, but that is not what he is asking.
Originally posted by whiz
But surely the /sendim command just opens the window... does it take a contact email address as a parameter?
Evenso, if you want that, then create a desktop contact.
quote:I thought he meant actually searching for contacts (i.e. shortcuts for each contact, like with SendTo) in the Start menu search box, so that a conversation could be started straight from the Start menu...
Originally posted by NoWhereMan
I was wondering if there could be a way to search contacts from the start menu (win7) to start a chat session
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by NoWhereMan on 05-05-2011 at 02:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by whiz
I thought he meant actually searching for contacts (i.e. shortcuts for each contact, like with SendTo) in the Start menu search box, so that a conversation could be started straight from the Start menu...
yes, that's what I meant
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by CookieRevised on 05-05-2011 at 09:30 PM
quote:Erm.. yep.. Hence the suggested /sendim parameter which does just that. It opens a dedicated window with all available contacts you can search in, which has the exact same same functionality, like he asked.
Originally posted by whiz
quote:
Originally posted by CookieRevised
quote:no, but that is not what he is asking.
Originally posted by whiz
But surely the /sendim command just opens the window... does it take a contact email address as a parameter?
Evenso, if you want that, then create a desktop contact.quote:I thought he meant actually searching for contacts (i.e. shortcuts for each contact, like with SendTo) in the Start menu search box, so that a conversation could be started straight from the Start menu...
Originally posted by NoWhereMan
I was wondering if there could be a way to search contacts from the start menu (win7) to start a chat session
It doesn't need to take a contact email as parameter to open a list of contacts.
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by NoWhereMan on 05-06-2011 at 08:38 AM
well no, I was wondering if it was feasable to search contacts from within the start menu.
See for instance imy for Launchy; but I don't want to run Launchy of course, start menu search is more than enough for me.
BTW, as I said /sendim opens the contact list in WLM2011
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by CookieRevised on 05-06-2011 at 09:00 AM
quote:nope, sorry, there are some technical and practical issues with that. And you certainly can't do it by using the 'search box'.
Originally posted by NoWhereMan
well no, I was wondering if it was feasable to search contacts from within the start menu.
quote:I can't check with WLM 2011 at the moment, but it is supposed to open the Contact Selection window to send a message. (the one you get when you do Extra > Send a message).
Originally posted by NoWhereMan
BTW, as I said /sendim opens the contact list in WLM2011
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by MeEtc on 05-06-2011 at 05:27 PM
Would this not be possible by making a folder somewhere with a bunch of shortcut files, one per contact, to allow the start menu search to work?
Not sure if its possible, just my 2cents
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by matty on 05-06-2011 at 05:33 PM
That is what I was trying to say that we can do as a spin-off of the SendTo code.
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by whiz on 05-06-2011 at 07:36 PM
Basically, we're looking at a script which does something like this...
![[Image: O3Rr9.png]](http://i.imgur.com/O3Rr9.png)
![[Image: aCeDu.png]](http://i.imgur.com/aCeDu.png)
quote:Confirmed... the /sendim command just focuses the main window.
Originally posted by CookieRevised
quote:I can't check with WLM 2011 at the moment, but it is supposed to open the Contact Selection window to send a message. (the one you get when you do Extra > Send a message).
Originally posted by NoWhereMan
BTW, as I said /sendim opens the contact list in WLM2011
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by NoWhereMan on 05-06-2011 at 09:18 PM
well TheRightThing(tm) would probably be hooking somehow into the IFilter mechanism of Windows Search. No way I know how you would do that, though.
shortcut icons would still be ok.
RE: RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by CookieRevised on 05-07-2011 at 01:15 PM
quote:That is what has been suggested in previous posts.
Originally posted by MeEtc
Would this not be possible by making a folder somewhere with a bunch of shortcut files, one per contact, to allow the start menu search to work?
Not sure if its possible, just my 2cents
And as I said before, there are practical issues with doing stuff like that. eg: where or what folder do you want to have, this might not be the same choice for another user. Regardless, the moment you move that folder to somewhere else then stuff will brake, etc etc... I need to experiment with some stuff to see if those can be solved in a decent manner. But then there are also the possible user right issues etc...
So there are many complications which makes something like that not very practical and/or working for everybody out-of-the-box (without manually altering stuff in the script itself or in the Start menu). I'm not going to put my time (at least not now in the coming weeks) in something which will only work half-arsed and for which alternatives exist, sorry.
(Note: Personally I find double clicking on Messenger's icon much faster and more intuitive anyways than Start > select folder or search > typing name etc
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by matty on 05-08-2011 at 09:47 PM
quote:Just a note that hitting the Windows key then typing automatically searches...
Originally posted by CookieRevised
(Note: Personally I find double clicking on Messenger's icon much faster and more intuitive anyways than Start > select folder or search > typing name etc
My only question is when it comes to Polygamy and if you have the same user on both accounts, when you search for the contact you will get two results and won't know which one you are selecting.
RE: [Request] Search contacts from start menu by CookieRevised on 05-09-2011 at 12:08 AM
quote:good point.
Originally posted by matty
quote:Just a note that hitting the Windows key then typing automatically searches...
Originally posted by CookieRevised
(Note: Personally I find double clicking on Messenger's icon much faster and more intuitive anyways than Start > select folder or search > typing name etc
quote:Or vice versa, when you have two accounts signed in, you don't know which one will be used to start the chat. But, such things might be solved by prefixing the contact email I guess
Originally posted by matty
My only question is when it comes to Polygamy and if you have the same user on both accounts, when you search for the contact you will get two results and won't know which one you are selecting.