Skip to content

README.en.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
118 lines (85 loc) · 3.58 KB

README.en.md

File metadata and controls

118 lines (85 loc) · 3.58 KB

English | 日本語

DeskShelf

Your desktop, always within reach — even when buried under windows.

Python CustomTkinter License Windows

DeskShelf is a floating launcher that displays your desktop shortcuts and files in a small always-on-top window. No more minimizing everything just to reach your desktop icons.

No cloud. No tracking. All data stays local.

Features

Feature Description
Desktop icon display Automatically reads .lnk / .url / .exe from Desktop + Public Desktop
One-click launch Click to launch apps/URLs. Tracks usage count and last used time
Always on Top Toggle floating above all windows
Star rating 0-3 star importance rating. Frequently used apps rise to the top
Auto-sort Sorted by stars → last used → name
Tag management Create, delete, assign tags. Filter by tag tabs
Dark / Light theme One-click toggle. Preference saved automatically
JA / EN language toggle Switch UI language with a segment control
Collapsible list Shows top 30 items, expand to see the rest
Multi-monitor support Window position saved and restored. Falls back if out of bounds
Auto icon extraction Extracts icons from .lnk / .exe via Win32 API + PIL
Custom app icon Shelf-themed icon for the title bar and taskbar

Quick Start

1. Download & install

Using git:

git clone https://github.com/MiraQue/DeskShelf.git
cd DeskShelf
pip install -r requirements.txt

Without git:

  1. Download the ZIP file
  2. Extract it and open a terminal in the folder
  3. Run pip install -r requirements.txt

Requires Python 3.9+ and Windows 10/11.

2. Run

python main.py

Your desktop shortcuts are automatically loaded into a floating window.

3. Usage

  • Click an icon → launches the app/URL
  • Click stars → set importance (0-3 levels)
  • Use tag tabs to filter, Tag button to manage tags

Project Structure

DeskShelf/
├── main.py              # Entry point (AppUserModelID setup)
├── app.py               # Main window (CustomTkinter)
├── desktop_reader.py    # Desktop shortcut scanner
├── icon_extractor.py    # Win32 API icon extraction
├── launcher.py          # App launch handler
├── config.py            # Settings read/write
├── generate_icon.py     # App icon generator
├── requirements.txt     # Python dependencies
└── data/
    ├── deskshelf.ico    # App icon (.ico)
    └── deskshelf.png    # App icon (.png)

User data: %APPDATA%\DeskShelf\
├── config.json          # User settings (auto-created on first run)
└── cache/icons/         # Extracted icon cache

Tech Stack

  • Language: Python 3.9+
  • GUI: CustomTkinter (modern UI with Always on Top support)
  • Icon extraction: ctypes (shell32/gdi32) + PIL (64-bit safe)
  • Shortcut parsing: win32com (.lnk target and icon info)
  • Settings: Local JSON file

Requirements

Item Requirement
OS Windows 10 / 11
Python 3.9+
Dependencies customtkinter, pywin32, Pillow

Windows only. Uses Windows APIs for desktop shortcut reading and icon extraction.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE for details.