Windows 8 toast notifications

[moshi]

i'd love that being added to Rainmeter as a bang.
(currently using a third-party app and RunCommand, runs when the first item of a news reader skin changes)

Unbenannt.png

[jsmorley]

We looked at that quite a while ago, and although it was tempting, we decided to give it a pass. There were two main reasons really:

The really tricky bit is sorta outside the control of the "toast" functionality itself, and that is having the code know when some "event" is "new" and should fire the function, but not to have it repeat. I have no doubt at all that YOU could manage that end of things in your skin code without much trouble, but others will really struggle with it. It isn't always going to be possible with "count" or "timestamp" or any other simple factor. There really needs to be some kind of unique "notification identifier" that is maintained in such a way that it survives a Rainmeter refresh or even restart, and is never repeated.

Then there is the issue of getting into "notifications" at all. The problem here is that it is a slippery-slope to a lot of functionality. What kind of "toast"? What should it look like, how much control over appearance and font and color and images and background do we have to provide? Where should it appear? In the Windows Notification area like any standard notification, or some user-defined location?

We kinda came to the conclusion that handing over something to the users that probably 1% of them would be successful in using correctly, and the shear amount of thought and code required to do it in a way we would be proud of, made it something we just decided not to pursue. As you say, there are 3rd-party solutions for toast popups...

[moshi]

Then there is the issue of getting into "notifications" at all. The problem here is that it is a slippery-slope to a lot of functionality. What kind of "toast"? What should it look like, how much control over appearance and font and color and images and background do we have to provide? Where should it appear? In the Windows Notification area like any standard notification, or some user-defined location?

what i had in mind (and what i currently use) are the native Windows 8 notifications.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/hh868254.aspx
so there's really not that much of user control involved, there would be title, message, image, sound and on-click-action. position, color, etc. would depend on Windows settings, not Rainmeter.
like:

Code: Select all

... Action=[!Toast parameter1 parameter2 ...]

We kinda came to the conclusion that handing over something to the users that probably 1% of them would be successful in using correctly

that's just the forums and the layout uploaders at deviantArt.

[moshi]

this is what i currently use:
https://github.com/nels-o/toaster

[jsmorley]

Slick little program. Here is a .rmskin with everything others need to use it and an example of how.

Toast_1.0.rmskin

2014-11-26_225413.jpg

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
Update=1000
DynamicWindowSize=1
AccurateText=1

[Metadata]
Name=Toast
Author=JSMorley
Version=Nov 26, 2104
License=Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 3.0
Information=Example of using the Toaster program with Rainmeter|Help for toast.exe is at the bottom of this .ini file.||The home of Toaster is https://github.com/nels-o/toaster

[Variables]
PathToToast=#@#Addons\toast.exe
Title=GMail unread
Message=You have a new unread GMail.
Image=#@#Images\GMail.png

[MeasureToast]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=RunCommand
State=Hide
Program=""#PathToToast#" -t "#Title#" -m "#Message#" -p "#Image#""
 
[MeterGMail]
Meter=Image
ImageName=#@#Images\GMail.png
W=64
H=64
LeftMouseUpAction=[!CommandMeasure MeasureToast "Run"]

; Welcome to toast.
; Provide toast with a message and display it-
; via the graphical notification system.
; -Nels

; ---- Usage ----
; toast <string>|[-t <string>][-m <string>][-p <string>]

; ---- Args ----
; <string>			| Toast <string>, no add. args will be read.
; [-t] <title string>	| Displayed on the first line of the toast.
; [-m] <message string>	| Displayed on the remaining lines, wrapped.
; [-p] <image URI>	| Display toast with an image
; [-w] 			| Wait for toast to expire or activate.
; ?				| Print these instructions. Same as no args.

; Exit Status	:  Exit Code
; Failed		: -1
; Success		:  0
; Hidden		:  1
; Dismissed		:  2
; Timeout		:  3

; ---- Image Notes ----
; Images must be .png with:
	; maximum dimensions of 1024x1024
	; size <= 200kb
; These limitations are due to the Toast notification system.
; This should go without saying, but windows style paths are required.

I can't test, but I sorta assume this will require Windows 8 to work.

[moshi]

I can't test, but I sorta assume this will require Windows 8 to work.

absolutely.
for lower Windows versions, there would be Snarl and Growl.
http://rainmeter.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=15996 (pre RunCommand)

but of course it is nicer to have native notifications. and the next version of Windows will even have a notification center.
would be cool if Rainmeter would be able to use these features of Windows, particularly as many of use use Google services and Google will probably not make use of it but stick to it's own Chrome/Google Now notifications.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/21/7026415/windows-10-technical-preview-build-9860-features

[Stauf99]

Slick little program. Here is a .rmskin with everything others need to use it and an example of how.

I can't test, but I sorta assume this will require Windows 8 to work.

Hi jsmorley,
sorry to bother you, but I was looking for a way to add a pop up notification to your awesome LuaTimer when I came across this.

I've been trying to get this to work but have been unsuccessful (win 8.1). Could you help with a way to add a pop up notification so that I realize when the timer goes off without having to rely on sound? Something compatible with win 8 and 7 would be best

[moshi]

Untitled-1.jpg

i would like to bump this topic, now that Windows 10 is out. i really believe this should be part of Rainmeter.