PowerToys/src/modules/launcher

WoX

WoX is a launcher for Windows that simply works. It's an alternative to Alfred and Launchy. You can call it Windows omni-eXecutor if you want a long name.

Features

• Search for everything—applications, uwp, folders, files and more.
• Use pinyin to search for programs / 支持用 拼音 搜索程序
  • wyy / wangyiyun → 网易云音乐
• Keyword plugin search g search_term
• Search youtube, google, twitter and many more
• Build custom themes at http://www.wox.one/theme/builder
• Install plugins from http://www.wox.one/plugin

New from this fork:

• Portable mode
• Drastically improved search experience
• Search all subfolders and files
• Option to always run CMD or Powershell as administrator
• Run CMD, Powershell and programs as a different user
• Manage what programs should be loaded
• Highlighting of how results are matched during query search
• Open web search result as a tab or a new window
• Automatic update
• Reload/update plugin data

Installation

View new features released from this fork since Wox v1.3.524: new releases

To install this fork's version of Wox, you can download it here.

To install the upstream version:

Download Wox-xxx.exe from releases. Latest as of now is 1.3.524 (1.3.578 for preview channel)

Windows may complain about security due to code not being signed. This will be fixed later.

Versions marked as pre-release are unstable pre-release versions.

• Requirements:
  • .net >= 4.5.2
  • If you want to integrate with everything: .exe installer + use x64 if your windows is x64 + everything service is running. Supported version is 1.3.4.686
  • If you use python plugins, install python3: .exe installer + add it to %PATH% or set it in WoX settings

Usage

• Launch: Alt+Space
• Context Menu: Ctrl+O
• Cancel/Return: Esc
• Install/Uninstall plugin: type wpm install/uninstall
• Reset: delete %APPDATA%\Wox
• Log: %APPDATA%\Wox\Logs

Contribution

• First and most importantly, star it!
• Read Coding Style
• Send PR to dev branch
• I'd appreciate if you could solve help_needed labeled issue
• Don't hesitate to ask questions in the issues

Build

Install Visual Studio 2015/2017/2019

This project requires Windows 10 SDK:

VS 2015:

• Tick all Windows 10 sdk options

VS 2017/2019 and later:

• Last Windows 10 SDK which supported UwpDesktop is version 10.0.14393.795. It is needed to compile "Programs" Plugin (UWP.cs), you will see the "References" of Plugin.Programs as broken if you use a later SDK version.
• This SDK cannot be installed via VS 2019 installer.
• Download and install Windows 10 SDK version 10.0.14393.795.

Documentation

• Wiki
• Outdated doc: WoX doc.
• Just ask questions in issues for now.