A Front End for Front Ends?

[FrizzleFried]

Does anyone know of a program that would allow you to select between multiple programs to start up?

What I mean is...

I'd love to have both my current MAMEWAH set up as well as a HYPERSPIN front end able to be the "boot" front-end...selectable.

Ideally,  I'd love to find a program that allows you to select from the two (or more) front end to boot at start up of the PC.  You'd select, say MAMEWAH... upon reboot it would load MAMEWAH as the front end.  If I wanted to change front ends,  I'd hold down a button at start up (or something similar) which would bring up the list of front ends again which I could then select,  for example,  Hyperspin... at which time THAT front end would be what loads up at bootup.

Does anyone make such a program?

[Random24]

While I don't know of a program that would do exactly what you are asking for, you might get the requested functionality by having multiple accounts on the computer.  You could then set up each account to either use a different front end as the shell or auto start the front end on login.  If you set up each account without a password you could use the Welcome Screen as your "frontend frontend"

[Cakemeister]

While I don't know of a program that would do exactly what you are asking for, you might get the requested functionality by having multiple accounts on the computer.  You could then set up each account to either use a different front end as the shell or auto start the front end on login.  If you set up each account without a password you could use the Welcome Screen as your "frontend frontend"

Nice idea.

You could even use a custom login screen.

[FrizzleFried]

But I need something that I could use/work with a control panel...?  AND the big thing is the system must boot in to the front end selected each time automatically until a different selection is chose.  I'd hate for it to boot in to a "menu" each time before the front end.

[arzoo]

You could create a script or batch file that sets an Environment Variable with the selected FE from some menu of choices. Then you need another script or batch file that launches the selected FE based on the Environment Variable. Put a shortcut to that script in your startup folder so it runs on system bootup. Lastly, you'll need a way to launch the FE selection script from some keyboard shortcut - for this you could use AutoHotKey.

[Ummon]

.....I thought of doing something like this, for a somewhat different reason....in any case, couldn't you just use any FE and set it up as a command-line app, or 'PC game', or something?

[FrizzleFried]

The idea is that I want to keep my MAMEWAH setup because it's all set up and running... with multiple lists including my full set list.   I do have a "favorites" list with about 200 game in it.  Ideally,  I'd like to build a Hyperspin setup with these games installed... Hyper isn't a good FE from my understanding for very large lists...

I'd boot in to Hyper 90% of the time... but would want to configure it to boot in to Mamewah simply,  from the control panel without the need to go in to windows,  use the keyboard,  etc.

Perhaps a boot app on shutdown from each would suffice... does Hyper have a boot app on shutdown option?

[brian_hoffman]

Hyperspin has a launch on exit.

[Space Fractal]

You cannot use mamewah PC game launch feature to launch Hyperspin and let Mamewah been the default frontend?

[Dazz]

You cannot use mamewah PC game launch feature to launch Hyperspin and let Mamewah been the default frontend?

This is exactly what I would have suggested doing.

[Ummon]

That's exactly what I was trying to get at.

[daywane]

Atomic FE will launch PC game and everything else I have tossed at it.
I do not know how to set up what you are asking. But I will bet it can do it
ask Havoc

[Ummon]

The only reason I was thinking about it was because I wanted two (or more) identical mame lists that showed the game names, vs rom names. But wait. In any FE can different game lists have different directories?

[Sosetsuken]

This would be easy to program, just have the EXE check whether a certain key is being held on execution and if not, run the default ie./

If(startupKey.held)
{
       Run AlternateFE
}else{
       Run DefaultFE
}



EDIT: Hell you could do this with an AutoHotkey script.

[Turnarcades]

This would be easy to program, just have the EXE check whether a certain key is being held on execution and if not, run the default ie./

If(startupKey.held)
{
       Run AlternateFE
}else{
       Run DefaultFE
}



EDIT: Hell you could do this with an AutoHotkey script.

Exactly what I was going to suggest.