Skip to content

LAUNCHER_GUIDE.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
384 lines (287 loc) · 8.42 KB

LAUNCHER_GUIDE.md

File metadata and controls

384 lines (287 loc) · 8.42 KB
Raw

CRM Business Predictor - Launcher Guide

Complete guide for auto-running the React CRM Business Predictor application with custom icons and executables.

Quick Start

Easiest Method (Recommended)

Simply double-click: auto-run.bat

This will automatically:

Available Launchers

1. auto-run.bat - Full Featured Launcher

Best for: First-time users and troubleshooting

Features:

  • Automatic dependency checking
  • Runs installation if needed
  • Creates backend configuration
  • Shows detailed status messages
  • Opens servers in separate windows

Usage:

# Double-click the file, or run:
auto-run.bat

2. auto-run.cmd - Quick Launcher

Best for: Regular use after initial setup

Features:

  • Fast startup
  • Minimal messages
  • Quick dependency check
  • Same functionality, less verbose

Usage:

# Double-click the file, or run:
auto-run.cmd

3. launcher.vbs - VBScript Launcher with Browser

Best for: Complete automation

Features:

  • Launches application
  • Automatically opens browser after 8 seconds
  • Minimal user interaction

Usage:

# Double-click the file, or run:
wscript launcher.vbs

4. launcher-silent.vbs - Silent Background Launcher

Best for: Silent background startup

Features:

  • No command windows shown
  • Runs completely in background
  • Shows notification when started
  • Perfect for startup scripts

Usage:

# Double-click the file, or run:
wscript launcher-silent.vbs

5. CRM-Launcher.exe - Custom Executable (Optional)

Best for: Professional deployment with custom icon

Features:

  • Standalone executable
  • Custom application icon
  • Can be pinned to taskbar
  • Professional appearance
  • Creates desktop shortcuts

Setup:

  1. Run create-icon.ps1 to create the icon
  2. Run create-exe.ps1 to build the executable
  3. Double-click CRM-Launcher.exe

Creating the Executable with Icon

Step 1: Create the Icon

Run PowerShell as Administrator:

.\create-icon.ps1

This script will:

  • Check for ImageMagick (optional)
  • Create icon from SVG file
  • Provide alternative methods if needed

Manual Icon Creation: If automated creation fails, use one of these:

Option A: Online Converter

  1. Upload app-icon.svg to: https://convertio.co/svg-ico/
  2. Download as app-icon.ico
  3. Save in project root

Option B: GIMP (Free)

  1. Download GIMP: https://www.gimp.org/
  2. Open app-icon.svg
  3. Export as app-icon.ico (256x256 recommended)

Step 2: Build the Executable

Run PowerShell as Administrator:

.\create-exe.ps1

This script will:

  • Verify dependencies exist
  • Compile C# launcher code
  • Embed the custom icon
  • Create CRM-Launcher.exe
  • Optionally create desktop shortcut

Requirements:

  • .NET Framework 4.0+ (pre-installed on Windows 7+)
  • C# compiler (csc.exe)

Step 3: Use the Executable

Once created, you can:

  • Double-click CRM-Launcher.exe to start
  • Create desktop shortcuts
  • Pin to taskbar
  • Pin to Start menu
  • Add to Windows startup

Server Information

When the application starts:

Service URL Purpose
Backend http://localhost:8000 API and ML processing
Frontend http://localhost:5173 User interface

Accessing the Application

  1. Wait for both servers to start (3-5 seconds)
  2. Open browser to: http://localhost:5173
  3. Backend API is at: http://localhost:8000

Adding to Windows Startup

Method 1: Using Startup Folder

  1. Press Win + R
  2. Type: shell:startup
  3. Press Enter
  4. Create shortcut to launcher-silent.vbs or CRM-Launcher.exe

Method 2: Task Scheduler

  1. Open Task Scheduler
  2. Create Basic Task
  3. Trigger: "At log on"
  4. Action: Start program
  5. Program: Path to launcher-silent.vbs or CRM-Launcher.exe

Creating Desktop Shortcuts

Automatic (using create-exe.ps1)

The script prompts to create a desktop shortcut automatically.

Manual Creation

  1. Right-click on desktop
  2. New → Shortcut
  3. Browse to auto-run.bat or CRM-Launcher.exe
  4. Name it: "CRM Business Predictor"
  5. (Optional) Right-click shortcut → Properties → Change Icon → Browse to app-icon.ico

Customization

Changing Server Ports

Edit backend/.env:

HOST=0.0.0.0
PORT=8000  # Change backend port here

For frontend port, edit package.json:

"scripts": {
  "dev": "vite --port 5173"  // Change frontend port here
}

Auto-open Browser

To automatically open browser, use:

  • launcher.vbs - opens browser after 8 seconds
  • Or modify auto-run.bat to add at the end: 
    timeout /t 8
start http://localhost:5173

Running in Background

For completely silent operation:

  1. Use launcher-silent.vbs
  2. Comment out the MsgBox line if you don't want notifications

Troubleshooting

"Node.js is not installed"

Solution: Install Node.js 18+ from https://nodejs.org/

"Python is not installed"

Solution: Install Python 3.9-3.12 from https://www.python.org/

"Port already in use"

Solution:

  1. Check if application is already running
  2. Close other processes using ports 8000 or 5173
  3. Or change ports in configuration (see Customization)

"Backend failed to start"

Solution:

  1. Run install.bat manually
  2. Check backend/.env exists
  3. Activate venv and run: pip install -r requirements.txt

"Frontend failed to start"

Solution:

  1. Delete node_modules folder
  2. Run: npm install
  3. Try again

Executable won't compile

Solution:

  1. Run PowerShell as Administrator
  2. Install .NET Framework 4.0+
  3. Or use alternative methods (ps2exe)

Icon not showing

Solution:

  1. Ensure app-icon.ico exists
  2. Use online converter if create-icon.ps1 fails
  3. Rebuild executable after creating icon

File Overview

File Type Purpose
auto-run.bat Batch Full-featured launcher with checks
auto-run.cmd CMD Quick launcher for regular use
launcher.vbs VBScript Auto-opens browser
launcher-silent.vbs VBScript Silent background launcher
app-icon.svg SVG Source icon file
app-icon.ico Icon Windows icon (created by script)
create-icon.ps1 PowerShell Icon creation script
create-exe.ps1 PowerShell Executable builder
CRM-Launcher.exe Executable Standalone launcher with icon

Advanced: Command Line Options

Running with Custom Backend Port

set PORT=9000 && auto-run.bat

Running Backend Only

cd backend
call venv\Scripts\activate.bat
python app.py

Running Frontend Only

npm run dev

Best Practices

For Development

  • Use auto-run.bat for detailed feedback
  • Keep command windows open to see logs
  • Check both windows for errors

For Production/Daily Use

  • Use CRM-Launcher.exe with custom icon
  • Pin to taskbar for quick access
  • Use launcher-silent.vbs for startup automation

For Sharing

  • Share entire project folder
  • Include auto-run.bat for easy setup
  • Users just double-click to start

Security Notes

  • All launchers run locally on your machine
  • No external connections required (after initial setup)
  • Backend runs on localhost only (0.0.0.0:8000)
  • Frontend runs on localhost only (0.0.0.0:5173)

To expose to network, edit backend/.env:

HOST=0.0.0.0  # Already set - accessible from network

Then access from other devices: http://YOUR_IP:5173

Uninstallation

To remove the launchers:

  1. Delete the launcher files listed above
  2. Remove shortcuts from Desktop/Taskbar
  3. Remove from Startup folder if added
  4. Remove Task Scheduler entry if created

To fully uninstall the application:

# Delete dependencies
rmdir /s /q node_modules
rmdir /s /q backend\venv

# Keep project files, remove launchers
del auto-run.bat auto-run.cmd launcher*.vbs create-*.ps1 CRM-Launcher.exe app-icon.*

Support

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check the Troubleshooting section above
  2. Review error messages in command windows
  3. Ensure all prerequisites are installed
  4. Try running install.bat manually

License

MIT License - Same as main project

Enjoy your automated CRM Business Predictor! 🚀