How to add application shortcuts to menu bar

[empireoflight]

Is there a simple way to do this? Back in the days of OS9, there was a utility called task menu bar that did this perfectly.
It's very simple; I just want to launch my apps via icons in the menubar. Once I have that going, I can ditch the dock.

 

[miles01110]

Unless the app has a menu bar icon built-in you can't add it.

 

[Mal]

Never used it, but aLaunch sounds like what you're looking for.

jW

 

[Gregg2]

...or you can use Spotlight to launch apps

 

[empireoflight]

I tried alaunch, but it puts everything in submenus. Spotlight requires typing. I have a 1920px wide monitor—plenty of wasted space for icons.
It would be awesome to just option drag an app's or file's icon into the menubar, which I was able to do a long time ago with http://pw1.netcom.com/~kawahara/taskmenubar.html

 

[Gregg2]

Well, in Leopard, there is a folder which I believe is called Menu Extras. You can put stuff from there into the menu bar. I don't know if they have to be a certain type of file or what. It might be worth taking a look.

 

[empireoflight]

Well, in Leopard, there is a folder which I believe is called Menu Extras. You can put stuff from there into the menu bar. I don't know if they have to be a certain type of file or what. It might be worth taking a look.

Gregg, where's that folder? I'm on Lion, but it might be worth a look.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Gregg, where's that folder? I'm on Lion, but it might be worth a look.

System / Library / CoreServices, or you can use Finder > CMD+SHIFT+G and enter "Menu Extras" (without the "") and press ENTER.

 

[Mal]

System / Library / CoreServices, or you can use Finder > CMD+SHIFT+G and enter "Menu Extras" (without the "") and press ENTER.

Just entering Menu Extras won't do anything. You have to provide the whole path in the Command-Shift-G dialog box. Entering /System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras will work there, however.

jW

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Just entering Menu Extras won't do anything. You have to provide the whole path in the Command-Shift-G dialog box. Entering /System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras will work there, however.

jW

It worked for me in 10.6.8. Will try in another account.

EDIT: Must have been a hiccup, you are correct, it does not work like I described earlier.

 

[Gregg2]

I looked in there on my Mac, and though I can't remember the nomenclature, it appears that it requires a special type of file. But, once that is present, I believe that all you have to do is drag the file from that folder to the Menu to get an icon there.

 

[Mal]

Menu Extras were a particular type of plug-in type file (don't know exactly how they were created), and you can only put Menu Extras in the menubar, not apps. This has been discussed previously in the thread.

jW

 

[empireoflight]

Seems like such an obvious UI feature; I'm truly amazed there's no way to do this.

 

[TwisterMc]

Butler will let you put apps in your menu bar.
http://manytricks.com/butler/