Loading separate files

Shortcuts can become hard to maintain if too many of them accumulate in shortcuts.js. It's better to organize large collections in separate files.

Loading additional files

A common scenario is to have personal and work-related shortcuts. Instead of putting all of them into shortcuts.js, separate files can be created:

// File: shortcuts-personal.js

shortycut.addShortcuts(`
    [cv]  Cat videos    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cats
    [tv]  TV Guide      https://www.yourtv.com.au/guide/
`);

// File: shortcuts-work.js

shortycut.addShortcuts(`
    [cm]  Canteen menu  https://www.my-company.com/canteen/menu
    [ts]  Timesheets    https://www.my-company.com/timesheet
`);

When stored in ShortyCut's data folder, these files can be loaded from shortcuts.js:

// File: shortcuts.js

shortycut.loadJavaScript(
    'shortcuts-personal.js',
    'shortcuts-work.js'
);

Shortcuts isolated in individual files can easily be hidden and restored by adding or removing the respective files from the loadJavaScript command.

Relative and absolute paths

By default, loadJavaScript loads the files from ShortyCut's data folder. Sometimes it's beneficial to create subfolders and use relative paths:

shortycut.loadJavaScript(
    'personal/entertainment.js',
    'personal/shopping.js',
    'work/hr-and-policies.js',
    'work/project-matilda.js'
);

Files can also be loaded from the internet or a (shared network) drive by using their full address (including the protocol like https:// or file://):

shortycut.loadJavaScript(
    'https://www.my-domain.com/shortycut/my-personal-shortcuts.js',
    'file:///S:/Shared/Finance-Team/ShortyCut/finance-systems.js'
);

Loading files via the network can slow down ShortyCut. It needs to wait until all files have been fully loaded before redirecting or showing the homepage.

Loading files in a specific order

ShortyCut starts to load all files in parallel, even when using separate loadJavaScript commands:

shortycut.loadJavaScript('shortcuts-01.js');
shortycut.loadJavaScript('shortcuts-02.js', 'shortcuts-03.js');

In this example, all three files are loaded simultaneously. However, some might load quicker and overtake others along the way. This could lead to shortcuts-03.js effectively being executed before shortcuts-01.js.

Loading files in parallel is quicker than doing it sequentially. But their actual order is unpredictable and can be different each time. In many cases, that's not a problem, but it can become one when a file overrides keywords or uses JavaScript variables and functions that are defined in another file. In those cases, andThen can be used to describe dependencies between the files:

shortycut.loadJavaScript('shortcuts-01.js', 'shortcuts-02.js')
                .andThen('shortcuts-03.js', 'shortcuts-04.js')
                .andThen('shortcuts-05.js');

This example starts by loading shortcuts-01.js and shortcuts-02.js in parallel. When both files have been fully loaded, shortcuts-03.js and shortcuts-04.js are loaded in parallel. When those files have both been loaded as well, ShortyCut starts to loadshortcuts-05.js.

For performance reasons, it's best to load as many files in parallel as possible. To describe complex dependencies, the same file can be passed to loadJavaScript multiple times:

shortycut.loadJavaScript('shortcuts-01.js', 'shortcuts-02.js');
shortycut.loadJavaScript('shortcuts-01.js').thenLoad( 'shortcuts-03.js');

In this example, shortcuts-01.js and shortcuts-02.js are loaded in parallel. shortcuts-03.js is loaded after shortcuts-01.js (but independent of shortcuts-02.js). Passing the same file to loadJavaScript again does not cause a reload. That is, the second line does not load shortcuts-01.js because it has already been loaded in the first line.