ZTools README

The project's README from github.com/ZToolsCenter/ZTools. As one markdown file: README.md.

ZTools

ZTools Logo

A High-Performance, Extensible Application Launcher and Plugin Platform

Open Source Implementation of uTools | Supports macOS and Windows

GitHub release License Platform

English | 简体中文

❤️ Sponsors

Want to appear here?

Click to collapse
APIMart Thanks to APIMart for sponsoring this project! APIMart is a low-cost API platform for AI image & video generation — GPT-Image-2 from $0.006/image, 160+ images per dollar. One async API covers both image and video: submit a task, get an ID, fetch results via polling or callback. Batch tens of thousands of images without timeouts, switch models without changing code. Pay-as-you-go with no monthly fee — sign up here to get started.

✨ Features

📸 Preview

ZTools Demo

Quick launch and search functionality demo

Interface Showcase

Main Interface - Light Theme

Main Interface - Light Theme

 Main Interface - Dark Theme

Main Interface - Dark Theme
Settings

Settings - Theme Customization and General Settings

 Plugin Market

Plugin Market - Online Installation and Management

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

Download the latest version from Releases:

Method 2: Build from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ZToolsCenter/ZTools.git
cd ZTools

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Development mode
pnpm dev

# Build
pnpm build:mac    # macOS
pnpm build:win    # Windows
pnpm build:linux  # Linux (Default Arch)
pnpm build:linux:x64 # Linux (amd64/x64)
pnpm build:linux:arm64 # Linux (arm64)

Usage

  1. After launching the app, use the shortcut Option+Z (macOS) or Alt+Z (Windows) to open the main interface
  2. Enter application name or command to search
  3. Use ↑ ↓ ← → to navigate, Enter to confirm, Esc to exit

🧩 Plugin Development

ZTools is a powerful and extensible plugin platform that enhances your productivity with custom plugins. With simple configuration, rich APIs, and cross-platform support, you can easily develop powerful plugins.

Plugin System Features:

📖 Full Documentation: Visit ZTools Developer Documentation for more details

🛠️ Tech Stack

📁 Project Structure

ztools/
├── src/
│   ├── main/              # Main process
│   │   ├── api/          # IPC API modules
│   │   ├── core/         # Core functionality (database, native modules)
│   │   ├── windowManager.ts
│   │   └── pluginManager.ts
│   ├── preload/          # Preload scripts
│   └── renderer/         # Renderer process (Vue)
│       ├── components/
│       ├── stores/       # Pinia state management
│       └── App.vue
├── resources/            # Resource files
│   ├── lib/             # Native modules (.node)
│   └── preload.js       # Plugin preload
└── CLAUDE.md            # Complete technical documentation

📚 Documentation

💻 Development

Requirements

Development Commands

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Development mode (hot reload)
pnpm dev

# Type checking
pnpm typecheck          # All
pnpm typecheck:node     # Main process + preload
pnpm typecheck:web      # Renderer process

# Code formatting
pnpm format             # Prettier formatting
pnpm lint               # ESLint check

# Build
pnpm build              # Compile source code only
pnpm build:mac          # Package macOS app
pnpm build:win          # Package Windows app
pnpm build:linux        # Package Linux app (Default Arch)
pnpm build:linux:x64    # Package Linux app (amd64/x64)
pnpm build:linux:arm64  # Package Linux app (arm64)
pnpm build:unpack       # Package without installer (for debugging)

Debugging

🗺️ Roadmap

Completed ✅

🐛 Issue Reporting

Having issues? Please report them in Issues.

When submitting an issue, please include:

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

💝 Acknowledgments

If this project helps you, please give it a Star ⭐️

Made with ❤️ by lzx8589561

ZTools (ZToolsCenter/ZTools)

app-launcher
Searching Database…

3.9K ·GitHub
ZTools
What is this?ZTools is an open-source implementation of uTools - a high-performance, extensible application launcher and plugin platform for macOS and Windows.
Is it a ready-made app, or something I build on top of?Both: it is a desktop launcher you install and use out of the box, and a plugin platform - plugins can be UI-based or headless, and there is a built-in plugin market.
How do I install it and get it on screen?Download a pre-built installer from Releases (a .dmg or .zip for macOS, setup.exe or .zip for Windows), or build from source. Once running, Option+Z (macOS) or Alt+Z (Windows) opens the main interface.
Is there a Linux version?Not yet - it ships for macOS and Windows only. Linux support is on the roadmap, together with plugin auto-update and optional cloud sync.
What can it do besides launching apps?It doubles as a clipboard manager with history tracking, search, and image support. Search handles Pinyin and regex matching, apps can be pinned, and there are six theme colors with light, dark, and system modes.
How do I get more plugins?There is a built-in plugin market for installing and managing plugins online, and every plugin keeps its data in isolated storage.
How much work is it to write my own plugin?Little: a plugin is defined by a standard plugin.json file, and a global ztools object exposes APIs for notifications, simulated input, and persistent storage. Plugins can trigger on text, regex, or global hooks, and development supports hot reload.
What is it built with?Electron 41, Vue 3, and TypeScript, running on an LMDB database with a WebContentsView architecture and a Fuse.js search engine. Native C++ Node-API modules handle clipboard monitoring, window management, and region screenshots on Windows.
What are similar projects?rubick, rustcast, PicGo, tinycast, Wox, DSH-Launcher, pi-gui, gyotaku
Which topics is it in?clipboard-manager, app-launcher, plugin-marketplace, clipboard, fuzzy-search, launcher, electron-app, screenshot, themes, search, electron, vue
Creator
ZToolsCenter
Size
26 MB
Stars
3.9K
Updated
CommitOct 16Releasev3.2.0Aug 29
Age
10mo
Commits · 90 Days