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Releases: Balcony4Windows/Railing

Railing ALPHA v1.0

11 Jan 02:31
@Ra4ster Ra4ster
ALPHA
0ac48e3

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Railing ALPHA v1.0 Pre-release
Pre-release

Railing ALPHA v1.0

Railing is a lightweight, high-performance, and fully customizable taskbar replacement for Windows, built with C++ and Direct2D. This Alpha release introduces the core modular architecture, custom workspace management, and a Windows 11-inspired aesthetic.

🚀 Key Features

🖥️ Custom Workspace Management

  • Virtual Desktops: Built-in workspace logic that completely replaces standard Windows virtual desktops.
  • Fast Switching: Switch contexts instantly using WIN + [1-5] or by clicking the workspace module.
  • Smart State: Remembers window Z-order and restores layout exactly as you left it.
  • Lazy Pruning: Automatically handles closed windows and cleans up "ghost" handles without crashing.

⚓ The Dock Module

  • Stable Pinning: Pin your favorite apps via config.json.
  • Auto-Switching: Clicking a running app icon automatically switches to the workspace where that app lives.
  • Live Indicators: Windows 11-style active/running indicators and animations.
  • Visual Stability: Robust tracking ensures icons never "jump" or reorder unexpectedly during focus changes.

🎨 Theming & Visuals

  • JSON Configuration: Fully customizable layout, colors, margins, and fonts via config.json.
  • Smooth Auto-Hide: interpolated animation that handles screen gaps and margins intelligently.
  • Blur Support: Native Windows acrylic blur behind the bar.
  • Grouping: Support for nested modules (e.g., a System Tray group containing WiFi, Audio, and Battery).

🧩 Included Modules

  • Start Button: Custom trigger for the Windows Start Menu.
  • Workspaces: Numbered or icon-based workspace switcher.
  • Dock: Taskbar-like app tracking.
  • Clock: Customizable date/time formatting.
  • System Stats: CPU, RAM, GPU Temp, and Network monitoring.
  • System Tray: Custom implementations for Volume (with flyout), Battery, and Network.

⚙️ Usage

  1. Configuration: Ensure config.json is in the same directory as the executable.
  2. Permissions: It is recommended to run Railing.exe as Administrator to ensure it can manage high-integrity windows (like Task Manager) correctly.
  3. Assets: Ensure any custom fonts or icon assets referenced in the config are available.

⚠️ Alpha Notes

This is an ALPHA release. While the core loop is stable:

  • Z-order restoration is a "best effort" and may occasionally shuffle windows on complex setups.
  • Some specific Win32 apps may resist being hidden by the workspace manager.
  • Tooltips rely on precise hit-testing; fast mouse movements across the dock may occasionally miss a tooltip update.
  • Please report any bugs in the issues section of this Repo; much appreciated!

Full Changelog: https://github.com/Balcony4Windows/Railing/commits/ALPHA

Download Here - BalconyALPHA_1_0.zip

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