🚀 Web App Launcher

A powerful, customizable, and secure Windows desktop application that wraps any website or web-based dashboard into a native desktop executable. Built with Python and PySide6 (QtWebEngine), this application bridges the gap between web applications and native OS features.

Developed By: arjunrenvon

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✨ Key Features

🛡️ Security & Access Control

• App Lock (PIN Protection): Require a 4-digit PIN to open the app or wake it from the system tray.
• Strict Kiosk Mode: Perfect for Point-of-Sale (POS) or public terminals. When enabled with a PIN, users cannot close the app (blocks Alt + F4 and the 'X' button) without the password.
• Built-in Ad Blocker: Automatically blocks known tracking and advertising domains at the network level for faster, cleaner loading.

⚡ System Automation & Hardware

• Global Boss Key: Press Ctrl + Shift + A from anywhere in Windows to instantly summon the app to the front of your screen.
• Run on Startup: Automatically launch the app silently into the Windows System Tray when you turn on your PC.
• Hardware Printer Support: Automatically grants WebUSB permissions and intercepts print requests to open the native Windows Physical Print Dialog (supports POS & USB receipt printers).

🎨 Productivity & Customization

• Split Screen (Dual Dashboard): Load two different websites side-by-side simultaneously.
• Ghost Mode (Transparency): Adjust window opacity from 20% to 100% to keep dashboards visible while working on other tasks.
• Custom Branding: Change the application name and upload your own .ico file natively from the settings.
• Saved URLs Manager: Bookmark your favorite portals and switch between them instantly.
• System Tray Integration: Minimize the app to the background to keep it running silently.

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⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + S	Open Settings & Bookmarks
F11	Toggle Fullscreen (Auto-hides Navigation Bar)
Esc	Exit Fullscreen
Ctrl + P	Open Physical Print Dialog
F5	Refresh the current page
Alt + Left/Right	Navigate Back / Forward
Ctrl + / - / 0	Zoom In / Zoom Out / Reset Zoom
Ctrl + Shift + A	Global "Boss Key" (Summon App to Front)

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🛠️ How to Build the .exe

Want to distribute this app to other computers without installing Python? You can easily package it into a single Windows Executable (.exe).

Prerequisites

1. Install Python 3.11+.
2. Clone this repository.

Build Steps

1. Place your desired default icon as logo.ico in the root directory.
2. Double-click the included build.bat file, OR run the following in your terminal:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   pyinstaller --onefile --windowed --icon=logo.ico --name WebAppLauncher main.py
   

3. Your fully standalone `.exe` will be generated inside the `dist/` folder.

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## ⚙️ Configuration details

The application does **not** require users to edit code. All settings are configured via the built-in UI (`Ctrl + S`) and saved to a local `webapp_config.json` file.

* **First Launch:** If no configuration exists, the app halts and prompts the user for their primary URL.
* **Portability:** The configuration file is saved directly beside the `.exe`, making it incredibly easy to back up, share, or deploy the app alongside a pre-configured JSON file to multiple employee computers.

### Example `webapp_config.json`

```json
{
    "app_name": "My Work Portal",
    "url": "[https://example.com](https://example.com)",
    "split_screen_enabled": false,
    "always_on_top": true,
    "minimize_to_tray": true,
    "pin_enabled": true,
    "app_pin": "1234",
    "strict_kiosk_mode": true
}

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📂 Project Structure

webapp_launcher/
│
├── main.py              # Main application source code
├── requirements.txt     # Python dependencies (PySide6, PyInstaller)
├── build.bat            # Automated build script for Windows
├── logo.ico             # Default application icon
└── README.md            # Project documentation

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💻 Built With

• Python 3
• PySide6 (QtWebEngine for the embedded Chromium browser)
• PyInstaller (For .exe packaging)
• Windows API (For Global Hotkeys and Registry Startup)

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*Created by arjunrenvon*