Note: If your using A2Uploader, you may want to add your CDF data back to the phone after using the software, or you will no longer be able to update the firmware using SEUS.

Tools:
TugZip - TUGZip - The Free Archiving Utility (but any .tar archiver will do)
SETool2 Box/A2Uploader
Text Editor - Notpad/WordPad/EmEditor etc

Custom Softkeys on Stanby Screen (applies to "all" ###_###_HOOK.itm files)



In this example we shall be adding a link Opera Mini on the Left softkey of the standby screen, a link to the File Manager on the right softkey, and for the sake of it we'll add another link to Opera Mini on the Center softkey of the standby screen along with an image.

It is being reported that the W910 is having problems with linking Internal applications (File Manager) to HOOK's, personally I think its poor modding as the syntax may differ slightly, unfortunately I only have a K850 so cannot look into why W910 is having these troubles, sorry.

LEFT_SOFTKEY_HOOK (java shortcut)
CENTER_SOFTKEY_HOOK (java with image)
RIGHT_SOFTKEY_HOOK (Internal shortcut)

The xml can be broken down into 4 tags.
<item_text>
</item_text>

<item_help>
</item_help>

<item_icon>
</item_icon>

<item_action>
</item_action>

Item text - Label
Item Help - doesn't apply to softkey hooks, but you can also use this guide to add shortcuts in other areas (like the default SE HOOK's scattered around the File Manager, Media Player etc and would be set in the same way as the text tag).
Item Icon - Icon
Item Action - Action (Java/Internal Link (FileManager)/Url)



/*
Naming your hook.
-------------------------------
<item_text>
</item_text>
-------------------------------
*/

<item_text>
<TEXT lang="en" str="Opera" />
<TEXT default_lang="en" str="Opera" />
</item_text>

<TEXT lang="en" str="Opera" // didn't investigate fully but common sense tells me you can set a different text for different languages (en/ru etc...)
<TEXT default_lang="en" str="Opera" // default language string.

/*
Adding infomation (help text)
-------------------------------
<item_help>
</item_help>
-------------------------------
*/

<item_help>
<TEXT default_lang="en" str="Testing info string" />
</item_help>

Set in the same way as as the item_text tag.

/*
Giving your HOOK an icon.
-------------------------------
<item_icon>
</item_icon>
-------------------------------
*/

<item_icon>
<RIGHT str="icon.png" />
</item_icon>

RIGHT // this is align tag, always upper case lettering, RIGHT/LEFT/CENTER, you only need to edit if you have also set a text label (which I havent in the CENTER_SOFTKEY_HOOK example).
str="icon.png" // icon name (must include file extension .png).

I recommend icon.png to be no more then 20pxls in hight when adding an icon to softkeys, 40x38pxl in the media center and 24x24pxl in other areas (based on 240x320 screen size)


/*
Linking a Internal application.
-------------------------------
<item_action>
</item_action>
-------------------------------
*/

<item_action>
<ACTION type="Internal" str="FileManager" />
</item_action>

ACTION type="Internal" // Internal
str="FileManager" // this is the name of the application you wish to link to, these can be found in the element names in your menu.ml file, some branded Firmware use different element names like Orange branded Firmware for example (also MediaPlayer/MediaPlayer_Video may differ across K/C/W series models)

/*
Assigning URL to your hook.
-------------------------------
<item_action>
</item_action>
-------------------------------
*/

<item_action>
<ACTION type="URL" str="http://www.???.com" mode="Normal" />
</item_action>

ACTION type="URL" // URL should always be upper case lettering!!!
str="http://www.???.com" // link, can also be set to on internal web page saved on your phone (if your big on wap/http etc... you may create your own custom web page with custom shortcut links to all your favourite sites)
mode="Normal" // ??? didn't investigate.

An example of linking to an internal web page.
<ACTION type="URL" str="file:///card/other/page.htm" mode="Normal" />

/*
Linking a java application to a softkey.
-------------------------------
<item_action>
</item_action>
-------------------------------
*/

<item_action>
<ACTION type="JAVA" suite_name="Opera Mini" suite_vendor="Opera Software ASA" entry_point="Browser" />
</item_action>

All the information we need can be found in 1 or two places, 1. the jad file of for the java application you wish to link, 2. the MANIFEST file within the .jar archive of for the java application (located in the META-INF folder).

ACTION type= "JAVA" // this we should leave unless you wish to change the type of hook (see below).
suite_name= "Opera Mini" // this infor is the application name, found in the "MIDlet-Name:" tag of the MANIFEST file.
suite_vendor="Opera Software ASA" // this infor can be found under the "MIDlet-Vendor:" tag of the file.
entry_point="Browser" // then entry point is the one that people normally have trouble with, in 99% of cases this is the last piece of information taken from the "MIDlet-1:" tag (highlighted in red Browser), although it can be defined in the actual java code be the application author, in which case you would need to contact the author which is extremely rare.

Opera Mini MANIFEST file (right click, open with notepad)
MIDlet-Name: Opera Mini
MIDlet-1: Opera Mini, /i.png, Browser
MIDlet-Data-Size: 25600
MicroEdition-Configuration: CLDC-1.0
MIDlet-Icon: /i.png
MIDlet-Info-URL: http://mini.opera.com/
MIDlet-Permissions-Opt: javax.microedition.io.Connector.sms, javax.wir
eless.messaging.sms.send, javax.microedition.io.Connector.socket, jav
ax.microedition.io.Connector.file.write, javax.microedition.io.Connec
tor.file.read
MIDlet-Vendor: Opera Software ASA
MIDlet-Permissions: javax.microedition.io.Connector.http
MIDlet-Version: 4.2
MicroEdition-Profile: MIDP-2.0
MIDlet-Description: Opera Mini

/*
-------------------------------
Packing into .itm file
-------------------------------
*/

Now that we have "correctly" edited the xml we must save and pack it ready to be uploaded to our phone, if your using a .txt file to write the xml we must "save as" and select "all files" and name it "LEFT_SOFTKEY_HOOK.xml" (its important to save as .xml file, and should be named as the HOOK you wish to customize), now we must pack the file into a standard .tar archive named "LEFT_SOFTKEY_HOOK.itm" file extension, this is done with TugZip, shown below.

If you were to set an icon, you would also pack .png file along with xml,



/*
-------------------------------
Activating the hook
-------------------------------
*/

To activate the hook we simply upload the .itm file along with a "blank" customize_upgrade.xml file to "tpa/preset/custom" and switch the phone on, uploading the blank customize_upgrade.xml activates the hooks, without uploading this you will loose the use of your softkey untill you either activate it/delete the .itm file/master reset.

Thank you

This program helps you doing it too, but it's offline for a month now .

Apparently the user has released v3.5 on Esato. But I like this explanation a lot ...

tbh, i disagree, it doesn't help that much. I can't get a working .ITM file out of it. Oh and btw, i also got a beta of v3.5. Much better feature set, still doen't work for me sadly. But it would be great if it worked for me. Maybe I'm just crap...

Can the left key hook be changed on my w760?

Only by patch AFAIK

You mean "LEFT SOFTKEY"?
Why not,without patch!

Sirs,

I apologise, I'm only new at this. Using the following would it put the calculator on my RIGHT SOFT KEY? What do I put for the action type?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<MenuItem version="1.0">
<item_text>
<TEXT lang="en" str="Calculator" />
<TEXT default_lang="en" str="Calculator" />
</item_text>
<item_help>
<TEXT lang="en" str="Calculator" />
<TEXT default_lang="en" str="Calculator" />
</item_help>
<item_icon>
<RIGHT str="Calculator" />
</item_icon>
<item_action>
<ACTION type="[color="?????" />
</item_action>
</MenuItem>

Thanks in advance.

dude tried this tut for my w660i and it dont work.....this is what i done below were am i going wrong.....


CENTER_SOFTKEY_HOOK.xml
<MenuItem version="1.0">
<item_text>
<TEXT lang="en" str="skype" />
<TEXT default_lang="en" str="skype" />
</item_text>
<item_help>
</item_help>
<item_icon>
<RIGHT str="" />
</item_icon>
<item_action>
<ACTION type="JAVA" suite_name="skype" suite_vendor="skype Limited" entry_point="a" />
</item_action>
</MenuItem>

Thanks for the info, got my PLayNow item moded to go ... somewhere else,

I noticed an special syntax on URL action on PLayNow default HOOK:



just before the question mark in there are several fieled that are dynamically populated and passed as get parameters to that url, does anyone has full list of those parameters? or some others?

Hi! I managed to get my Right Soft Key changed but for some reason it doesn't work for my Left Soft Key! I'm using a W995. Any idea what is wrong? Below is my syntax for my Left Soft Key:



I'm trying to set it as a short cut to my "Alarm" but nothing has changed. When I was trying with the Right Key, I made a mistake (not linked properly) but the text still changed, but the left one still remains as "Media".

With this SOFTKEY_HOOK when choosing the english language on my W715 I see "Contacts", when choosing the german I see "Kontakte".

Great tutorial!

Hey! I've found info in google about that format here: http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20080307112 at line labeled [0071] it says:

What give the name of itm file which add a shortcut in the "Messages"? I forgot the name.

is that RIGHT_SOFTKEY_HOOK.itm okay? should display Nachricht and points to messaging (sms, email, etc) may i can use it?

Since I've flashed my w995, I'm not able to change any softkey. Any right softkey hook with blank customize upgrade doesn't have any effect. I had already changed it before flashing. I really don't know why!

edit: I know what's wrong. When I try to edit those lines the hook doesn't work anymore. But I don't know how to do.

Hi can this be used on SE W980 i just wana chage the lft softkey to let's say SMS or Filemanager?

thx

found the soulution

P.S
maybe we could use some tutorial for all the "string" in xml files like Filemanager,Messages etc... it would be easier

I added Softkey icons to my W760i:



But I'm missing the text below like in this image:



(Created by gani for his W595 in this post at faq4mobiles.de).

This is the LEFT_SOFTKEY_HOOK.xml I used:

What do I have to change to see the text below also?

I don't think Gani used softkey hooks with icons, he just used a flash wallpaper with icons for the softkeys

can someone please upload a right softkey hook for my k850i which changes contacts to filemanager
but i don't want a picture on my start screen i want the word "Explorer"
thank you

How about. Make one for yourself?

how about.explain me how to do that?
i don't understand that tutorial...

Here you go, everything explained

link

haha what a shame on him but the guide is explained in full.

Hey I did what you said but when I switch my phone on, links and icons don't appear on standby screen..

did you copy a empty customize upgrade.xml aswell?

Yep I did it but I when i downloaded a megapack there was a txt file. It explains how to change softkeys :

"RIGHT_SOFTKEY_HOOK.itm & LEFT_SOFTKEY_HOOK.itm.
Upload these two files to tpa\preset\custom.

Go to tpa\preset\system\custmenu & delete cust_menu_data.dat & cust_menu_done_unpacking.dat.
If there is a RIGHT_SOFTKEY_HOOK or a LEFT_SOFTKEY_HOOK folder you need to delete the files
inside those folders, then delete the folders aswell"

So i did that

What pack was it because some packs are to remove the softkeys
Just a thought
Also try uploading a blank customize_upgrade.xml That's how I always do it

Thanks for answer. This pack is named "Al3x Mega Pack V2 Blue" but it's not important i made my hooks. And this is the 3rd time i try to upload a blank customize_upgrade it doesn't work

Do you want to post your hooks?

this's my right s.hook.xml

I have been take it(RIGHT_SOFTKEY_HOOK.ITM)to tpa/preset/custom and blank costumize_upgrade.xml but there's no change!even I master reset setting!
What wrong?
I'm doing wrong?

Pleas help me make it right!

I use G705>W715

It has got to be .itm file. What archiver do you use?

I wrote you one. let me know if it works.
Right softkey hook- file manager

Ok i'll try it!
I hope it would work!

Thank you thank you

@polo naref
I use tugzip

@chadw1985
It work it work

Thank you!
Btw what the max.sizes icon on softkey?

Hello all.I'm new in this forum.I have a little problem with my k510.I do it allright,my phone starts up,but there is no label MENU on my RIGHT SOFTKEY HOOK [code]RIGHT_SOFTKEY_HOOK.xml 0100444 0000002 0000002 00000000463 10414411076 0013203 0 ustar root root <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<MenuItem version="1.0"><item_text><TEXT default_lang="en" str="Menu"/></item_text><item_help><TEXT default_lang="en" str="Menu"/></item_help><item_icon/><item_action><ACTION type="Internal" str="Menu" mode="Normal"/></item_action></MenuItem> code]
Where I'm wrong?
Tnx in advance,sorry for my bad english!

I use 20x20



Try this
RIGHT SOFTKEY HOOK

Thank you chawd,i'll try to make my own images

Erm... Tnx mate,but this too isn't right file.Maybe it is beacouse of my customization ( TIM GREECE)