Pros of Open-Shell-Menu

• More mature and established project with a larger user base
• Offers a classic Start Menu experience familiar to Windows 7 users
• Highly customizable with extensive theming options

Cons of Open-Shell-Menu

• Limited to Start Menu replacement, not a full shell environment
• Development has slowed down in recent years
• May not integrate as seamlessly with modern Windows features

Code Comparison

Open-Shell-Menu (C++):

LRESULT CStartMenuDlg::OnInitDialog(UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam, BOOL& bHandled)
{
    Super::OnInitDialog(message, wParam, lParam, bHandled);
    SetWindowText(LoadStringEx(IDS_START_MENU));
    m_Tooltip.Create(m_hWnd);
    return TRUE;
}

Cairo Shell (C#):

public override void Initialize()
{
    base.Initialize();
    DesktopManager.Instance.Initialize();
    MenuBar menuBar = new MenuBar();
    Shell.ShellManager.Instance.SetMenuBar(menuBar);
}

Cairo Shell offers a more modern, customizable desktop environment with a full shell replacement, while Open-Shell-Menu focuses on providing a classic Start Menu experience. Cairo Shell is written in C#, making it potentially easier for .NET developers to contribute, whereas Open-Shell-Menu is written in C++, which may offer better performance but with a steeper learning curve for contributors.

Pros of Rainmeter

• Highly customizable with a vast library of user-created skins
• Lightweight and resource-efficient
• Extensive documentation and active community support

Cons of Rainmeter

• Steeper learning curve for creating custom skins
• Limited shell replacement capabilities
• May require more manual configuration for a cohesive desktop experience

Code Comparison

Rainmeter (Lua):

[MeasureCPU]
Measure=CPU
[MeterCPU]
Meter=String
MeasureName=MeasureCPU
Text=CPU Usage: %1%

Cairo Shell (C#):

public class CPUMeter : DesktopWidget
{
    public override void Update()
    {
        Text = $"CPU Usage: {GetCPUUsage()}%";
    }
}

Summary

Rainmeter excels in desktop customization with its extensive skin ecosystem, while Cairo Shell focuses on providing a complete shell replacement. Rainmeter offers more flexibility for creating widgets but requires more effort to achieve a unified desktop experience. Cairo Shell provides a more integrated approach to desktop customization but may have fewer options for individual widget customization.