Launching applications that *require* arguments via panel menu

[Toralf Lund <toralf procaptura com>]

I have some applications that won't work start at all unless command line 
arguments are specified. I want to add these to the panel menu, but 
obviously normal .desktop files with the application name in "Exec=" won't 
do, as no arguments will be passed on startup, then; I somehow need to ask 
the user for input data that can be passed on the command line. Is there a 
standard mechanism for that in GNOME these days? Actually, I wrote an 
"application launcher" that might help me a few years ago, but I'd rather 
use built-in functionality if possible.

- Toralf