Three years ago, and again about a year ago, I made a request in these forums for what I called the “Hazel-ification” of DevonThink - in other words, additional automation of the ways in which DT handles files. Christian replied, essentially, “Stay tuned and watch this space” (alongside a very reasonable explanation of why my original request of three years ago had not been fulfilled). Christian described the planned developments as “actions”.
Well, I stress that this post is NOT a nag, but I am still tuned in and watching. Throughout my use of DevonThink, I have always wanted to make my use of DTPO’s Global Inbox more automatic. I import 50 or 60 files a month, sometimes many more, into my DTPO databases. From the Global Inbox, I distribute them to their final resting places in groups. Hitherto I have done this mainly by drag and drop via the Groups and Tags list, but sometimes I use DT’s excellent “AI”, and just occasionally I use the Sorter. However, I wish that this final distribution could happen more automatically (as, hypothetically at least, I am sure that it could). And I have a particular reason for wishing this now. I have recently split my two DT databases into more than 30, partly because I’ve wanted to make syncing to DTTG quicker and easier. Of course, sorting imported files into groups in these 30-plus databases adds time and greater risk of human error to the distribution process, which I would dearly like to shortcut.
To achieve this, if automation of processes such as mine above is not planned in the relatively near future, I shall be faced with a choice. Either I shall have to reverse all my tens of thousands of files out into folders in the Finder, index them there with DT, and import files into them using Hazel’s rules (risking the issues that go with indexing rather than importing); or I shall have to build a slightly complicated Finder folder structure embedding Hazel and DT’s existing Automator actions as gateway rules for importing files into each of my 30-plus DTPO databases. Either of those two steps would be additional work that of course I would rather not do if the introduction of “DevonThink Actions” is imminent. (I am not sufficiently proficient at AppleScript to use it to help create my own “actions”.)
So my request is this: what is the progress on “actions”? In other words, when, even approximately, is their ETA? And my related and key (for me) question: when the actions do arrive, will they help to automate the Global Inbox in ways that will speed the importation of files into DTPO, if a user like me so desires?