How do I query for ANY alphanumeric contents in a custom metadata field?

DEVONthink
21

Yes, I know, however it works fine over here (on Mojave).

The best way would of course be adding an AppleScript command to DEVONthink that really deletes meta data.

Then users could get rid of it if it’s no longer needed. That may be not an important issue now, however in some years users might have collected a lot of meta data that they no longer need. Adding a command in the near future would serve users who already are facing unwanted meta data.

Feature request: Please add a way to completely delete meta data from a record.

22

@cgrunenberg would have to assess this request. but it’s noted.

23

Thanks!

24

The next release will simply support this by also accepting empty arrays (as it’s unbelievably complicated in AppleScript to define empty records/dictionaries):

set the custom meta data of item 1 of selected records to {}
1 Like
25

So this means we can

  • set a variable to current meta data,
  • set meta data to {},
  • set meta data to only what’s desired

right?

26

This should all be possible, actually only the second step isn’t possible right now.

1 Like
27

Awesome :clap: Thanks a lot Criss

28

The next release will simply support

@cgrunenberg may I suggest, also, some sort of “are you sure” warning to present before metadata fields in Preferences > Data are actually deleted? Right now, pressing the little minus icon instantly deletes the currently-selected metadata field. Some sort of warning seems appropriate so as to rescue some idiot like me who might have the WRONG field selected and/or not intend to depress that minus button in the first place.

Many thanks for incorporating an actual script for true deletion of metadata in a future edition. I agree with Pete that this could really come in handy for many users. Cheers!

29

Actually only the definition/preference is deleted, not the actual metadata of the files. But we’ll add an alert.

1 Like