How to find and select files from browser? So far the only method I found has been to drag and drop, but not all pages support that. Is there a way to browse DT from the finder window? Or to search specifically in DT from finder?
Welcome @rox
How to find and select files from browser?
From what browser ? Please clarify what you’re asking.
So far the only method I found has been to drag and drop, but not all pages support that.
Please clarify what you’re asking here too.
Is there a way to browse DT from the finder window?
You should not access the internals of a DEVONthink databse from the Finder.
Or to search specifically in DT from finder?
If File > Database Properties > Create Spotlight Index is enabled for a database in DEVONthink, you can use Spotlight searching to locate a file in DEVONthink.
Sorry for not being more specific. I meant the Chrome web browser and I was accessing the Google Drive page. Files can be dragged into the window for upload or you can select the + sign and get a normal Finder window to select files from your hard drive.
My files in DT are organized by a folder hierarchy and tags. I was looking to learn if there was a way to browse DT from the Finder window or specifically search within DT and not my whole mac. I have spotlight enabled which is helpful when you know the filename but I hardly recall those usually.
I am not trying to access the internal DB, I’ve seen that folder structure it’s completely unrelated to DT folder hierarchy I see in the program. Just now, I used spotlight to find a recent PDF image I scanned into DT and was trying to upload to hellofax dot com, but it reported an error with incompatible dt3 file, which was weird since the file i selected showed in Finder as a PD. Ultimately I’m just trying the to find the ‘right’ way to select files in from DT for use in a web browser or really an application.
The “right way” to search in DT is to use the stunningly powerful and fast search engine in DT itself. You can drag and drop any file from or to the DT main window, so you could have simply dragged the file from the DT main window and dropped it into your browser.
As far as incompatibility with the website you quote is concerned, I cannot comment - DT does not change files or store them in a proprietary format, so any incompatibility with external services would be out of DT’s hands.
I have no issue searching in DT, it’s great there, my question is on how to access that greatness from outside the app. So I gather then that I need to think of DT as sort of a Finder alternative, since it’s not possible to see a database (with folder structure) from macOS Finder. That’s not a hard-stop for me but it does add steps to accessing files from other programs. Take Terminal as an example, if I need to reference a DT folder with thousands .csv, .xls, and .xlsx files then I would need to export from DT first, since there is no equivalent path to use. That’s fine for one-offs but it’s the type of thing I need to do several times a day.
Oh man, that was illuminating, thanks for sharing that, not sure how I missed it since I searched before posting. Anyhow that gives me something to think over in how I want to use DT. Indexing might end up being the option I use, I’ll need to read more on that.
Like the other thread I too would really like to see the DT available in Finder, as a volume since it makes the files so much more accessible for other applications, especially Terminal. We are all probably imaging it differently, in my mind it would act like a volume or network share with high level folders being the type of view (Based on Groups, Tags, or SmartGroups).
//DT3/Group/{DATABASE}/{Group}/{SubGroup}/{FILE.TXT}
//DT3/Tags/{DATABASE}/{Tag}/{FILE.TXT}
//DT3/SmartGroups/{DATABASE}/{Smart Group}/{FILE.TXT}
Thanks for the quick responses and attention, it’s been super helpful.
Groups in DEVONthink do not exist is the filesystem do no, they’re not accessible in the Finder.
@Blanc is correct about utilizing search and drag and drop for locating files to upload.
You should read the Help > Documentation > In & Out > Importing & Indexing section of the help before committing to indexing.
PS: DEVONthink is not a Finder nor a Spotlight replacement.
Thanks, I do understand that groups do no exist in the finder which is why it would be a virtual view from Finder into DT. I’ve read through the indexing documentation and it’s a half solution but it sort of breaks how I wanted to use DT. I was hoping to use DT as a way to store/organize files as soon as they are saved or downloaded. The issue is I usually need to work on those files once saved, either in an external app or quite often running through a batch process with terminal. If I choose to Index then I’m not really benefiting from the organizational features in DT, and must organize manually. If I choose import then I can easily classify and organize but now lose the ability to easily reference a set of files in an external app like Terminal. Relying only on drag and drop is too limiting, not viable for command line, and not guaranteed to be an option in every external app. I’m still leaning toward buying DT Pro but will need to think of it as an archive or final destination for files.