I’d been using HoudaSpot for long time, until all my important documents went to DT. Then, before next HS upgrade, I noticed that there are no reasons left to use HoudaSpot - DT’s search with all its metadata, smart groups and etc is much more powerful alternative.
For all those files outside DT it is enough of Spotlight (for indexed files) and FindAnyFile for the rest.
As for mail, I archive it all in DT with my script, emls and attachments separately for search inside attachments, and search it in DT or in Apple Mail. Emls and attachments are connected to each other and to email in Mail app (if account is on and they are not deleted there).
I’m with you, Bluefrog. I have multiple databases: Household (everything from banking/taxes, to receipts for fixing the toilet). The book I’m writing. Computer: everything related to hardware/software: serial#s, renewal dates, etc. And several more.
I designate each database as a “Favorite” and use Sorter to drag and drop files as they come in. If I’m not sure where to put it, it goes in Sorter:Inbox. Any time I want a pdf from an online source, I use the Print option, Save to DevonThink, which allows me to scroll down and put the file in a particular folder…
I’m also a big fan of *Smart Folders (see screenshot: the asterisk keeps it conveniently at the top), so I can zero in on filetype, among many, many other options such as Language (including Amharic).
You can use Finder as a data dump. DevonThink is a powerful tool for helping you organize and work with digital material, but you do have to think about what you plan to do with it, and suitable naming of Folders/Files helps, as does the use of Duplicates and Replicants. And the Search function is amazing – way beyond what you can do with Spotlight! Check out Concordance and See Also & Clarify.
Definition of Elegance: characterized by scientific precision, neatness, and simplicity. Einstein understood that.
Any time I want a pdf from an online source, I use the Print option, Save to DevonThink, which allows me to scroll down and put the file in a particular folder…
You can also clip a PDF via our browser extension. If DEVONthink’s Settings > Files > Import > Destination is set to Select group, you can choose the destination from the group selector too.
Know about browser extension, but am so used to hitting CommandP, and don’t always want somthing to go to DT, so it’s all-purpose (I do still use Finder for some things ).
For the most part, I gave up on manual tagging for several reasons:
The filename is a tag.
A search will find any keyword in a document; in effect, all distinctive words can be thought of as tags (don’t search on “the” or “and”).
Efficiency – one less step to take.
This approach does not work for an image unless it has a distinctive filename, although a Search will find metadata, such as date/time added/altered, geolocation, etc.
However, if an image is in a folder named date/subject, that name is a tag, and all files within the folder are also assigned that tag – they are parent/child files. Similarly, adding a file as a Replicant or Duplicate to any folder automatically tags it with that folder name.
A manually added tag is useful if a document does not contain a specific search term relevant to a topic filed elsewhere. Helpful if you’re unlikely to remember anything more about it than a vague idea that it might someday be useful to topic x.
Plus, there is also the ability to create links that Bluefrog mentioned above.
That will make my week! But, I’m unaware how to do this (having not explored Shortcuts like this) and looking around to do it, I’ve failed. Exactly how to setup this shortcut key?
More automation: you can change the built-in script (Save to DT) so, that it could save your PDF in the current DT group, and suggest group chooser only if no group or item is selected.
Here it is: /Users/YourName/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts
You can attach one of those to any folder. Right-click on the folder - Folder Actions Setup…
It’ll open the dialog, where you can attach script to the folder.
Here is the modified script:
-- Script to move saved file to DT
-- Modified by Silverstone on 14.04.2021
-- Updated on 26.04.2021 to escape working on MS Office TEMP files
on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving added_items
set added_items to set_viable_list out of added_items
try
if (count of added_items) is greater than 0 then
tell application id "DNtp"
try
set theGroup to (get selection)
if theGroup is {} then
set theGroup to display group selector
else
set theGroup to item 1 of theGroup
end if
if kind of theGroup is not "group" then set theGroup to current group
set theImported to 0
repeat with theItem in added_items
try
set thePath to POSIX path of theItem
set theRecord to import thePath to theGroup
perform smart rule trigger import event record theRecord
if exists theRecord then do shell script "rm -R " & quoted form of thePath
log message info "Item '" & proposed filename of theRecord & "' is imported successfully to '" & name of theGroup & "'" record theRecord
set theImported to theImported + 1
end try
end repeat
activate
on error ErrMsg
tell application "Finder" to set theName to name of the theItem
log message "There was a problem importing a file" info "Importing of file '" & theName & "' into the group '" & name of theGroup & "' is failed. Error: " & ErrMsg
end try
end tell
end if
end try
end adding folder items to
on set_viable_list out of theList
set theClearList to {}
repeat with theItem in theList
set thePath to POSIX path of theItem
tell application "Finder" to set theName to name of the theItem
if thePath does not end with ".download:" and thePath does not end with ".crdownload:" then
if theName does not start with "~$" then
set the end of theClearList to theItem
end if
end if
end repeat
return theClearList
end set_viable_list
Don’t forget to make this folder favourite in Finder - to have it under your hand in file operations. All you need is to send any file(s) to this folder, and it’ll move it to the current DT group. If file is selected - it’ll move it to the enclosing group. If none is selected - it’ll suggest the group chooser to choose the group manually.
Don’t think there are any pros or cons.
May be for those, who don’t have Hazel
Well, there is one - you’ll see a small gear icon in the menubar when something is importing… ))
).
