I opened this link within DEVONthink 3 from a sample PDF database, these were articles from Apple. I am using the sample database to learn how to use DEVONthink. I right-clicked the root directory and then clicked on " Copy Database Link ". I then added " ? search=Steve%20Jobs ". The link worked fine in opening the root directory containing the PDF files but failed to do a search for Steve Jobs with the yellow highlight. When I edited this link the %20 was gone as if this part of the link was not excepted by DEVONthink.
This is not proper syntax for a URL command search. The proper syntax is…
x-devonthink://search?query=dropbox%20sync
You can also target a specific database like so…
x-devonthink://search?query=dropbox%20sync%20scope:mobile%20for%20sync
There is no spaces anywhere and no quotes ?search=Steve%20Jobs.
It’s not a matter of spaces or quotes. If you are using the database’s item link, the syntax is wrong for searching.
A search is a command not a DEVONthink item.
search is actually a valid parameter of item links but it’s unclear whether the database or the document should be searched.
Ahh, indeed. I haven’t really used that form much (obviously).
I’m also seeing an issue with a database link doesn’t display a search in DEVONthink.
x-devonthink-item://542C2B43-F93D-48A3-9A0D-BF734E4B6EB6?search=dropbox%20sync
A file item link works with a singular search term, e.g.,…
x-devonthink-item://7A35C13C-CDCF-4613-8260-EB71C0BA5B3E?search=dropbox
but not multiple terms…
x-devonthink-item://7A35C13C-CDCF-4613-8260-EB71C0BA5B3E?search=dropbox%20sync
What kind of document is linked in this case?
The document does not contain the phrase dropbox sync. DEVONthink looks for the exact string in the document.
So quotes are assumed with the URL scheme instead of an AND search, correct?
It’s just a string search (like in TextEdit or Preview), operators aren’t supported.
Gotcha.
I will update the documentation to reflect this.
x-devonthink-item://DCF36D40-6CED-4BFF-BA43-CC537DDDBFBE?page=23&?search=alias
The above link now works as long I create a link to a specific PDF document. So I get the yellow highlight on the word alias. No exactly what I wanted but close enough. I can work with this. Thanks for the previous comments.
John Flanagan
A fixed link would look this:
x-devonthink-item://DCF36D40-6CED-4BFF-BA43-CC537DDDBFBE?page=23&search=alias
Yes, that is exactly what I have.
The difference is indeed tiny:
&?search=alias vs. &search=alias
To clarify: there must be exactly one question mark following the URL proper, indicating that the query string (in the sense of HTTP) follows.
The parameters of the query are separated by & signs, and only those – no question mark after the first one,
In general, query parameters consist of a key (like search), followed by =, followed by a value (like Scott). Though valueless parameters are possible, too, I think. In which case the = is absent, too.
All this is old stuff from the beginning of the web, and there’s no room for leniency – query strings were many to be built by browser and other software, not mere mortals. It’s easy to introduce typos therefore.
I finally realized that I don’t need the %20 to create a space between the word Steve and the word Jobs. This was true when DEVONthink 3 came out in 2019 but apparently was corrected. Link below works!
x-devonthink-item://BFEC725D-65BA-400A-9836-32523505B6F1?search=Steve Jobs
Where exactly did you use this link? Some apps might add the missing percent escapes (%20), others not.
This PDF document was an apple Press Release in 2016. I opened the mac Text Edit that came with my mac and under the Format menu, I selected Make Rich Text. Copied and pasted the link into the just-created RTF document. This was outside of DEVONthink 3, on my desktop. This also works inside of DEVONthink.