Questions about opening files on Alfred

[Jason30]

As shown in the figure, after entering the link in Alfred, is there a way to open it directly with PDF expert? Instead of opening in DT and then choose to open in PDF Expert.

Thank you very much for your answer

[BLUEFROG]

No, there’s not. That’s not how URL schemes work.
The URL scheme belongs to DEVONthink and only activates it.

I don’t run Alfred, but it would likely be possible to create a Powerpack workflow get record with uuid, get the path of the item, and pass that to PDF Expert to open.

[Jason30]

I will try it. Thanks for your advice.

[BLUEFROG]

You’re welcome

[pete31]

@Jason30

is there a way to open it directly with PDF expert?

This script uses the default app to open the record

-- Open record with default app

set theReferenceURL to "x-devonthink-item://4D3C5C22-DF6C-4264-A279-A0B7386A2822" -- replace this with e.g. Alfred's input

tell application id "DNtp"
	try
		set theRecord to (get record with uuid theReferenceURL)
		if theRecord = missing value then error "No record"
		set thePath to path of theRecord
		if thePath = "" or (POSIX file thePath as string) ends with ":" then error "No file"
		tell application "Finder"
			open file (POSIX file thePath as alias)
		end tell
		
	on error error_message number error_number
		if the error_number is not -128 then display alert "DEVONthink" message error_message as warning
		return
	end try
end tell

[Jason30]

Oh! Thank you so much for your reply! But I don’t know anything about how to use computer scripts. If you have time, can you give me an overview of how the script should be used?

Thanks again!

[Jason30]

@Jason30

Oh! Thank you so much for your reply! But I don’t know anything about how to use computer scripts. If you have time, can you give me an overview of how the script should be used?

Perhaps you can provide very effective guidance, if you wish? @BLUEFROG

[chrillek]

@Jason30

But I don’t know anything about how to use computer scripts

Maybe googling “Alfred AppleScript” helps? Or they provide online explanations on how to incorporate scripts in their workflows.

[BLUEFROG]

As I said, I don’t run Alfred.

From what I gather, you need the Powerpack purchase to create a workflow. I believe the workflows have a node for running AppleScripts.

[Jason30]

Okay, got it. Very lucky to have met you. Have a nice day.

[pete31]

@Jason30

If you have time, can you give me an overview of how the script should be used?

Here’s how a blank Workflow is created in Alfred:

• Make sure to select the Workflows tab at the upper left corner
• Click the + at the bottom and Blank Workflow

Here’s how an AppleScript action is created:

• Make sure so have the focus on the Workflow content (not on the Workflow in the sidebar)
• Contextual menu > Actions > Run Script:

• In Alfred’s script editor window:

  • Open the Language dropdown and select /usr/bin/osascript (AS)
  • Open the dropdown to the right and select with input as {query}

Your Run Script action should look like this:

"{query}" is the input that the script gets from Alfred.

How you like to input a DEVONthink Reference URL into Alfred is up to you (at the moment I can’t imagine a way that would make sense).

Visit the Alfred forum for Alfred questions.

[Jason30]

Thank you for your patience and detailed guidance!

I followed your steps to create the exact same workflow, but I still can’t get it to work. Do I need to create other steps in that workflow?

If you have a ready-made workflow that can be implemented, can you forward it to share? Thanks again!

[pete31]

@Jason30

Do I need to create other steps in that workflow?

Of course. The script needs some input:

@pete31

"{query}" is the input that the script gets from Alfred.

How you like to input a DEVONthink Reference URL into Alfred is up to you (at the moment I can’t imagine a way that would make sense).

But that’s not related to DEVONthink. Did you ask in the Alfred Forum?

[Stephen_C]

See, for example, this post on the Alfred forums, and the linked workflow (which I use from time to time).

Stephen

[chrillek]

@pete31

if thePath = "" or (POSIX file thePath as string) ends with ":"

Out of curiosity: Could you also write
if the Path = "" or thePath ends with "/"
since “/” in Unix is equivalent to “:” in HPFS…?
Is this check meant to prevent using an indexed folder?

[pete31]

@chrillek

Is this check meant to prevent using an indexed folder?

Yes

@chrillek

Could you also write
if the Path = "" or thePath ends with "/"

Yes, this would work in DEVONthink. But some apps don’t return a folder’s POSIX path with a trailing slash while others do. This makes it impossible to reliably tell from a POSIX path whether it’s a folder’s or a file’s path. A folder’s HFS path always ends with : so this can be used to tell the difference.

[chrillek]

Tx. It’s always amazing how complicated apparently simple things can become

Personally, I’d rather go for something like POSIX file thePath is a folder, though. If that’s at all possible, of course. Can a path of a record in DT even be empty?

Update I found this one

tell application "System Events"
if anItem is package folder or kind of anItem is "Folder" or kind of anItem is "Volume" then
…
end if

where anItem is apparently an alias of a file. Definitely not simpler than your approach.

[Jason30]

Thank you for the recommendation. But this doesn’t seem to work for entering DT’s URL in Alfred.

[Jason30]

@pete31

但这与Devonthink无关。你在阿尔弗雷德论坛上问过吗？

Does this seem like something that can’t be fixed?

[Stephen_C]

Sorry - it was the best general Alfred DT workflow I could find.

Stephen