A Scan Name/Text action using a regular expression might also be sufficient.
How would one go about that? One could specify an RE like (keyword 1|keyword 2|keyword 3)
. But then I would need somethingā¢ to set the tag to tag1
, tag2
or tag3
depending on which keyword was found. While this would be possible with the replace
method in JavaScript (or possibly similar functions in other environments), I do not see any way to achieve this with a simple RE match: Thereās no way to figure out which of the keywords was matched.
Alternatively define all your tags first, then simply use the action Execute Script > External > Tags - Assign
Right. But it is still a āone tag, one ruleā approach. I expressed myself badly before. Or maybe not ā you described how one would set the tag to keyword1
, keyword2
or keyword3
. I was talking about a mapping of keyword1
to tag1
, keyword2
to tag2
and so on. Thatās quite different because Iād like to assign Search engine
to Google
, Windows
to Microsoft
, and macOS
to Apple
. That is, Iām still convinced, not possible with a regular expression currently.
Please see
for a hopefully better explanation. That way, it would be possible to have a single smart rule to assign all (or at least a lot of) tags to records using simple string matching or regular expressions at leisure.
A simple rule is not sufficient but defining the tags first and adding the desired aliases would make this possible.
A UI-based approach would be to give me a way to organize my rules and another way to prioritize their execution. Again, itās not that complicated.
So, Iām not as dumb as my āsmartā rules might seem. I have separate auto-tags because they have separate filter criteria and I like to be able to shut them on/off individually. Also, I havenāt written actual code (which is what I assume you mean by āscriptā) in years. What percentage of business users can āscriptā by your defintion?
The existing model conflates two things: visual organization and priority. I suggest there is a relatively straightforward fix to this, which is to provide a mechanism for organizing and a mechanism for prioritizing.
I personally feel this is akin to saying āthe way to win a football match is to score more goals; itās really that simpleā; whilst your fix is obvious, you donāt describe what the fix actually is. Iāve thought about this problem numerous times in the past, and havenāt come up with anything suitably clean. Have you got a suggestion as to how you would define rule priority?
I have been pushing harder than anyone else on this Forum for Smart Rules Folders. It would be extremely helpful in my use case.
That said, I completely understand that what seems ānot complicatedā given my databases might well cause chaos to another userās databases. As Devontech explained, the UI affects the order of execution of smart rules, which in turn can have immense consequences for some users.
While I share your frustration at the delay, my frustration is not aimed at DevonTech staff. They are among the most willing to respond to user requests and suggests workarounds that I have ever experienced. I have no doubt if there were an easy/quick solution to this it would have been implemented long ago; and I have no doubt they will ultimately add this feature as soon as practical.
While I understand what youāre saying, I disagree with your way of saying it: On the one hand, you havenāt āwritten code in yearsā and on the other hand, you are certain that writing the code you want is ānot that complicatedā. That boils down to āthe developers are too lazy or disinterested to do the simple thing I want.ā
Thereās a relatively small team of developers and a huge list of features users are asking for (me included). Ad hominem attacks are probably not getting your wishes prioritized.
One way to lighten your perceived burden might be fewer rules. Iāve posted a sample script elsewhere in the forum. It can perhaps be used as a starting point (adding, for example, conditions to it).
Smart rules are ok, but still relatively dumb (no loops, no conditionals, simplistic predicates). So, for more demanding scenarios, Iād go with a script where I can do things easily that might be more difficult or impossible with smart rules.
Again, itās not that complicated.
I understand you think that is the case, but itās simply not.
Trust me (or not ), if the solution were simple, we would have implemented it long ago.
Again, itās not merely a cosmetic change youāre talking about. The order of smart rules targeting a location makes a difference. And while you may say, āIām not doing such things!ā, we have people who are. We canāt break things for them to suit those who arenāt utilizing those options.
What percentage of business users can āscriptā by your defintion?
We donāt have any particular metrics on this. However, we have many people who script, AppleScript (ObjC) and JavaScript as well. DEVONthink is well known for its robust automation options, and scripting is a large part of that. In fact, we have many people who have begun scripting because of DEVONthink, a fact we are proud of.
PS: @chrillek is not an employee of DEVONtechnologies; heās just a well-respected and knowledgable participant on these forums. If youāre looking for one of us, we have our teal ammonite circle on the side of our avatar.
Thereās me thinking it was kryptoniteā¦
New Macs are my kryptonite. I am powerless against them!
I had this sudden vision of this one person trying to save the world. They are instructed to look for the person with the teal ammonite circle on the side of their avatar. 48 hours later they are still rooted to the spot, wondering what on Earth one of those even is. (Set the scene in your mind with mayhem, darkness, smoke, dramatic voices and a tear or two.)
(and I remain immensely grateful to you for that bespoke script that got me going)
I could have said ālook for the cute blueish-green curlicueā
+1 for being able to being able to better organize many smart rules
+1 for folders for smart rules