Sorting files into folders

I find myself spending way too much time scrolling the list of folders with my mouse whenever I am dispatching files from my Inbox folder to the other folders containing the stuff. It isn’t clear at all how to force the auto sort to predictably sort in to the right folder. But I think I should be able to achieve this by typing in a tag on a file and then allowing the auto sort to take anything with a given tag and dump it in the right folder. Alternatively, I would like to associate tagging files with a fast control dialog, and possibly augmented by a keyboard hotkey.

How is this done by proficient Devonthink users ?

You can’t “force it” to do anything. The AI has to be trained. It doesn’t magically know what to do. Like a new assistant, it learns where things are commonly stored and can later make better choices.

If you are using group tags (unchecking File > Database Properties > Exclude Groups from Tagging), adding a tag that is the name of a group would create a replicant in that group.

Pressing Control-Enter will put the cursor in the Tags bar under a selected document.

Let me then ask a question more specifically. Is it possible to have a script which will pars the tags associated with files in the Inbox and sort them to folders with the tag name in the name of the folder. Alternatively, if folders have Devonthink GUIDs, is it possible to tag the file with the GUID and then run a script to dispatch the files to the folders matching the GUIDs ?

I’m trying to remove they keyboard and mouse.

If anyone think that the AI is reliable to dispatch files into the right folders, I would only consider doing this if I can have a ‘revert back’ and a log of what AI did insofar as dispatching the files in the right folders.

For now, the tags seems to be the best way.

F.

I just tried your trick to Tag with the folder name. It does put the replicant in the folder. That’s a good start. Then once the replicant is in there, is there a way to force the replacement of the replicant with the master copy of the file. That is, move the file out of the inbox into the folder into which the replicant was there. Further, is there a hotkey in the list view for entering a tag on a file without having to preview it ?

I seem to observe an interesting behaviour. When you tag with the folder name upon the setting being removed from the database properties, it then creates a replicant into the folder. And when you delete the file from the inbox, then the file in the folder is no longer a replicant but the actual copy of the file. Is this the intended behaviour of replicants ?

How can one find where exists a replicant of the same file ?

F.

Auto-Classify logs where files are moved and you can use Command-Z to undo the move, but obviously there’s a short lifespan on Undo.

Possible? Sure.

Also possible.

Not without scripting, and a replacement would be unnecessary. You would just remove one instance of the file.

No. But you can show a Tags column and enter them there. Pressing Tab moves you through the columns that can be edited. Also Tags can be entered in Tools > Show Info.

Yes.

In the Instances dropdown of Tools > Show Info.

However…

And you intend to use what as an input device? You’re not going to totally eliminate using either or both in what you’re describing.

Just the mouse…