I have some smart group criteria I need to use in a smart rule. Any way to specify a smart rule from the criteria or at least specify the rule using text as in the search bar?
Could you clarify what you’re asking and include any screen captures that could be helpful?
Being able to specify like this
Or being able to drag in a smart group search criteria would be nice.
Having to replicate a complicated predicate using a GUI is tedious.
Those are set up by the choices in the criteria. What you’re showing is just the raw syntax underlying it.
There was an option to Control-click a global smart group and convert it to a global smart rule. @cgrunenberg would have to comment on its disappearance.
That would work.
There’s also the option to Duplicate and repurpose an existing smart rule once you’ve set one up.
Disappearance? Just right- or control-click on the smart group, press the Alternate modifier key and choose “Duplicate as Smart Rule”.
Does not work here for me on DT3 and MacOS 11. After bringing up the contextual menu the only item that changes when I press the option key is “Move to Trash” changes to “Move All Instances To Trash”.
Did you right/control-click on a global smart group or on a local smart group inside a database? Which version do you use?
Same here: For local smart groups, only the “Trash” entry changes. For global smart groups, nothing at all changes when I press “alternate” (option).
Smart group or rule? A screenshot might be useful showing the menu.
You’re clicking on a local smart group there, @tgunr
Try clicking the Today global smart group below it and hold the Option key.
@cgrunenberg: The option reappeared after a restart.
Ok, I see that now, but why can’t the same be done for database smart groups? Oh, and just discovered, you can’t move a smart group (or rule) from global to database but your can go from database to global. Also, discovered by accident, you can drag from database smart group to global smart rule! Thats nice, but should be able to go in both directions, no?
Because smart groups in databases are local. Smart rules are global.
@cgrunenberg would have to comment on your other questions but it’s likely due to global smart groups being able to target all databases, while local smart groups only target within their own database.
That is very helpful
However it seems that many searches cannot be converted into a SmartGroup (and thus cannot then be converted to a SmartRule). In particular, when I create a search with a compound predictate such as below, the “Save” option is grayed out. Is that intentional?
It would seem to the predicate at lease could be transferred as it is typically the most complex part.
Smart rules can’t be located in databases (as their order is important) and local smart groups can only search in the same database whereas global ones can search everywhere.