Using Launchbar with DTP

Hello all.
I use Launchbar extensively to clean up, move items, etc. in Finder. Having started with Devonthink, I would like to be able to do the same. I have searched this forum, but cannot find much on this topic. Does any of you have experience using Launchbar with DTP? Examples of tasks I would like to perform are:

  • Finding items by invoking the “Name” field in DTP, pretty much the same way that Launchbar scrolls through the Finder hierarchy (if you know the name of folders, you will not need an updated index)
  • Moving, duplicating and replicating DTP items through Launchbar
  • Labelling DTP items through Launchbar
  • Tagging through Launchbar
  • Send DTP items to Omnifocus with a link in OF’s note field, where DTP field “Name” appears in stead of url through Launchbar.

I am aware, of course, that there are scripts such as “Add as to do to Omnifocus” but I would really love to stick to Launchbar as my system wide operational center… Any input would be much appreciated.

I’m with you, aarild—I’d love to see better LaunchBar integration with DT. I’m not sure how this would actually happen, though: AFAIK LaunchBar isn’t openly extensible, and DEVONthink uses a database structure to manage its contents.

That said, this is part of the reason I’ve started using indexed folders again for some types of content. E.g. for a subject area I’ll create a folder on my hard drive where I save PDFs and other types of “big” documents. Then, in DT I create a DT group for the same subject area. Within the DT group I index the folder.

Now the contents of the “real” folder can be navigated/edited with LaunchBar, and I can access it all within DT as well. It’s not 100% ideal but it helps out with some things.

Also: it’s kludgy, but you can also use LaunchBar to search for DTPO database files using at least two methods:

  1. Use the “Search File Package Contents” option in LB
  2. Add [database package.dtBase2]/Files.noindex as a folder to LB

That said, doing this is a bad idea because you really don’t want to be messing around in the DTPO database package.

re: Searching DTP with Launchbar

Here’s an AppleScript you can put, for instance, in

/Users//Library/Application Support/LaunchBar/Actions/DT Search.scpt

to search open databases with Launchbar:


on handle_string(pSearchString)
	tell application "DEVONthink Pro"
		activate
		tell application "System Events"
			keystroke "f" using {command down, shift down}
			if pSearchString is "" then
				keystroke "v" using {command down}
			else
				keystroke pSearchString
			end if
			keystroke return
			keystroke return
		end tell
	end tell
end handle_string

Thanks, Dave—that’ll be a great timesaver!