Wish list: add tag by typing

It would be nice if it were possible to add a tag to a RTF Note simply by typing, for example if I type a certain string sequence (configurable in preferences) such as #/# followed by a word or string, that word or string would automatically be added as a tag. I imagine to make this work, the tag would have to be in quotes or contain underscores between words.
My suggestion is inspired by other apps such as Bear which already implement it. It’s fast and convenient.
thank you

Not exactly what you want. But if you use an automation app, you can do at least this.

  1. type your word/tag
  2. type space twice
  3. the word is copied, a new tag is created and added to the current document.

Or create your own “unique search term”

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thank you for your reply @FrankT

I have difficulty understanding: (working in an RTF document)
If I type a pre-existing tag, it automatically (without adding 2 spaces) because a link to all tags with similar names, but it is not added as a tag to the current document.
If I type any word which does not exist as a tag, followed by space twice, nothing happens. Just a word followed by space twice.

There must be something that I don’t understand.

Not DT does that. You need an additional app, something like BTT or Keyboard Maestro.

RTF document is ok (or any other). With BTT you can define that something only happens when the cursor is in a certain field. The advantage is that you don’t have to write the tag in the tag field, you can write it directly in the text. Two times space is just an example of a trigger that adds a new or existing tag.

If you don’t know these apps, it sounds much more complicated than it is :slightly_smiling_face:

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Now I understand: sorry !

The trigger (double space or anything else) triggers a macro (let’s limit the discussion to KBM) which adds the word as a tag.

With Keyboard Maestro, for example, adding a word as a tag is easy … once I know the word, but how to you go back → select → copy that word to be able to add it as a tag ?

if my word is orange and the trigger $$$, and I type orange$$$ how do I get KM to go back → identify the word before the trigger and copy it to clipboard ?

I don’t know KM very well and I’m not sure if I understand you correctly. This macro would copy the last written word and add it as a tag.

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great ! all clear. thanks very much !

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Umm… Preferences > Files > Import > Tags: Convert hashtags to tags. What am I missing?

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only when you import, but not as you type in a pre-existing RTF created in DevonThink. Is that correct ?
can I just ask you: how do you type date added in the search pane. dateadded: or date_add: ?
thank you

If I type #something in a new or existing RTF in DEVONthink and ⌘S (save) or click away from the document to another document, the tag is added to the document I was editing, or if the tag did not already exist, it is created and added to the document.

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how I understand. thanks VERY much !

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These are discussed in the Appendix > Search Prefixes section of the built-in Help and manual. The prefixes are documented as the raw query value you can type in the toolbar search field.

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thank you for your help and patience @BLUEFROG

Thanks for the concept; I use Keyboard Maestro and Applescript
A KM macro triggered by the string, and a script to add the tag

Thanks, I was having trouble figuring out the capture
I would have the macro launch an applescript

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You’re welcome.

I probably (unnecessarily) do a lot of things that DT could do itself, with KM or BTT. I’m just used to it. It’s quicker than reading the manual or asking about every little thing … and I can do it exactly the way I want to … most of the time. :slightly_smiling_face:

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There is perhaps another way of seeing things. I spent some time today working on a KBM macro to add tag as you suggested, only to conclude that the best method (IMO) is to select document → ⌃↵ → type in tag. With any other method using BTT or KBM you forfeit the HUGE advantage of / Live while typing and / Partial matches while typing, and will probably end up with multiple pseudo duplicate tags like covid, covid-19 and coronavirus

I would tend to take the opposite view and stick to DevonThink whenever possible. That being said, I have probably 200 DevonThink Keyboard Maestro macros.

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Yes, that sounds logical :slightly_smiling_face:

I would first need to know what is possible with DT and under what circumstances. But I don’t know that :joy:

Which means you may have overlooked 200 times that DT could do this better without a KM macro. :smirk:

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My point was that all that being said KM and BTT are extremely useful with one caution : make sure that you are not forfeiting something important compared to what DevonThink offers, in this case I changed my mind when I realized that I was losing 2 important features.

Don’t worry, I understood you very well … just kidding :slightly_smiling_face:

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