I've blogged before about the power of Spotlight as a project manager. The longer I use this method the happier I am with it. Today I created a nifty little Automator Plugin that makes it even easier. Before I get to the plugin let me emphasize that in order for this method of Spotlight-based project organization to work it requires constant tagging of any new project object. Contacts get tags in their notes, iCal events and todos get tags in the notes field, email in Mail gets a project tag via MailTags and all folders and files get a tag in the Spotlight Comment field. If I am consistent in the tagging I never have to worry about missing a relevant object in any project Spotlight search.

Before we get to the creating the Automator plugin, make sure you have enabled folder actions. You can do this from the Finder's contextual menu, "Enable Folder Actions." Another way, go to your Applications > Applescript > Folder Actions Setup . Run that script and click the box in the top left to enable folder actions then close it.

Now, about that Automator Plugin. It is so simple I can't believe I have not thought of it before. Open a new document in Automator and drag the "Add Spotlight Comment" into the work area. Leave the field blank and open the Options disclosure, check the "Show Action When Run" box. Save it as a Plugin and choose Folder Actions from the drop down. You'll be prompted to attach this action to a current folder. Go ahead and choose any current project folder.

Whenever I start a new project my first step is to create a new folder in my Current Projects folder in my Documents folder. From now on, my second step will be adding a new folder action to this project folder immediately after I create it. Select the folder, control click, navigate to the "Attach a Folder Action" in the contextual menu. This will bring up a dialog that should go straight to the "Folder Action Scripts" folder (Home>Library>Scripts>Folder Action Scripts) which contains my new Automator Plugin which I attach to the folder. After that I never have to remember to add the project keyword to the Spotlight Comments field for any new file I add to the folder! Any time I drag and drop or save I'll get a handy little window that prompts me to add the comment right then.

I remember that within the first week of Tiger's release I had created a Finder Plugin using the "Add Spotlight Comment" and it has come in handy. I've also been adding Spotlight Comments using a plugin for Quicksilver. But both of those methods require that I remember to add the tag after I've saved it. I almost always do but I forget sometimes. With this Folder Action method I don't have to remember or even initiate the action.

In the time since Tiger's release I've seen various folks mention their desire to have the option to add Spotlight Comments at the time that they save a new file so I know I'm not alone. It seems likely that Leopard will bring this and other Spotlight enhancements to OS X. Until then we can have this feature now thanks to Automator!

Technorati Tags: Apple, OS X, Automator, Spotlight, Folder Actions, Project Management

I've had a few minutes to play around with FileMaker Pro 8.5, specifically with the included Movie Library database found in the "Home Collections" templates. I put the included fields in a tab of their own and added a new tab called IMDB. Created a new Web Viewer and used this custom address: "http://imdb.com/find?s=all&q=" & Movie Library::Movie Title which is the search string from the site combined with "& Movie Library::Movie Title" from the database via what is essentially a calculation field that is provided in the Web Viewer set-up dialog.

To discover the find string for a website go to the site and perform a simple one word search. The resulting page url, minus your search term, should do the trick. Some are not so easy but many are.

Really, they could not have made this easier. Of course I'm sure I'll think of little things I'd like to do with it that are not so easy. For example, is it possible to pull data out of the IMDB page and have it automatically entered? That seems less doable. Anything on a page that is consistent link and that can be calculated should be doable as a unique Web Viewer object such as the link to artwork that every IMDB entry has. But thats a link to another page. Images might also be linked in via calculations if one knows the formula used for calculating from the base url.

Technorati Tags: Apple, OS X, FileMaker, FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro 8.5

Good news for FileMaker Pro geeks. FileMaker Pro 8.5 has been released. In this initial post there are two new features I'll mention because they appear to be the most important: FMP is now a Universal Binary that will run natively on Apple's new Intel Macs and the new "Web Viewer".

I've not yet moved to an Intel Mac so I can't comment on FMP 8.5 in that regards but I am I'm very glad to hear that FMP is now Intel ready. I hope to upgrade from my trusty 1GHZ 12" PowerBook this fall and FileMaker Pro had been one of my concerns. What I can comment on is the new Web Viewer. I've downloaded the demo and have already hacked the included Contacts database to include a MapQuest Web View. Neat! I've actually incorporated web searches in previous databases such as my Bird Tracker which will search Wikipedia via a new window or tab in the default browser. With the Web Viewer of FileMaker Pro 8.5 I can now have the page displayed right in the database. This is going to rock.

So, to be clear, this new version of FMP includes an integrated web browser! Not only can you view web pages and pdfs on the web but local html files and pdfs as well. In fact, you can also view Quicktime and Flash on the web and locally. Basically, if it's viewable in Safari it works. I'm not sure how it's implemented on the Windows side but on the Mac side 10.4 and Safari 2.0 are required, at least for pdf viewing.

Setting up a Web View using the included Web Views such as MapQuest could not be easier. They include several that will be very helpful and from a quick look I'd guess that setting up new ones will not be too difficult. It goes without saying that this kind of implementation is going to be most useful for those that have a high speed connection. I'm sure I'll post a follow-up when I've had more time to experiment.

Technorati Tags: Apple, OS X, FileMaker, FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro 8.5

Speaking of iCal...

Something I noticed recently regarding iCal and how an event or todo shows up in a Spotlight search prompted me to send a suggestion in to Apple:

If I initiate a Spotlight search via Command-Space or click the Spotlight icon in the top right my iCal to-dos and events show up but there is no date in the date field so if I want to filter to just the past day or week the iCal event disappears. For those of us that use iCal and Spotlight to manage projects it would be great to look at just the past day's email, tasks, files etc. As it is now filtering in such a way skips the iCal todos/events because they show up in Spotlight searches with a date of "No Date".

Which prompted another suggestion regarding the current options for viewing information for an event or to-do. As it is now you can view this info in a detached window or in a drawer. Yuck. My request? Add an option to view info as an integrated pane under the task list. I really love iCal but there's always room for improvement!!

Now, unrelated to this post, I've been having a problem with Technorati not showing my blog updates so I'm starting over with my blog claim which requires this link: Technorati Profile.
I've never had a problem with Technorati until recently, I wonder what's up.

Technorati Tags: Apple, OS X, iCal