File Icons Above the Right Edge of the Alfred Bar and More Noob Questions

[kodiak]

Hello!

 

New Alfred user here, so the questions are accordingly newbie-level.

 

1. I was wondering what are the small icons that sometimes appear above the right edge of the Alfred bar (see attachment)

 

2. Is it possible to sort file actions in my own custom order?

 

3. Many of the file actions in Alfred result in the termination of the Alfred bar (like moving a file). Many times this is desired, sometimes it's not. Is it possible to define a hotkey to be pressed while performing the action that will leave the Alfred bar open even after performing the file action?

 

4. I use the dictionary feature a lot, and I would like that each definition to appear in its entirety in the Alfred window, and not just a preview, so I won't have to open the Dictionary app. This is how it's done in Spotlight. Is this possible?

 

5. I use the left and right and arrow keys to navigate folders. Is it possible to define that the right arrow key also opens the actions menu for files? (left arrow goes back)

 

6. Is it possible to make cmd-down arrow open files and folders, in addition to the return key?

 

Thanks!

 

Edited February 12, 2018 by kodiak

[vitor]

1. The File Buffer.
2. No. Alfred learns what you use the most for each type and prioritises accordingly.
3. Not with the default actions, but if you build your own Workflow you can control the window behaviour.
4. No. Though it would be nice if we could at least ⇧ or ⌘Y to see the full definition with the Quick Look feature. Might make a good feature suggestion.
5. Yes. Alfred Preferences → File Search → Actions → (first checkbox).
6. No.

[kodiak]

Thank you so much for the elaborate reply, vitor!

 

Some further questions:

 

1. If I enable the first checkbox under "Actions", it disables the usage of ← and → for navigation. I would like to use the arrows for folder navigation, but also use → to show the action menu for FILES (it makes sense a given file is usually the last "stop" in the file navigation process).

2. Is the double-⌘ unreliable? At first, I configured it to be the hotkey for the "File Selection" feature, but many it times Alfred didn't catch it and I had to repeat the double tap again.

3. What's the default hotkey for this feature anyway?

4. Is it possible to browse files in a given folder while in Quick Look mode? That is, tap shift, then use ↓/↑ to show Quick Look for the different files - just like with Space in Finder. Right now, I need to tap shift to open Quick Look for a file, then tap it again to close Quick Look, then use the arrows the select a different file and then tap shift again to Quick Look for that file, and so on. It's very inefficient.

 

Thanks!

[vitor]

1 hour ago, kodiak said:

I would like to use the arrows for folder navigation, but also use → to show the action menu for FILES (it makes sense a given file is usually the last "stop" in the file navigation process).

 

Not necessarily. It’s just as likely the last stop is a directory, especially if you want to run an action on it. Alfred doesn’t provide the mixed behaviour you describe.

 

1 hour ago, kodiak said:

2. Is the double-⌘ unreliable? At first, I configured it to be the hotkey for the "File Selection" feature, but many it times Alfred didn't catch it and I had to repeat the double tap again.

 

Double-⌘ never failed me, but it’s not a shortcut I use often. I’m also not aware of other complaints in this regard.

 

1 hour ago, kodiak said:

3. What's the default hotkey for this feature anyway?

 

⌥⌘\

 

1 hour ago, kodiak said:

4. Is it possible to browse files in a given folder while in Quick Look mode? That is, tap shift, then use ↓/↑ to show Quick Look for the different files - just like with Space in Finder.

 

No. I’m not sure this is al Alfred limitation, however, and it might instead be something imposed by macOS. But File Navigation has a preview built-in.

[kodiak]

On 2/13/2018 at 8:32 PM, vitor said:

 

Not necessarily. It’s just as likely the last stop is a directory, especially if you want to run an action on it. Alfred doesn’t provide the mixed behaviour you describe.

 

1

 

First of all, thanks again!

 

Regarding what you said: you're right - a directory may be the last stop. However, a file HAS to be the last stop, and in any case, → is a wasted key when a file is highlighted (when using the arrows for navigation), and it should be utilized - as I suggested, to open the Action menu. Perhaps I'll suggest this as a feature?

 

One more question:

 

1. I was wondering if, while in Alferd's file navigation (for example, when viewing the contents of a folder) I can use my keyboard to select multiple files, whether consecutively or not. Ideally, I would like to handle file selection as it is in the Windows File Explorer, where using different combinations of SHIFT, CTRL and Space allow me to select multiple files - consecutively, non-consecutively, or both - all with the keyboard. See GIF below. As you can expect, after the selection has been made, I would like to open the Action menu for all of the selected files. Is all of this possible?

 

Thanks!

Edited March 10, 2018 by kodiak

[deanishe]

8 minutes ago, kodiak said:

while in Alferd's file navigation (for example, when viewing the contents of a folder) I can use my keyboard to select multiple files

 

That's precisely what the File Buffer is for (the icons above Alfred's bar).

 

See Alfred Preferences > Features > File Search > Buffer for usage.

[kodiak]

Thanks @deanishe, but I guess there no way to quickly add multiple files to the file buffer? (in a similar manner to holding SHIFT and selecting files in Finder) 

 

A few more questions:

 

1. Let's say I launch the action menu for a selected file in Finder and accidentally choose an action I'm not interested in, and I wish to go back. If I press ESC, the menu simply disappears. Is there a way to back to the action menu?
2. Is there a quick way to open Alfred's Features>Snippets and Workflows windows? I find myself opening those two particular sections a lot.
3. Is there a way to quickly load selected text to Alfred?

[deanishe]

54 minutes ago, kodiak said:

 I guess there no way to quickly add multiple files to the file buffer?

 

Read the link Vítor posted for you a month ago.

 

56 minutes ago, kodiak said:

Let's say I launch the action menu for a selected file in Finder and accidentally choose an action I'm not interested in, and I wish to go back. If I press ESC, the menu simply disappears. Is there a way to back to the action menu?

 

No. ESC takes you back to file-selection mode, and if you've opened Alfred's action menu directly from Finder, that means back to Finder.

 

59 minutes ago, kodiak said:

Is there a quick way to open Alfred's Features>Snippets and Workflows windows? I find myself opening those two particular sections a lot.

 

⌘, (CMD+,) opens Alfred's preferences, like with most apps, but AFAIK there's no way to jump to a specific section within Alfred Preferences.

 

1 hour ago, kodiak said:

Is there a way to quickly load selected text to Alfred?

 

A Hotkey trigger gives you the choice of using the currently-selected text as input.

[kodiak]

Thanks a lot for the help, @deanishe.

 

On 3/10/2018 at 10:11 AM, deanishe said:

 

Read the link Vítor posted for you a month ago.

 

 

I've read that article through and through, but correct me if I'm wrong, there's no way to multi-select files at once and add them to the buffer DIRECTLY FROM ALFRED. Only through Finder, using SHIFT, and then launching the action menu.

 

On 3/10/2018 at 10:11 AM, deanishe said:

A Hotkey trigger gives you the choice of using the currently-selected text as input.

 

 

 

How can I configure that?

 

Thanks!

Edited March 11, 2018 by kodiak

[Tsunami]

You can use ⌥↓ (Option+Down) to add a file to the File Buffer and move to the next file. So just press ⌥↓ multiple times to quickly add multiple files.

Edited March 11, 2018 by Tsunami

[deanishe]

2 hours ago, kodiak said:

I've read in through and through, but correct me if I'm wrong, there's no way to multi-select files at once and add them to the buffer DIRECTLY FROM ALFRED. Only through Finder, using SHIFT, and then launching the action menu

 

Read this:

 

On 12/02/2018 at 12:30 PM, vitor said:

The File Buffer.

 

2 hours ago, kodiak said:

How can I configure that?

 

Create a workflow, add a Hotkey trigger, and in its options set Argument to "Selection in macOS".

[kodiak]

Thanks a lot everyone!

 

9 hours ago, deanishe said:

 

Read this:

 

 

 

@deanishe , I meant to say that I've read that article thoroughly. Despite the numerous shortcuts support by the File Buffer (indeed @Tsunami's suggestions is indeed the closest to what I'm asking about), they are still not efficient enough when browsing, through Alfred that is, folders with lots and lots of files. A file selection mechanism such as the one demonstrated in below GIF:

 

But I understand it is not possible, correct?

 

Two more questions:

 

1. Is there any way to quickly open Finder's top-most folder, that is, for a lack of a better word, the "device's" folder? (encircled in red in the attachment beneath).

2. Similarly, can I quickly get to the "Macintosh HD" folder?

 

Edited March 11, 2018 by kodiak

[Tsunami]

Actually, using ⌥↓ to select a file, and ↓ to skip a file seems much more efficient than what's happening in your GIF, as you don't have to move your hands on the keyboard.

Edited March 11, 2018 by Tsunami

[deanishe]

3 hours ago, kodiak said:

they are still not efficient enough when browsing, through Alfred that is, folders with lots and lots of files

 

Any difference to what you're doing in your screenshot (in terms of keypresses) is minimal.

 

Sorry I didn't understand earlier, but I'd assumed you didn't know the File Buffer shortcuts because I honestly don't see how they're meaningfully less efficient that what you're doing in the GIF.

 

In any case, you are free to select your files in Finder instead, and then go directly to Alfred's File Actions using the hotkey you've specified in Alfred Preferences > Features > File Search > Actions > File Selection.

 

3 hours ago, kodiak said:

Is there any way to quickly open Finder's top-most folder, that is, for a lack of a better word, the "device's" folder?

 

That's your /Volumes directory. Typing /vo into Alfred is usually enough to take you there.

Your "Macintosh HD" (or whatever you've named your boot drive) will also be visible in /Volumes, but being the boot drive, it is mounted at /, so just entering / in Alfred will show you the contents of "Macintosh HD".

 

It won't match up exactly with what Finder shows, but that's because Finder lies an awful lot about the names, contents and locations of files. (Finder shows your filesystem filtered through Mac "magic", whereas Alfred shows the real underlying filesystem.)

[kodiak]

Thank you so much! I learn so much from this thread it's unbelievable. I have a few more beginner's questions:

 

1. Alfred relies on Spotlight's indexing for its own results (correct me if I'm wrong). If so, I want to add my entire NAS to Spotlight/Alfred's index, but I want it to be included in the search scope only when prefixing the search with a keyword. How to do that?

 

2. Sometimes I need to find that pesky, obscure file buried very deep somewhere inside a hidden/system folder like /Library. To begin with, that folder is not indexed by Spotlight, and let's say that file extension isn't either. I want to perform such "deep" searches, that also include all file extension, with a specific prefix. Is it achievable?

 

3. Can I launch the more conventional Finder search directly through Alfred? Ideally with the ability to set the scope (i.e. "This Mac") right in Alfred, and pass boolean operators.

 

Thanks!

 

Edited March 15, 2018 by kodiak

[deanishe]

1. File Filter
2. No. Alfred can't find what's not indexed.
3. You could probably start a Finder search with a Fallback Search Trigger.