How to set up a keyboard shortcut for turning selected text into a Markdown link?

[IDB]

Hi. I frequently find myself turning text in a Markdown document into a hyperlink of the form `[link text](url)`. Usually, the link text already exists, and I've got the URL in my clipboard from having just visited it in a web browser and grabbed the address.

What I currently do is: Place my cursor at the start of the text to link; type a `[`; move the cursor to the end of the link text, usually with option-right arrow one or more times; type `](`; paste in the URL; and type `)`.

 

What I would **like** to do is: Select the text to link; type a keystroke that acts as an Alfred trigger; and have Alfred automatically replace the selected text with `[selected text](clipboard contents)` including all the brackets and parentheses exactly as shown.

 

Is this possible? How?

 

Thanks…

[vitor]

Welcome @IDB,

 

2 hours ago, IDB said:

Is this possible?

 

Very much so. Here’s a Workflow with a version of how I do it.

You select the text, press the shortcut, and it converts it to [selected text](url). You don’t need to have the URL as your most recent copy—which I found sometimes doesn’t happen and can be annoying—as the Workflow will search your clipboard history for the past thirty entries and use the most recent one which starts with http.

[IDB]

That workflow is a thing of beauty. Thank you!

 

Cheers & 😷 // Ian

[deanishe]

On 12/9/2020 at 2:24 AM, vitor said:

the Workflow will search your clipboard history for the past thirty entries and use the most recent one which starts with http.

 

Smart idea.

[xilopaint]

On 12/9/2020 at 10:37 PM, IDB said:

That workflow is a thing of beauty. Thank you!

 

Cheers & 😷 // Ian

 

Wow, this is super practical! @vitor, please add this to the Gallery!

[sepulchra]

I second that -- this would be a great addition to the gallery!!