Save 'ur note

[Stephen_C]

This workflow is loosely based on my Save 'ur URL workflow (which, judging by the number of downloads, has proved very popular).

 

Introduction
Sometimes when working you want to make a short, temporary quick note for future reference without bothering to open a dedicated Notes app. That is what this workflow does. It uses a simple plain text file (which will be created for you when you first create a note by running the workflow) to which saved notes will be appended (rather like a scratch pad). You select the location folder for that file in the workflow configuration.

However, the workflow does a little more than that. You can also save text clippings by selecting text and using your Universal Action hot key on the selected text.

Setup
In the workflow configuration choose:
- the folder where you want to keep your QuickNote.txt file;
- the keyword you want to use to create a quick note;
- the keyword you want to use to open the QuickNote.txt file;
- the keyword you want to use to delete the QuickNote.txt file.

Usage—saving quick notes
There are two ways in which to create a quick note.

1. You can use your Universal Action hotkey on selected text, choose Save a quick note from the list and press ⏎. The selected text will be saved in the quick notes file (which is created if it does not already exist) together with the date and time the note was appended.

2. You can use the keyword set to create a quick note and type the text of the note. In that case that you must type a single line of text (with spaces and punctuation as necessary, of course): you cannot use newlines or returns to create a multi-line note. (There is no such restriction if you are copying selected text as in 1 above.)

The result of saving quick notes will be a plain text file which you can open in your default file editor by using the relevant keyword set in the workflow configuation (by default vqn for "view quick notes").

Here's what it looks like in CotEditor (which is my default plain text editor):


Usage—deleting the quick notes file
Simply use the keyword set in the workflow configuration (by default dqn for "delete quick notes") to move the quick notes file to the Trash.

 

The GitHub download link

 

Edit: I should have said there are no dependencies forthis workflow.

 

Stephen

Edited December 29, 2023 by Stephen_C
Clarification: no dependencies

[sepulchra]

this is really nice @Stephen_C. You've become quite prolific.

[Stephen_C]

1 hour ago, sepulchra said:

this is really nice @Stephen_C. You've become quite prolific.

Thanks so much for the kind comment. I'm afraid there are "gaps of inspiration” at times…then something just comes to mind and a workflow results.

 

Happy new year to you—and to "all our readers”!

 

Stephen

[Stephen_C]

Version 1.1 adds the ability to view the QuickNote.txt file in QuickLook (with consequential tidying of the workflow configuration).

Note: [DEBUG] in the QuickLook window title is a function of the command line qlmanage and (so far as I am aware) cannot be avoided.

 

Stephen

[Stephen_C]

Version 1.12: deleted incorrect pass through of text variable when adding a note.

 

Stephen

[Stephen_C]

Version 1.13 has no material change other than an addition of a warning to the effect that the date and time appended to a quick note will not appear correctly if you are using an Alfred version earlier than 5.0.5 (which introduced use of the 2024-01-22 format).

 

Stephen

[Stephen_C]

Version 2.0 requires Alfred 5.5 or later. It includes the ability to create multi-line and multi-paragraph quick notes plus the ability to preview and edit the QuickNotes file using Alfred's new Text View. Full instructions are contained in the workflow ReadMe.

 

Stephen

[moonshot]

This is simple but very useful for me bc I'm constantly needing to save little snippets of text I need to return to througout the day. I can save text by pasting it into Alfred but this is extra clicks. The functionality exists to select the text and then save that to the quick note file but I have not been able to get this to work yet. See loom and attached screenshot.

 

https://github.com/Stephen-Lon/Alfred-workflow-save-ur-note

 

[Stephen_C]

@moonshot there was no loom video attached. However, it would probably be more helpful if you were to do the following:

• open the debugger;
• run the workflow on some selected text (making sure that you use your Universal Actions hotkey);
• copy and paste the results of the debug output in this thread.

Stephen

[moonshot]

I figured this out. It was my universal hotkey. I never used that before. thanks stephen!