Time Snippet now using Narrow No-Break Space vs a Space character

[kdu472]

* What you were doing when the issue happened: using the short time snippet: {time:short}, in version 5, time snippet puts a x202f character before the AM or PM. Previous versions put a space.  This causes problems using the snippet in Excel as Excel does not like the x202f and does not recognize the cell value as time.  This broke sometime after upgrading to version 5. When I use the shortcut in BBEdit's find window, it shows: 9:48\x{202F}AM
* Whether you were able to replicate it a second time by performing the same action: Yes
* Include any screenshots that might help us: I used the snippet in cell A2, 
* Include the Alfred version & build number you are using (don't say "latest" - you'll find a version number in the Update tab of Alfred's preferences): Alfred 5.1.4 [2195]
* Include your macOS version: Sonoma 14.2.1

[Vero]

@kdu472 Welcome to the forum.

 

Could you please test this in TextEdit? As a more native and basic app, it's a good way to establish whether the snippet is being manipulated by Excel / BBEdit.

 

You mention Alfred 5 vs "previous versions" so could you clarify which version of Alfred you used before upgrading? And did you upgrade from an older version of macOS to Sonoma at the same time? 

[kdu472]

Thanks for the reply.  I just used the snippet in a new blank TexEdit document, copied and pasted it into Excel with the same result (#VALUE! error).  I keep a log of To-Dos and To-Dones in an Apple Note during each workday.  I use the Short Time snippet in those Apple Notes to mark start and stop times in my workday.  Then copy and paste those into Excel to get hour totals.  This has worked flawlessly for since Sep. 2022 when I started this process.  I went back to last week and the times created by the snippet in the notes have a "regular" space before the AM/PM.  

 

I have been using Alfred since 2013, upgraded from Alfred 4 to Alfred 5 on Dec. 8, 2023.  I upgraded to Sonoma on Dec. 23, 2023. 

[Vero]

@kdu472 Apologies, I might not have been clear enough in what I'm asking you to test:

 

- Open TextEdit

- Expand your snippet there

- Check what kind of space is in the TextEdit expanded version, without going into Excel or other apps

 

The objective is to see what results you get in TextEdit without manipulation from Excel or any other apps.

[kdu472]

Got it, see attached screenshot, first line was entered via snippet, second line was entered by typing.  The snippet space before AM is a half space.  Thanks Todd

[Andrew]

Investigating this deeper, it looks like a change (bug fix) Apple have made to the NSDateFormatter to prevent line wrapping for the time by using a non-breaking space.

 

Here is a link of others noticing the change:

https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/731850

 

The workaround would be to use a simple custom date format in your snippet with a normal space/

 

{time:HH:mm:ss a}

 

Let me know how you get on.

 

Cheers,

Andrew

[kdu472]

Thanks for the explanation and solution!  I am good to go, thanks!