Find file by selecting text

[luciano]

A useful feature in Alfred is pressing the spacebar (which inserts an apostrophe) to find a file. Instead of typing text in Alfred, can I search for the file by selecting text and using a Text Action?

 

There is already the action 'Use in Alfred' which nearly does what I want, but I cannot see a way of searching specifically for a file.

[Stephen_C]

Have you considered the File Action?

 

Stephen

[luciano]

Do that only work when files are selected? 

 

I am wanting to find a file by selecting text. But that text is the filename. 

[Stephen_C]

So in effect you want to convert selected text to a file search? (Just to be quite clear.)

 

Stephen

[luciano]

Yes. 

[Stephen_C]

How will you know that what you have selected is, or contains, a file name?

 

It may be more helpful if you describe a little more fully exactly what you want to achieve (and the context) and why.

 

Stephen

[JJJJ]

9 hours ago, luciano said:

A useful feature in Alfred is pressing the spacebar (which inserts an apostrophe) to find a file. Instead of typing text in Alfred, can I search for the file by selecting text and using a Text Action?

 

There is already the action 'Use in Alfred' which nearly does what I want, but I cannot see a way of searching specifically for a file.

You can put apostrophe(') prefix in "Show Alfred" hotkey trigger and it would go to file search automatically. It should look like this:

[luciano]

This is context in which I would use.

 

I have a long bibliography of references in a Microsoft Word. Here are three examples:

 

• 1. Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
• 2. Brazil, M. (2009). Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia: Eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Eastern Russia. Christopher Helm, London, UK.
• 3. Øien, I. J., P. Tolvanen, T. Aarvak, and J. Markkola (1999). Occurrence and identification of Lesser While-fronted Goose. Alula 5(1):18–23.

These references are also saved as PDFs on my computer. Instead of having to open Alfred and and type 'Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia to find the PDF, I want to select "Field Guide to the Birds of East Asia" in the bibliography of the Microsoft Word document and use the selected text to open the PDF.

[luciano]

When I run this same action in Microsoft Word, an apostrophe is entered into the Alfred search bar, but not the text. Outside of Microsoft Word, it works as expected, ie both apostrophe and text is entered into Alfred search bar. Why does it behave differently in Microsoft Word?