Request: Less Obtrusive Quick Entry

[Shotster]

If I'm missing something, let me know; but it seems invoking the OF quick entry feature from within another app causes OF to come to the foreground. This is, in my opinion, distracting and undesirable. The "context" or "mental state" I was in is disrupted as OF marches to the fore, asserts itself, and demands my attention. So now I have to appease and dismiss the program before getting back to what I was previously engrossed in before being so rudely interrupted.

I'd like to request as a feature a less obtrusive means for making quick entries from other applications. If there's a way to do this already, someone please let me know.

-Steve

[Craig]

I'm not seeing this foregrounding behavior on my computer.

Adding things via Quicksilver might feel quicker.

[Shotster]

I'm not seeing this foregrounding behavior on my computer.

Really? That's interesting. I'm running 10.5.1 on a Mac Pro, and when I use the clipping Quick Entry, OF comes to the front.

Adding things via Quicksilver might feel quicker.

What's Quicksilver?

[sprugman]

when I use the clipping Quick Entry, OF comes to the front

I think that might be a bug. You should report it via "send feedback". It happened to me once today, but didn't repeat.

What's Quicksilver?

a launcher and much more

the source:
http://www.blacktree.com/

one of many available intros:
http://www.43folders.com/2006/07/26/macbreak-quicksilver

[steve]

Quicksilver rocks! I love it. To chime in, I have never had OF activate on the Quick Entry.

Steve

[Shotster]

To chime in, I have never had OF activate on the Quick Entry.

Ok, I now realize I wasn't specific enough. I was referring to quick entry via the OF clipping service. I just tried plain old quick entry, and there was no activation of the OF app. If I use the clipping service from Safari or Mail, however, OF is activated. It's annoying, but perhaps there's no way around it?

[Lizard]

We're still working through some challenges with windows in 10.5 coming to the foreground when they aren't expected to. (Translation: we're begging Apple to fix their bugs.) So maybe this is part of that bug. However, if anyone has seen this on 10.4, chime in, so we can look for other (more fixable) sources of the problem.

[richardripley]

We're still working through some challenges with windows in 10.5 coming to the foreground when they aren't expected to. (Translation: we're begging Apple to fix their bugs.) So maybe this is part of that bug. However, if anyone has seen this on 10.4, chime in, so we can look for other (more fixable) sources of the problem.

I'm not noticing this problem in 10.4.11.

[ahc]

I'm seeing this fairly frequently, but not every time. At this moment, pressing my Quick Entry hotkey (cmd-ctrl-opt-space) causes the OF window to appear no matter which application is active. At other times, it seems somewhat more likely to happen with non-Cocoa apps active (e.g., Quicken), but that's a very subjective impression.

10.5.1

It is certainly annoying and I hope you can get it fixed!

[Toadling]

The Quick Entry window seems to be working fine for me on 10.5.1 except one situation: if I have OmniFocus hidden and invoke the Quick Entry window, the main application window will come to the front if I enter a Project or Context in the Quick Entry window. However, if I only enter an action name, the main app window correctly remains hidden.

Can anyone confirm this behavior on another system running 10.5.1?

[Shotster]

The Quick Entry window seems to be working fine for me on 10.5.1 except one situation: if I have OmniFocus hidden and invoke the Quick Entry window, the main application window will come to the front if I enter a Project or Context in the Quick Entry window. However, if I only enter an action name, the main app window correctly remains hidden.

What about when invoking quick entry via the clipping service?

[Toadling]

What about when invoking quick entry via the clipping service?

Ah, yes, I have the same problem with the clipping service: browsing in Safari with OmniFocus hidden, select some text in Safari, hit my key combination for "OmniFocus: Send to Inbox" (i.e. clipping service), the Quick Entry window appears with the specified text. But the main OmniFocus' application window also appears in the background (no longer hidden).

So it looks like I'm seeing two, possibly related, issues with the Quick Entry window when OmniFocus is hidden.

[eronel]

This doesn't happen for me on Tiger (10.4.8).

[Tim Wood]

All the issues we have logged relating Quick Entry/OmniFocus activation issues should be fixed in today's latest build; please let us know if you continue to see problems.

[Shotster]

All the issues we have logged relating Quick Entry/OmniFocus activation issues should be fixed in today's latest build; please let us know if you continue to see problems.

OF still activates when using the clipping service. I'm using Revision: 95298 under 10.5.1.

[jbursztyn]

All the issues we have logged relating Quick Entry/OmniFocus activation issues should be fixed in today's latest build; please let us know if you continue to see problems.

I have problems clipping from entourage, I have tried 1000 different key combinations. safari works....I am Using 10.5.1 and rev 95291

any ideas?

[Tim Wood]

No ideas on Entourage; does it support clippings? Do you see enabled entries in the Services menu?

I'll look into the activation when clipping.

[Toadling]

I'm still seeing problems with OmniFocus becoming "unhidden" when I enter a Project or Context in the Quick Entry window. This occurs regardless of whether the inspectors are visible or not.

I also still see similar problems when using the clipping service (i.e. brings hidden OmniFocus to front). It happens with both Apple Mail and Safari.

I even tried removing my preferences file and starting with a fresh database. It didn't seem to make a difference.

I'm running 10.5.1 and rev 95298 on a 17-inch MacBook Pro.

[bbebop]

I'm still seeing problems with OmniFocus becoming "unhidden" when I enter a Project or Context in the Quick Entry window. This occurs regardless of whether the inspectors are visible or not.
...
I'm running 10.5.1 and rev 95298 on a 17-inch MacBook Pro.

Using the same OS & OF versions on a PowerBook and seeing the same problem.

[Tim Wood]

OF still activates when using the clipping service. I'm using Revision: 95298 under 10.5.1.

Fixed in 95313.

[Tim Wood]

I'm still seeing problems with OmniFocus becoming "unhidden" when I enter a Project or Context in the Quick Entry window.

Fixed in 95315. This one was more challenging =)

[Shotster]

Fixed in 95313.

Confirmed. Thanks!

-Steve

[Toadling]

Yes, I'll double-confirm it. :) All is good with the Quick Entry window and hiding now.