Is there a script to simulate tagging somewhere?
 

Hi!

I'm missing the ability to tag things and using a column with a dropbox at the moment, which isn't ideal, as the "tags" are document specific this way and aren't searchable.
I'd just need a script, which puts a selected word from a list into an outliner column, to simulate tagging. Is there anything like this out there?

Thanx!

Bye, Markus

For a couple of scripts which will search or filter on the values in pop-up list columns etc you could look at these threads:

[URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=16396"]http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=16396[/URL]

[URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=16392"]http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=16392[/URL]

To experiment with placing document-independent tags (from a list in a text file) you could start with a simple draft like the one below.
[LIST][*]Allows placing of document-independent tags in a Tags column in OO3 documents[*]List of available tags is maintained in an external text file (TextEdit file). [*]One or more tags can be applied at a time.[*]Tags are attached to all rows selected in OO3.[*]The script will create the Tags column (and the tag-list text file, in the same folder as the script) if they are not initially present.[/LIST]
The script displays a simple menu, listing:[LIST=1][*]The option to edit the tags file in TextEdit[*]The list of available tags (multiple tags may be selected).[/LIST]
Any tags selected will be placed (avoiding duplication) in the Tags field of any rows selected in the front OO3 document.

[CODE]property pVersion : "0.3"
property pTitle : "Place Tags in OO3" & space & "Ver. " & pVersion
property pTagFile : "TagSet.txt"
property pTagColumn : "Tags"
property pEditCommand : "[Edit Tag File]"

-- Copyright © 2010, Robin Trew
-- All rights reserved.
--
-- Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
-- are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
--
-- - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
-- this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
-- - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
-- this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
-- and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
--
-- THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
-- "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
-- THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
-- IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
-- ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
-- (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
-- LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY,
-- WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
-- ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

-- Allows placing of document-independent tags in a Tags column in OO3 documents
-- List of tags is maintained in an external text file (TextEdit file). One tag per line.
-- The script will create the Tags column (and the tags file) if they are not initially present.

-- The script displays a simple menu, listing:
-- 1. The option to edit the tags file in TextEdit
-- 2. The list of available tags (multiple tags may be selected).

-- Any tags selected will be placed in the Tags field of any rows selected in the front OO3 document.

on run
tell application id "com.omnigroup.OmniOutlinerPro3"
-- ensure that at least one row is selected
try
set oDoc to front document
on error
return
end try
tell oDoc
set lstRows to selected rows
if (count of lstRows) < 1 then
display dialog "Select one or more rows, and try again." buttons {"OK"} with title pTitle
return
end if

-- choose tag(s)
set lstChosen to my ChooseTags()
if (count of lstChosen) < 1 then return

-- ensure that there is a tag column in the front document
try
set oCol to (first column where (name is pTagColumn) and (type is rich text))
on error
set oCol to make new column at end of columns with properties {name:pTagColumn, type:rich text}
end try
set idCol to id of oCol
end tell

-- add tag(s) to selected rows (avoiding any duplication of tags in a given row)
repeat with oRow in lstRows
set refText to (a reference to text of cell id idCol of oRow)
set blnFirst to length of (refText as string) is 0
repeat with oTag in lstChosen
if blnFirst or (refText does not contain oTag) then
set strData to oTag
if blnFirst then
set blnFirst to false
else
set strData to space & strData
end if
make new word at end of refText with data strData
end if
end repeat
end repeat
end tell
end run

on ChooseTags()
set lstTags to GetTags()
if (count of lstTags) < 1 then
set strPath to GetPath()
display dialog "No tags found in:" & return & return & strPath buttons {"OK"}
tell application id "com.apple.TextEdit"
open strPath as POSIX file
activate
end tell
{}
else
set lstOptions to {pEditCommand} & lstTags
set varChoice to choose from list lstOptions default items item 1 of lstTags with title my pTitle ¬
with prompt "(Cmd-click for multiple selections)" & return & return & "Choose Tag(s):" with multiple selections allowed
if varChoice is not false then
if varChoice contains pEditCommand then
set strPath to GetPath()
tell application id "com.apple.TextEdit"
open strPath as POSIX file
activate
end tell
{}
else
varChoice
end if
else
{}
end if
end if
end ChooseTags

on GetPath()
set text item delimiters to ":"
set strPath to (items 1 thru -2 of (text items of (path to me as string)) & {pTagFile}) as string
set text item delimiters to space
POSIX path of strPath
end GetPath

on GetTags()
set strPath to GetPath()
set lstTags to paragraphs of readFile(strPath)
end GetTags

on readFile(unixPath)
set foo to (open for access (POSIX file unixPath))
set txt to (read foo for (get eof foo))
close access foo
return txt
end readFile
[/CODE]

Wow, you've just given me exactly what I need, both ways! Many, many thanks!

Now I have to decide if I should work with the column data or use your tags script :-)

Just one little thing: I want to collect filtered columns from different documents into one. Is there a way to modify the filtered columns copy script, so it copies into a selected document and doesn't create a new one?

Markus

I suppose the main limitation of the built-in pop-up list is that you can have only one 'tag' per row. (A useful discipline for some purposes and a pain for others).

The document-specific (in fact column-specific) character of the pop-up enumerations is not insurmountable: one can quite easily write a script to import a list of tags from an external text file, and make it (or add merge it with) the range of pop-up choices available in a particular column.

As I have many documents where I would have to add many pop-up items that came up later (I'm working on a thesis and tried to do the categorization with this "tags".) I would have to edit these for every old document to update the "tags". So I think I will go for the tags script, as these tags aren't document specific.

Is there a way to edit the font size of the tags box? As I have many tags, I'd like to reduce scrolling.

[QUOTE=Wobbly;86346]Is there a way to edit the font size of the tags box? As I have many tags, I'd like to reduce scrolling.[/QUOTE]

The standard Applescript [I]choose from list[/I] dialog doesn't offer us any access to its fonts.

In principle (if the list is sorted) you should be able to tap a letter key to scroll straight to the first entry that begins with that letter.

Otherwise, if the lists are very long, but are alphabetically sorted, all I can immediately think of is introducing some nesting - a first list that chooses one of 3/4 alphabetic ranges, and a second list that is filtered in this way ... not ideal ...

On second thoughts, it might work better to get one or more characters through Launchbar or a dialog, and then show a choose list only displaying those tags which began with the typed characters ...

(ie primitive type-ahead)

An alternative version which asks for one or more initial letters, and then displays only tags which start with those letters.

The initial characters can be given straight to LaunchBar (preceded by a tap on the space bar, once the script has been selected).

If the script is not launched from LaunchBar, it will put up a text dialog and request the starting characters.

[This version probably only helpful if the tag list is very large]

[CODE]property pVersion : "0.4"
property pTitle : "Place Tags in OO3" & space & "Ver. " & pVersion
property pTagFile : "TagSet.txt"
property pTagColumn : "Tags"
property pEditCommand : "[Edit Tag File]"

-- Copyright © 2010, Robin Trew
-- All rights reserved.
--
-- Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
-- are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
--
-- - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
-- this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
-- - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
-- this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
-- and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
--
-- THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
-- "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
-- THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
-- IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
-- ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
-- (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
-- LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY,
-- WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
-- ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

-- Allows placing of document-independent tags in a Tags column in OO3 documents
-- List of tags is maintained in an external text file (TextEdit file). One tag per line.
-- The script will create the Tags column (and the tags file) if they are not initially present.

-- The script displays a simple menu, listing:
-- 1. The option to edit the tags file in TextEdit
-- 2. The list of available tags (multiple tags may be selected).

-- Any tags selected will be placed in the Tags field of any rows selected in the front OO3 document.

on handle_string(strChars)
set lstTags to GetTags()
if (count of lstTags) < 1 then
set strPath to GetPath()
display dialog "No tags found in:" & return & return & strPath buttons {"OK"}
tell application id "com.apple.TextEdit"
open strPath as POSIX file
activate
end tell
return
else
set lstTags to FilterList(lstTags, strChars)

-- DISPLAY THE MENU
set lstOptions to {pEditCommand} & lstTags
if length of lstTags > 0 then
set strDefault to item 1 of lstTags
else
set strDefault to pEditCommand
end if
set varChoice to choose from list lstOptions default items strDefault with title my pTitle ¬
with prompt "(Cmd-click for multiple selections)" & return & return & "Choose tag(s) starting with " & quote & strChars & quote with multiple selections allowed
if varChoice is not false then
if varChoice contains pEditCommand then
set strPath to GetPath()
tell application id "com.apple.TextEdit"
open strPath as POSIX file
activate
end tell
set lstChosen to {}
else
set lstChosen to varChoice
end if
else
set lstChosen to {}
end if

if lstChosen is not {} then AddTags(lstChosen)
end if
end handle_string

on run
set var to display dialog "Tag(s) starting with:" default answer ""
set strChars to text returned of var
handle_string(strChars)
end run

on AddTags(lstChosen)
tell application id "com.omnigroup.OmniOutlinerPro3"
-- ensure that at least one row is selected
try
set oDoc to front document
on error
return
end try
tell oDoc
set lstRows to selected rows
if (count of lstRows) < 1 then
display dialog "Select one or more rows, and try again." buttons {"OK"} with title pTitle
return
end if

-- ensure that there is a tag column in the front document
try
set oCol to (first column where (name is pTagColumn) and (type is rich text))
on error
set oCol to make new column at end of columns with properties {name:pTagColumn, type:rich text}
end try
set idCol to id of oCol
end tell

-- add tag(s) to selected rows (avoiding any duplication of tags in a given row)
repeat with oRow in lstRows
set refText to (a reference to text of cell id idCol of oRow)
set blnFirst to length of (refText as string) is 0
repeat with oTag in lstChosen
if blnFirst or (refText does not contain oTag) then
set strData to oTag
if blnFirst then
set blnFirst to false
else
set strData to space & strData
end if
make new word at end of refText with data strData
end if
end repeat
end repeat
end tell
end AddTags


on GetPath()
set text item delimiters to ":"
set strPath to (items 1 thru -2 of (text items of (path to me as string)) & {pTagFile}) as string
set text item delimiters to space
POSIX path of strPath
end GetPath

on GetTags()
set strPath to GetPath()
set lstTags to paragraphs of readFile(strPath)
end GetTags

on readFile(unixPath)
set foo to (open for access (POSIX file unixPath))
set txt to (read foo for (get eof foo))
close access foo
return txt
end readFile

on FilterList(lstTags, strChars)
if strChars is "" then return lstTags
set lst to {}
repeat with oTag in lstTags
if oTag begins with strChars then set end of lst to oTag as string
end repeat
lst
end FilterList
[/CODE]

Many thanx again for this modification!

I am working the whole day with the tags script and the workflow is wonderful. I just needed to get fastscript, to key commandize the script. It also eliminates the 1-2 second pause til the tags window appears when using the normal applescript menu.

I wonder if there'll ever be a native implementation of tags...

Is there a way to modify the "filtering values of columns copy"- script to always copy into a specified window instead creating a new one?

Markus