The Omni Group
These forums are now read-only. Please visit our new forums to participate in discussion. A new account will be required to post in the new forums. For more info on the switch, see this post. Thank you!

Go Back   The Omni Group Forums > OmniFocus > OmniFocus 1 for Mac
FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

 
Feature request: “Save Workspace” Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
A “Save Workspace” command/feature would be very useful.

I can’t tell you how many times OF has opened and not restored the windows the way I’d set them up. Usually I have 3 windows open, carefully arranged across my two monitors. Usually there is no problem, but every now and again ... probably 20/30/more times since I’ve been a user ... it will only restore one of the windows when I open it, and I have to tediously recreate and reposition the other window views. A save/restore workspace command that would put every window back exactly as it was would make this a cinch. This has been a problem for me both at work and at home, since I have a similar setup at both locations.

(Recreating the window setup is especially tedious due to the window size creep bug, wherein windows on my second display would get vertically smaller each time the app is closed and reopened, unless they are exactly the height of the display; not sure if this is now fixed or not.)

I can also think of creative uses for such a feature, such as having various workspaces for various purposes that could be quickly restored or switched between. For example, a person might have a "Weekly Review" workspace setup with multiple windows, or a "Quick Overview" workspace setup, etc.
 
Couldn't you accomplish this today by simply saving your window arrangement as a perspective?

-Dennis
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toadling View Post
Couldn't you accomplish this today by simply saving your window arrangement as a perspective?

-Dennis
No, unless I am missing something perspectives do not save window positions and locations. In fact, I do have all 3 windows set to their own perspective settings, but this applying the perspectives back does not put the windows back as they were, and certainly does not create and restore all three windows in one shot, the way a workspace setting would.
 
I can see how that would come in handy; I'm not sure if we have a feature request open on that or not. If you email the support ninjas, they'll make sure a new entry gets opened up in the development database. (They can also vote up the existing one on your behalf, if that's what needs to happen.) Thanks!
 
It should be possible to do this with Applescript, but the perspective name property appears to be broken.

(On my system it invariably returns missing value, even with windows freshly opened from the perspectives menu).

Code:
tell application id "com.omnigroup.omnifocus"
	set oWin to front document window of front document
	
	-- Always returns missing value
	set str to perspective name of oWin
end tell
 
Okay, my next actions list for today revealed entirely too many tasks involving cleaning the house and other intractable goals, so that seemed like a natural cue to do some Applescript instead :-)

The following script will capture the window positions and perspectives of your document windows and emit a script to the clipboard that will attempt to replicate your setup. I don't make any promises that it will do what you want with windows that aren't displaying a perspective, or windows where you've focused on something other than what the perspective requests. I think it should do the right thing with multiple monitors, but have no easy way to test that at the moment. If you find it deficient in any way, you know where the sources are, knock yourself out :-)

Code:
(*
   Capture OmniFocus Workspace
   
	This script generates an Applescript on the clipboard which will attempt to replicate the current document window placement(s) and perspective(s).  
	Paste the script into an Applescript editor, save, install in the OmniFocus scripts folder, add to the toolbar to have one-click access.
	Does not currently handle capturing focus state; create an additional perspective that shows only that subset if you need it.  Assumes all 
	windows are using perspectives!
	
	by Bill Palmer
	
	Copyright © 2010, Bill Palmer
	
	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.
	
	Version History:
	
		0.1, initial release, 11/6/10

*)

global _windowLst
property _boilerPlate1 : "
tell application id \"com.omnigroup.omnifocus\"
	tell front document
		repeat while ((count of document windows) > 1)
			set _window to first document window
			close _window
		end repeat
		set _lastRemainingWindow to first document window
"
property _boilerPlate2 : "
		close _lastRemainingWindow
	end tell
end tell
"

tell application id "com.omnigroup.omnifocus"
	set _windowLst to ""
	set _useExtract to my testBrokenPerspectiveNameReturn()
	tell front document
		repeat with _window in document windows
			set _bounds to bounds of _window
			if _useExtract then
				set _name to my extractPerspectiveName(name of _window)
			else
				set _name to perspective name of _window
			end if
			my appendWindowDetails(_bounds, _name)
		end repeat
	end tell
	tell application id "com.apple.finder" to set the clipboard to _boilerPlate1 & _windowLst & _boilerPlate2
end tell

-- append Applescript command to create specified window 
on appendWindowDetails(_bounds, _name)
	set _makeDir to "		make new document window at after front document window with properties {bounds:{" & item 1 of _bounds & "," & item 2 of _bounds & "," & ¬
		item 3 of _bounds & "," & item 4 of _bounds & "}," & ¬
		"perspective name: \"" & _name & "\"}
"
	set _windowLst to _windowLst & _makeDir
end appendWindowDetails

-- Currently OmniFocus returns "missing value" when reading the 
-- perspective name property of a window.  Test for this lossage and signal if
-- alternate approach needs to be used.  Returns true if still broken.
on testBrokenPerspectiveNameReturn()
	set _return to true -- assume broken until proven otherwise
	try
		tell application id "com.omnigroup.omnifocus"
			tell front document
				set _window to make new document window at before front document window with properties {perspective name:"All Items"}
				if (perspective name of _window is missing value) then
					set _return to true
				else
					set _return to false
				end if
				close _window
			end tell
		end tell
	on error
		set _return to true -- play it safe
	end try
	
	return _return
end testBrokenPerspectiveNameReturn

-- Extract perspective name from a window title string such as "William perspective: (Focus: Cub scouts)"
-- Assumes perspective name does not contain ":" (though OmniFocus allows it)
-- Needed because OmniFocus 1.8 builds currently always return "missing value" when reading 
-- perspective name property of a window.

on extractPerspectiveName(windowTitle)
	set _result to ""
	try
		set oldDelims to AppleScript's text item delimiters -- save their current state
		set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {":"} -- declare new delimiters
		set _result to first text item of windowTitle
		set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oldDelims -- restore them
	on error
		set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oldDelims -- restore them in case something went wrong
	end try
	return _result
end extractPerspectiveName
 
whpalmer4: Thanks! I tried your script and it seems to work perfectly. It did just exactly what I wanted.
 
 


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Feature Request pomares OmniGraffle General 0 2010-11-19 12:02 PM
Feature Request DerekAsirvadem OmniGraffle General 3 2010-05-05 02:20 PM
Feature Request: Add in feature to ignore or set time for sync reminder rwhitney OmniFocus 1 for Mac 3 2009-06-11 03:30 PM
Workspace Auto-save feature not turning off? Andymax OmniWeb General 1 2008-07-09 12:16 PM
Feature request waterhead37 OmniOutliner 3 for Mac 0 2007-03-04 11:37 PM


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:01 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.