Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Automate the Finder
The Finder is a special app that runs all the time and lets you navigate all the files, folders,
and apps on your Mac. You use the Finder to organize, tag, and locate files; connect to
other devices on your network; mount and unmount servers and external drives; and perform
numerous other activities that involve files, folders, and volumes.
The Finder is also the main place people go to open apps that don't appear in the Dock. When
you want to launch an application, you might open a Finder window, click Applications in
the sidebar, scroll to the app you want, and double-click it. Similarly, if you want to open a
document in its default app, you might dig through any number of nested folders in the Finder
and then double-click that document.
Since you use the Finder so much, it offers prime opportunities for automation. For example,
it's possible to launch apps and open documents without clicking and scrolling through any
windows. In a second or less, while keeping both hands on the keyboard, you can open an app
or document without even knowing where it's located.
In this chapter, I discuss how to get started automating the Finder using OS X's built-in
Spotlight tool, and then I move on to more powerful third-party utilities that let you do even
more.
Use the Spotlight Menu as a Launcher
You probably know about the system-wide Spotlight menu on the right side of your menu
bar. Click the magnifying glass icon and start typing; OS X lists files, folders, and other items
on your Mac that match your search characters (
Figure 14
).
