Quicksilver: A practical user’s guide

Quicksilver is a powerful tool and, perhaps surprisingly, not just for power-users. While everyone seems to agree on that point, it’s also true that almost everyone has the same initial impression: “This looks really cool, but I just don’t understand how it will make my life better.” To say Quicksilver is a bit obfuscated is an understatement.

I’ve set out to provide a few answers to that question — at least, if not how it can improve your life, then at least your day-to-day computer use. Following is my “Dictionary of Great Quicksilver Hacks” that I use on a daily basis. I hope you find these fifteen or twenty Quicksilver techniques as useful as I do.

So, what can you do with Quicksilver?

Control iTunes easily with whatever shortcut keys I like

This is a pretty easy one, but you do have to turn on the iTunes plugin for it to work and set up a few triggers, or shortcut keys. For example, I use command-1 through command-5 to rate the currently playing song, and command-arrows to go back or forward in the playlist. You can also search your iTunes database for music and start playing with just a few keystrokes (for example, to search iTunes for “that song” just tap out option-space (my key to invoke Quicksilver) and type “it” to bring up iTunes. Then I right-arrow in and select music by playlist, genre, artist, you name it. If you know what you want to hear it’s a lot faster than opening up iTunes and searching for it.

I can also quickly switch between playlists, which I do more often. Option-space, “thought” followed by tab and enter starts playing my “Thought Music” playlist (a list that I like to use when I’m brainstorming).

Create new kGTD tasks on-the-fly

I started using Kinkless GTD a while ago and absolutely love it. You need OmniOutliner Professional for this but you could easily tailor this to use whatever to-do management approach you have. Or, better yet, just get your hands on OmniFocus as soon as it ships. As simple as option-space, type my new GTD task and press Tab, “k” and return. The task appears in my kGTD inbox.

Add to your OmniOutliner to-do list

I also use OmniOutliner to manage my daily call agenda. Throughout the day, I’ll have a quick thought. “Ah! I have to ask John about the new user interface!” Getting it into my to-do list is super easy, and I don’t have to be worried about finding my list or opening an application. Option-space, press “.” to enter text entry mode, type my reminder (“Ask John about the new user interface”), tab, “t” to match “Send to To-do” and press enter.

Screenshot 4 This did take a little bit of Applescript development. Download the attached script and drop it into your Quicksilver scripts folder, ~/Library/Application Support/Quicksilver/Actions. The script relies on two external variables:

I used the defaults database to store the location of my to-do document. You could just edit the Applescript and replace this with a hardcoded filename, or you can use the defaults database yourself. Look for the line “defaults read com.bosslogic.ptinotes lastpath” and modify it accordingly. Then you can use Terminal to write the path, “defaults write com.bosslogic.ptinotes lastpath path-to-your-todo-list” (you might want to change the variable name too).
Your OmniOutliner document will need to have a single item with its note set to “meta_inbox” (without quotes). This is where the Applescript will append new entries.

Search my booksmarks and bookmarked web sites

You’ll probably want to tell Quicksilver to catalog your browser history as well as your bookmarks. A quick option-space and type just about any fragment from your bookmarks or history and voila! You’re there.

Navigate my file system by keystroke

Sometimes I know where I want to be and it takes less time to get there than opening up a Finder and mousing around. Want to get to your iDisk Documents folder really quick? Option-space, “iDisk/Doc” and press return. Quicksilver will open up a new Finder window for you.

Do something to a group of files

Sometimes I want to operate on a group of files all at one time. One very common practice is to apply Spotlight comments to a set of photos or other files. If you install Quicksilver’s File Attribute Actions plugin you’ll be able to instantly apply comments, set a file’s icon, lock or unlock the file, set the file label, create an alias and a host of other common operations. Used in conjunction with Quicksilver’s command-G trigger, to select a group of files, this is very powerful. For example, to set a file’s comment: First, select as many files as you like in the Finder. Then, option-space to invoke Quicksilver, command-G to select current files from the Finder, tab, “com” to match “Set File Comments,” tab again and type in my comments.

Use commas to select multiple files

You can also use a comma to select multiple items in Quicksilver. Just navigate to your target as usual, type a comma, then navigate to another item. You can manipulate the collection of objects just as you would a single object.

Manipulate image format and sizes

If you find yourself frequently tinkering with images (either converting them from one format to another, or perhaps making standard thumbnail-sized miniatures for your blog), this will be handy. It also works great if you do a lot of web work and need to resize buttons and pictures a lot.

Want to reduce an image to half-size? Option-space, command-G to select the file(s) I want to resize, type “Scale,” tab and “50%.” You can also specify dimensions in pixels. A copy is saved in split second at half size. You can also convert from one format to another just as easily: Option-space, command-G, “form” (short for “Save to Format…”) and “jpg” converts from my PNG file to a JPG.

Send a quick email without having to find Mail

Granted, it doesn’t take much time to do this without Quicksilver, but now that I’m used to it, I’d miss not having it. Want to shoot of a few file attachments and a quick note by email? Easy enough:

Select the files you want to send in the Finder.
Option-space and command-G to select the files.
Tab and type “Em” (short for Email).
Tab and type part of the name of the person you want to send the message to.

This will open up a Mail message with your files attached and the message addressed. Just a little bit quicker than bringing up Mail and dragging some files around.

Create a quick appointment in Google Calendar

If you use a Google calendar, this one is pretty handy. You’ll need to install the Google Calendar plugin.

Then, it’s just an option-space, “.” to start text entry and type “Coffee at Starbucks 9am Monday” followed by “Goo” to send it to your calendar.

Start a slideshow on a set of images

This one always seems to impress people during a presentation. Want to show a handful of images full-screen? Select the files in the Finder, option-space, tab, “slide” and away you go.

Keep a clipboard history (and recall it easily)

It seems like every time I want to pull something from my clipboard, I’ve already replaced it with a more recent item. The Quicksilver Clipboard plugin lets you keep a clipboard history. You can set how long the history is (I use 10 items myself, and Quicksilver assigns the keys 0 through 9 to each clipboard “slot”). To retrieve something from the clipboard history, type option-space, command-L (to bring up the clipboard panel) and a number from 0 to 9. The Clipboard module supports image formats, PDF’s, and rich text in addition to plain text.

Find (and launch) stuff fast

Most people get this one right away. Quicksilver makes a great launcher (better than Spotlight, because it’s so fast). Just option-space, type a few letters such as “Fire” to select Firefox, and press return.

Grab the full pathname to a file

One thing that has always annoyed me about the Finder is its inability to give me the pathname to a file. I have to type it in (you can’t even select it from File Info). Quicksilver solves that if you’ve installed the File Attribute Actions plugin, just select the file in the Finder, press option-space, command-G, tab and type “path” to get the full path to the file.

Instantly index and access your databases

There are a lot of database products out there, and a lot of Quicksilver plugins. I use VoodooPad for my own text database, storing notes, images, ideas and other things I need to keep track of in a handy wiki-style format. With the VoodooPad plugin, Quicksilver fully indexes my entire database so I can find anything inside my VoodooPad documents. Just bring up Quicksilver and start typing.

Quick password access through my keychain

Being a bit paranoid about security I try to create unique passwords just about everywhere. Keeping track of them is easy enough thanks to OS/X’s Keychain, but when I want to pull one out I’d rather not open up Keychain Access, unlock it, search for the right password, and retype it.

Quicksilver’s Keychain plugin takes care of that for me. Just option-space to bring up Quicksilver, type “Keychain” and use the arrow keys (or type a fragment of a site name) to locate the right entry. Tapping the return key copies the password to my clipboard for a convenient paste into a waiting password field.

Define a word

If you install the Dictionary plugin, you can define any word using the “Define with dict.org” action. This is a good one to have around. It’s easier to invoke (I don’t have to find a dashboard widget or open up the Dictionary application) and the definitions are first-rate.

Just the start…

So, that’s just a brief introduction to how I use Quicksilver on a daily basis. I’d have to say the integration with Applescript makes it the killer app for me. A few quick scripts and I’ve been able to completely streamline my task management… and that’s just the start. It takes a while for the lightbulb to go off, so to speak. Quicksilver isn’t an application that does one thing incredibly well. It doesn’t even do anything you can’t otherwise get done. What it does do is make hundreds of day-to-day tasks just a little bit easier. Give it some time, let it sink in… and before you know it, you’ll be relying on it.

Hopefully you’ve found a few of these tips useful. Be sure to check out the Blacktree tutorials page for quick a few more links.