Dan, how do you get an alfred prompt like window that you can use to paste actions quickly like comments and things?
See the second and third paragraphs of this (click on it):
If this doesn't answer your question, let me know!
Nope.
Don't hold me to this, but this ought to be pretty close:
ActivateApplication
Alert
ApplicationLauncher
ApplyStyle
ApplyTextFactory
BringWindowsForward
Cancel
ClipboardHistorySwitcher
ClipboardSwitcherCopy
ClipboardSwitcherCut
ClipboardSwitcherMacroAction
ClipboardSwitcherPaste
Comment
CompositeImage
ConcealMacroPalettes
CopyClipboard
CustomPrompt
CutCopyPaste
DebuggerAction
DeletePastClipboard
DisplayImage
DrawImage
ExecuteAppleScript
ExecuteJavaScript
ExecuteJavaScriptForAutomation
ExecuteJavaScriptForCustomPrompt
ExecuteMacro
ExecuteShellScript
ExecuteSwift
ExecuteWorkflow
FastUserSwitch
File
FilterClipboard
FilterVariable
FindImage
For
GetFileAttribute
GetImageSize
Group
Growl
HideAll
HideCurrent
HideOthers
HideSpecificApp
HiliteLocation
IfThenElse
InsertText
Log
MacroGroupToggle
MailSendMessage
ManipulateWindow
MarkMacro
MouseMoveAndClick
NewFolder
NewImage
Notification
Open1File
Open1Password
OpenFinderSelection
OpenURL
Pause
PauseUntil
PlaySound
PressButton
Program ended with exit code: 0
ProgramSwitcher
PromptForUserInput
QuickMacro
QuickTimePlayerControl
QuitAll
QuitOthers
QuitSpecificApp
ReadFile
Repeat
ResizeImage.AddMargin
ResizeImage.Crop
ResizeImage.ResizeTo
ResizeImage.ScaleTo
ResizeImage.ScaleToFit
SafariControl
ScreenCapture
ScrollWheelEvent
Search
SearchClipboard
SearchReplaceClipboard
SearchReplaceVariable
SearchVariable
SelectMenuItem
Semaphore
SendMIDIMessage
SetActionDelay
SetClipboardToPastClipboard
SetClipboardToText
SetFileAttribute
SetFindPasteboard
SetKeyboardLayout
SetKeychainPasswordToText
SetMacroEnable
SetMailStatus
SetNetworkLocation
SetSafariCheckbox
SetSafariFieldToText
SetSafariRadio
SetVariableToCalculation
SetVariableToKeychainPassword
SetVariableToSafariField
SetVariableToText
ShowAll
ShowSpecificApp
SimulateHardwareKey
SimulateKeystroke
SimulateModifiers
SpeakText
Substring
Switch
SwitchToLastApplication
SwitchToNextApplication
SystemAction
SystemPrefPane
SystemVolume
TransformImage
TriggerByName
TrimImage
Until
UseVariable
While
WindowSwitcher
WriteFile
iTunesControl
Don't ask me where I got this from - I'm not ready to talk about it yet. 
Oh, and this includes something like 8 plugin actions I have.
There is no real answer to this because there is no good definition of "unique". There are around 130 action objects in the code, but some of then create multiple different actions (like for example all the debugger actions) and they are indistinguishable from uniquely different actions created by different objects, others create a single action with multiple variants, and others a single action with a single variant.
Very nice thanks, I'm down for getting in the ballpark!
I kind of thought that might be the case.
If you mean things like "Cut to Named Clipboard", "Copy to Named Clipboard", "Paste from Named Clipboard" which are all different actions but can be changed to any of the other actions once dragged out then I would call that just one action at least the way it is currently programmed because it is made to be switchable within the action itself. The over all action name I would call that would be "Cut, Copy, Paste From Named Clipboard" in a unique actions folder. That way you kind of have a better global name for the action. I am sure all of them would not fit that nicely into a single name but I think it would still be helpful if there was something close since there is already all the other starting points.
If an action drags out I would count each single action with a single variant as one action since there is no other way to get that (i.e. the growl action, alert, Add or Remove Margins, cut, copy, paste etc.).
I am not sure I am following you correct, my thinking is that there are 13 unique debugger actions because, from what I can tell the way it is programmed, you can't change any of the debugger actions into another once you have dragged out the action. I just tested each action but I might be missing something.
Yes, but being that is a single action object with 13 variants. That is my point, there is no definition for "unique" that makes sense.
Just curious why aren't the 13 variants built into the single action then. I guess we are talking about two different things when we say single. By single I mean an action that is dragged out that can be changed to do different things. It sounds like the focus of the action is what you are calling single, that being to debug.
This is in part why I used the following three actions as an example, why not do like you did with debug and not allow users to switch between the different options within the action? [quote="skillet, post:16, topic:4267"]
If you mean things like "Cut to Named Clipboard", "Copy to Named Clipboard", "Paste from Named Clipboard"
[/quote]
Personally I do like when you can switch within the action so the hybrid would be all the debug actions being able to be dragged out seperatly like they are and also being able to be changed within the action itself. Which to the point would then make 12 less actions since you can get to the other 12 from within a single action which is not currently the case (though I understand they serve a signle purpose). It just doesn't seem completely consistent througout the app but of course there are going to be things that overlap in logic. Really I am just trying to clarify by what I mean is a single action object or whatever the proper verbiage is that I am missing.
Hey Skillet,
Basically It's one action with 13 different parameters.
If you look at the XML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<array>
<dict>
<key>DebuggerAction</key>
<string>BreakpointEvery</string>
<key>IsDisclosed</key>
<false/>
<key>MacroActionType</key>
<string>DebuggerAction</string>
</dict>
</array>
</plist>
Only the first <string> item changes between the variants.
It does seem like a good idea to emplace a pop-up menu to switch between the variants, so perhaps Peter would consider that as a feature request.
-Chris
I could, but I probably wont. There are lots of actions like this. Like many of the iTunes or QuickTime or System Control actions.
But when are you going to want to change an Increase Screen Brightness action into a Sleep Screen action?
Adding a popup menu, changing the action to be disclosable, writing the appropriate editor, etc is all unnecessary complexity for little gain.
Unless you’re mucking around with the XML, there is no need to know or care whether the actions are one action with variants underneath or not.
Understandable. At the heart of it all is really to know how many uniquely addible actions their are and to know what they are. Not a big deal, I think being Peter and just knowing how and where to find things has become second nature to you. Hopefully I'll get there over the next four or five years. As always thank you all for the input.
@skillet, I'm curious. If you had this information, what good would it do you? How would you use it?
For me I am really just trying to boil it down to just the basics of what are the actions that are unique so I can spent less hours going through and looking at all the options in each. I would make one giant macro with all the unique actions and spend a few months pouring over them to make sure I am not missing anything. Of course execution of each of these and how they all fit together is another story and will come with time and practice but I want to get off to a better start by at least making sure my eyes have seen all the unique actions.
This Macro is awesome Chris and has things I couldn't find from the website like Click at Found Image, Delete Current Clipboard, Example AppleScript (see actions in red for differences).
I got 250 unique actions from the website after manually removing the extras from a spreadsheet and got 260 unique actions after comparing the differences between Chris' macro results and the website.
Interesting. Can you please upload your spreadsheet? You may need to zip it first.
Start here: https://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/manual/Single_Page_Version
or here:
This is what you really want, not just a listing of functions.
It contains weeks, if not months of reading material. If you don't understand something, make a note and come back later, because there's no way you can understand it all the first time through. At least, I couldn't.
I just uploaded it over here.
Click at Found Image is just a variant of the Click action configured to be relative to the Found Image.
Delete Current Clipboard is just a variant of the Delete Past Clipboard configured to delete the current one.
Example AppleScript, Get Finder Path, Get Text From ScreenShot, Unminimize All Windows are third party plugins.
Fix Finder Selection Bug is a third party plugin (no longer needed as the bug no longer exists in the Finder).
For Each Path in… are just a variant of the For Each actions, preconfigured with a specific collection.
Set Clipboard to Variable is just a Set Clipboard to Text action pre-configured with a Variable token. Same for Set Keychain Password to Variable.
Set Variable to Clipboard is just a Set Variable to Text action pre-configured with a CurrentClipboard token.
So these are not unique actions, they are just there to try to help people getting started see what the options are.
I don't see what the big deal is about which Actions are "unique" and which are not.
As Peter has already explained, there is no clear definition, and I'm not sure it matters in any event.
If you want to learn about Actions, why not go to the wiki page which lists all Actions, and go through the list? If there are variants within an Action, then the wiki article will describe it.
See:
Actions [Keyboard Maestro Wiki]
If you need some action, but don't know which specific KM Action provides it, then search the wiki and/or the KM forum.
If you find a KM Action in the wiki that needs improvement, then let us know, and we can update it.
IMO, there are so many KM Actions, and variants thereof, that it is highly unlikely that any one person will ever need ALL of them.
I think the main thing to be aware of is the categories of Actions, so when you need something new you have some idea of where it might be found. Knowing the categories and the search tools should find what you need in most cases. If not, just post a question here in the forum.
Thanks, I'll continue to search and see what I can learn without bugging people and thankfully the forum is getting more and more searchable or rather finding results to questions with the search everyday thanks to you, Peter and Chris among others.
Thanks for the list of each of the actions and I think we might see eye to eye on what a unique action is as you also stated in another thread.
I look forward to becoming a Keyboard Maestro someday ;)!
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