How to search replace within a markdown link, and how this led me to new way of working in KM

[ronald]

How to search replace within a markdown link, and how this led me to new way of working in KM.

I was looking for new applications of the excellent macro Copy as Markdown Link - Macro Library - Keyboard Maestro Discourse (thank you @ComplexPoint ) and this led me to a new way of working in KM.

The problem this solves is the fact that I am usually working on more than 10 macros at a time and it's difficult to keep track of ongoing research pertinent to each macro. I put a keyword in the macro title and create a smart group, but I am limited to storing comments and pertinent website links in comment boxes in those macros which is tedious.

First I found that if I select a macro in KM → Copy as Markdown Link → If I paste that link in a Markdown (Bear) or RTF (Textedit, etc) note, clicking on the link opens the macro in KM editor (does not trigger the macro).

A macro markdown link looks like

Anybox

~[Anybox](keyboardmaestro://m=D629986E-D53B-4DA5-899A-BADAB11149C3)~

I then found that if I select multiple KM macros → run copy markdown link → the links to all selected macros are batch copied to the clipboard and can easily be batch pasted in Markdown or RTF notes which makes life much easier.

I created a "KM Journal" in Bear (Markdown but could be any RTF editor) in which I list all macros I am currently working on together with a link to each macro, to which I can add notes, links to websites, etc

I than noticed that macro URL triggers have the following structure which is similar to that of the Markdown link above

kmtrigger://macro=AA492269-558C-4D06-933D-091B6A5C0095

What I would now like to do and here is where I have difficulty:

I would like to add to my KM Journal the ability to trigger macros, so for each macro, I will end up with 2 links: one to edit the macro and the other to trigger it.

If I select a macro → copy as Markdown link, I end up with

~[Anybox](keyboardmaestro://m=D629986E-D53B-4DA5-899A-BADAB11149C3)~

I would like to create a macro which would convert the following in the clipboard (the output of copy as markdown link)

~[Anybox](keyboardmaestro://m=D629986E-D53B-4DA5-899A-BADAB11149C3)~

to a clipboard containing 2 links, one to edit and one to trigger the macro

~[Anybox EDIT](keyboardmaestro://m=D629986E-D53B-4DA5-899A-BADAB11149C3)~

~[Anybox TRIGGER](kmtrigger://macro=D629986E-D53B-4DA5-899A-BADAB11149C3)~

The difference being

• the prefix of the edit URL is keyboardmaestro://m= and the prefix of the trigger is kmtrigger://macro=)
• because both links look the same in Markdown (ie Anybox) I want to add "EDIT" AND TRIGGER just before "]"

Thanks in advance for your time and help and sorry for the long post

[griffman]

@ronald

I would like to create a macro which would convert the following in the clipboard (the output of copy as markdown link)

There are probably more elegant ways of doing this, but this is quite simple: Just using Search and Replace on the text string, and storing each result in two separate variables, then writing both back to the clipboard.

Download Macro(s): _Convert markdown link.kmmacros (3.8 KB)

Macro screenshot

Macro notes

• Macros are always disabled when imported into the Keyboard Maestro Editor.
  • The user must ensure the macro is enabled.
  • The user must also ensure the macro's parent macro-group is enabled.

System information

• macOS 13.6.5
• Keyboard Maestro v11.0.2

I can't test in Bear, but I think this gets what you want: One entry on the clipboard containing both forms of the link.

-rob.

[ronald]

Fantastic. Superb ! Works perfectly with the Anybox model. thank you very much !

I have 2 things to modify because at the start of the macro I would execute the copy markdown link macro and I must make your macro generic for any link.

1- I would replace (1) with %SystemClipboard%

2- (2) and (3) I don't know how to (likely a regex) to replace 2 and 3 with add suffix EDIT / TRIGGER to whatever string is between [ ] and make the macro generic for whatever markdown link is in the clipboard. Would you have an idea.

3- If I run the macro with multiple markdown links in the clipboard before running the macro I first have all the edits and following the edits all the triggers. I imagine that it would be very complicated to sequence them edit + trigger edit + trigger etc

thanks again

Simulation of multiple links

Outcome

[griffman]

@ronald

2- (2) and (3) I don't know how to (likely a regex) to replace 2 and 3 with add suffix EDIT / TRIGGER to whatever string is between and make the macro generic for whatever markdown link is in the clipboard. Would you have an idea.

No regex required, as long as there's always only one "]" in the string. Just change the search to "]" and the replaces to " EDIT]" and " TRIGGER]"

@ronald

If I run the macro with multiple markdown links in the clipboard before running the macro I first have all the edits and following the edits all the triggers. I imagine that it would be very complicated to sequence them edit + trigger edit + trigger etc

You'd just need to put the search/replace stuff in a For Each loop for rows on the clipboard, and then build up a variable containing the combined rows. Something like this:

Download Macro(s): _Clipboard loop test.kmmacros (3.9 KB)

Macro screenshot

Macro notes

• Macros are always disabled when imported into the Keyboard Maestro Editor.
  • The user must ensure the macro is enabled.
  • The user must also ensure the macro's parent macro-group is enabled.

System information

• macOS 13.6.5
• Keyboard Maestro v11.0.2

Note this isn't a full solution, just most of what's above wrapped in the loop.

-rob.

[ronald]

works perfectly. You are a genius ! Thank you so much !