Working from a selected drive or folder, is it possible to have an action or macro create a list of all files created or modified after a specific date?
Thanks for the help.
Forum, am I asking too much of the Keyboard Maestro program here?
I think you can do:
1.- filter files from Finder and
2.- use KM to save it as a list
That gives me a starting place, thanks.
Yes, but it requires a script.
Below is just an example written in response to your request. You will need to use as an example and/or change to meet your workflow automation needs.
Please let us know if it meets your needs.
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Example Output
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MACRO: Get List of Files in Folder Created or Modified After Given Date [Example]
-~~~ VER: 1.0 2021-03-25 ~~~
Requires: KM 8.2.4+ macOS 10.11 (El Capitan)+
(Macro was written & tested using KM 9.0+ on macOS 10.14.5 (Mojave))
DOWNLOAD Macro File:
Get List of Files in Folder Created or Modified After Given Date [Example].kmmacros
Note: This Macro was uploaded in a DISABLED state. You must enable before it can be triggered.
ReleaseNotes
Author.@JMichaelTX
PURPOSE:
- Get List of Files in Folder Created or Modified After Given Date [Example]
- Returned List is in Alphabetic Order
HOW TO USE
- First, make sure you have followed instructions in the Macro Setup below.
- See the below "How to Use" Comment Action
- This macro is just an example written in response to your request. You will need to use as an example and/or change to meet your workflow automation needs.
MACRO SETUP
- Carefully review the Release Notes and the Macro Actions
- Make sure you understand what the Macro will do.
- You are responsible for running the Macro, not me. ??
.
Make These Changes to this Macro
- Assign a Trigger to this Macro .
- Move this macro to a Macro Group that is only Active when you need this Macro.
- ENABLE this Macro, and the Macro Group it is in.
- For more info, see KM Wiki article on Macro Activation
.
- For more info, see KM Wiki article on Macro Activation
- REVIEW/CHANGE THE FOLLOWING MACRO ACTIONS:
(all shown in the magenta color)- CHANGE to Default Target Date
- Default is One Month prior to Today
- CHANGE to Default Target Date
REQUIRES:
- KM 9.0+ (may work in KM 8.2+ in some cases)
- macOS 10.12.6 (Sierra)+
TAGS: @Example @Files @AppleScript @SystemEvents @Date
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Thank you very much, I can't wait to "get into it" !
1 Like
I have no doubt the sample macro posted by JMichaelTX works well—I haven't tested it but he regularly posts effective macros like this—but just a reminder to anyone reading that from the Finder, using File > Find (Command-F) invokes a Spotlight window whereby the Created and Modified criteria (and many more) can be specified for a search.
1 Like
Thank you very much for the helpful and useful macro, it works so smooth I can't believe it. I'm amazed looking at it in KM, following your steps (although way out of my league) is an eye opener.
Thanks again
2 Likes
NaOH, thanks for the Spotlight info. I'll be studying that as well.
Much appreciated
Hey Folks,
⌘⌥F puts you in the Window Search Field without bringing up the advanced UI.
From there you can enter pretty sophisticated queries:
date in the above is somewhat generic – you have to use Spotlight query language to get more specific:
kMDItemContentModificationDate:>3/1/2021 NOT kind:folder
I have a number of these kinds of queries pre-built in Typinator, so it's easy for me to compose fairly sophisticated stuff if I need to.
You can also use the Raw category in the advanced Spotlight UI, but you most likely have to enable it from the Other... in the Spotlight pop-up criteria menu.
If you look in the displayed pop-up-menu you can see I've already enabled Raw Query.
Supposedly as of Catalina English-Language searches are better supported, but I'm still using Sierra and Mojave and can't test as yet.
-Chris
1 Like
Hey Folks,
Here's how you can drive Spotlight from Keyboard Maestro using an Execute a Shell Script action.
- The macro will pop-up a list of found paths.
- Dates need to be in iso-format and may include (nor not) the time in 24-hour format.
2021-04-01 21:23
- At the moment both Files and Folders are found, although I might be amenable to a little arm-twisting to add more features.
Input looks like this:
Output looks like this:
-Chris
Find Files Modified After The Given Date v1.00.kmmacros (8.7 KB)
1 Like
Hey Folks,
Since we're on the topic of finding things – I recommend the following software:
-
EasyFind (freeware) from DEVONtechnologies.
- I like a number of their freeware items.
-
Find Any File (FAF) (shareware)
- Just about the best $6.00 USD you can spend on Mac software.
-
HoudahSpot (commercial)
- At $34.00 USD it's not cheap, but I've found it very useful for about a decade now. It's Spotlight on steroids...
When I search for things on my Mac I nearly always start out with Spotlight in the Finder.
If I don't find what I want pretty quickly I'll move on to HoudahSpot.
If I still can't find what I want I'll give Find Any File a try, since it physically searches your hard drives.
The final weapon in my arsenal is File Buddy – the 1200lb gorilla of Mac search utilities.
- The developer died and FB has been languishing at version 10.0.3 for years now. But – I just noticed someone has picked up the gauntlet, and FB 11 is under development.
With EasyFind and Find Any File around, no Mac user has an excuse for not having a good find utility on their machine(s).
If anyone else has a good recommendation please let me know.
-Chris
** Not 1 Shekel was earned by my endorsements.
2 Likes
Can vouch for FAF, great app
1 Like