Send filename from Afred to a named clipboard

Questions & Suggestions
1

I use this simple workflow to get the filenames of the PDF files. It basically runs a small shell script to copy the filename without the extension:

zBase=$(basename "{query}")
title=${zBase%.*}
echo -n $title;

What I want to do:
Every time I copied the fine name, I want it to go to a specific named clipboard: say Reference. Every time I made a new copy, the new item will replace the old clipboard of the Reference clipboard.

The thing is: I don’t know how to send from Alfred File action into KM. KM doesn’t seem to do any action on Aflred’s search window.

is it possible to do?

2

You can interact with KM via AppleScript. So you could launch an AppleScript like this with Alfred:

tell application "Keyboard Maestro Engine"
  setvariable "zzzFromAlfred" to "+++Whatever+++"
  do script "D80232B8-CAE1-4FD3-AAF9-8D381D68926A"
end tell

The AppleScript sets a KM variable and then executes this macro which will set the Named Clipboard “Reference” to that variable:

_[test] Set Named Clipboard to Variable.kmmacros (1.4 KB)

1 Like
3

This worked perfectly.

Thank you very much.

4

Just so you (and others) know, there is a KM Action to get File Attributes so that you don't have to run a shell script. Many users are not confortable with shell scripts.

See action:Get File Attribute [Keyboard Maestro Wiki]

This KM Action requires the full path to the file which you can get by any of these means:

  • Type in full path
  • Select the file using the "Get File" button in the action
  • Using a KM Variable, like "%Variable%FileFullPath%" which you have set in a previous action, like a Prompt User.