Updating Clip to Tinderbox Service

Have installed Mark Anderson’s Clip to Tinderbox v6 Service and find it works - mostly - in TB v7.0.1. It produces a new note but only in a new document. It appears not to recognize the open document. Found his version six edition of the service here.

I attempted to modify the script in Automator by replacing “TinderboxSix” with “Tinderbox 7” but that was not successful. Although the code compiles in Automator, when run, no new note appears in the open TB document.

As I’m still quite new to Automator, AppleScript and Tinderbox, thought I would inquire before thrashing around any further.

Afraid I called “Fire” before testing thoroughly. Have done so now and find the service works as expected: new note opened in open TB doc.

Small side suggestion to Mark Anderson: In the generally excellent Readme.rtf file contained with Clip Selection to Tinderbox_v6, it might help other newbies such as me to add a sentence to the advice under Installation. In the second point under changes needed in System Prefs for OS 10.6+, when I opened the Accessibility item, there are applications to be checked or unchecked specifying the apps allowed to control my computer. I discovered that it demands “BBEdit” to be checked as it is the app from which I was testing the clipping process. Perhaps adding a sentence such as, “In the right column, place a checkmark next to the application from which you will be clipping selections.”

I had already checked Automator and AppleScript for good luck - not sure if relevant.

Thank you for maintaining the clip service. It answers a great need of mine.
Doug

What’s the exact path to this. I don’t see any such list in my (10.12.3) System Prefs but I may be looking in the wrong place.

I’ve updated the service and it works fine with just the settings as I originally documented: http://www.acrobatfaq.com/tbdemos/Clip_Selection_to_Tinderbox_v7.zip

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Working fine for me, too.

Path (in 10.11.6) to prefs comment: System Preferences / Security & Privacy / Privacy. Then select Accessibility on left side. Application selections appear on right side. (My MacPro too old to update to Sierra.)

Ah, seen. No that’s not necessary. I can clip from BBEdit to TB v7 via the service and BBEdit isn’t in that Accessibility list. That’s for special apps like TextExpander as they need to insinuate themselves further into your Mac than normal apps.

Thanks but now confused again. If nothing is changed in those Privacy/Accessibility preferences, what’s the reason for calling it out in the Readme? Perhaps just opening the panel sets an invisible flag?? :wink:

I don’t understand as ‘Privacy’ or ‘Accessibility’ are mentioned nowhere in the Readme. Are you looking at the right document. The install section is:

Unpack the zip file and locate the file called ‘Clip Selection to Tinderbox.service’. Copy or move this file to:
~/Library/Services/

Or, in longer form the path is:

/Users/[short name of user acc]/Library/Services/

If the ‘Services’ folder doesn’t exist in your Library, add one.

Once correctly installed, ‘Clip Selection to Tinderbox’ should show up in the services menu.

OS 10.6+ (Snow Leopard or later OS) users only. There is one extra step. Open the OS System Preferences, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts tab; select the Services item and scroll the list to find ‘Clip to Tinderbox’ and tick that item.

Setting a shortcut in OS 10.6+.
Open the, System Preferences, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts tab; select the Services item and scroll the list to find ‘Clip Selection to Twig’ and click the right-most column, and then the ‘add shortcut button’ for that item. If a shortcut is free for the current app, it is shown to the right of the service name. The service is greyed out if the current app has no selection. Cmd+§ may be a good choice for a free shortcut.

Although I made a few updates in the v7 Readme, the subjects are not in the v6 Readme either.

I’ve even double-checked the Readme document in the Zip online is the one I have locally. I can only assume you’re reading some other Readme doc.

Regarding the _Keyboard/Services_prefs, I think you have to tick a service item to enable it (even if it isn’t given a shortcut). But, I’m not an expert on OS services. I did the minimum required to get the service to work. You may have some detritus from your earlier experiments which is causing problems - you might want to reverse any extra preference changes you made during those experiments.

Sorry if I’m using obsolete info.

Got it from http://www.eastgate.com/Tinderbox/forum//YaBB.cgi?num=1423775493/0#0. dated 2/12/2015. Downloads a folder named Clip_Selection_to_Tinderbox_v6 which contains a .workflow file and Readme.rtf. Operative passage:


OS 10.6+ (Snow Leopard or later OS) users only. There are 2 extra steps involving System Preferences - you may need to provide your OS admin password to complete these steps.

  1. Open the System Preferences, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts tab; select the Services item and scroll the list to find ‘Clip to Tinderbox’ and tick that item.

  2. Open the System Preferences, Security & Privacy, Privacy tab and select the Accessibility item in the left column


My approach has been to do a search on a term of interest, read the results, try likely suspects as I find them. In this case I spotted a virtually identical version not having the v6 suffix. I know you’re so deep in Tinderbox that you cannot possibly remember each and every posting from years ago. Am open to better methods to avoid obsolete material.

Apologize for sending you into the forest on an useless quest.
Doug

No worries, you’ve done nothing wrong, I was just trying to ensure I’d not missed something important. I’d just use the v7 version installed as per its readme and not worry about the old version.

For things like this that are major version dependent (and developed on older OSs) it’s probably best to come to the forum and ask if a new version of [the demo/thing] is needed for the new Tinderbox version. The answer may be that it’s fine but often there may be changes needed and you might need to wait until someone has (the spare) time to update them.

Kudos for trying to update the old service yourself - essentially I figured out the first one by adapting from those for other apps and IIRC some AppleScripting help from fellow forum members. I suspect where you went astray is that the embedded script needs the correct app name and style has varied by version. v5 was “Tinderbox”, v6 “Tinderbox Six” and v7 “Tinderbox 7” (not “Tinderbox Seven”). The version part of the name is trivial almost everywhere except places like this when the exact name is needed, so make sure to use the exact string as appears on the app in Finder. If you’ve edited the new (e.g. to avid some name clash") then you’ll need to run the app and check its name as reported when running. HTH.