Another day, another cool thing you can do with Alfred. This time it’s updating a text file of your choice, without having to leave Alfred’s friendly text input window.
It’s done with an extension called note2file. When you install, you’ll be asked to set a few parameters within the extension file itself – namely the location of the file you want to update, your text editor of choice, and whether or not you want new lines of text added at the top or the bottom. (Don’t forget to save the extension after you’ve made the edits.)
If your idea of productivity heaven is a plain text file todo list that lives inside Dropbox, this could be the todo hack of your dreams. You’ll be able to add new items by calling up Alfred, typing a quick note, and hitting return.
No need to leave the work you’re in the middle of, or the app you’re using. No need to open a text editor. Your notes file will be updated behind the scenes. Neato.
Alfred, for those of you still unaware, is an all-purpose dogsbody for app and file opening, system command issuing, file system navigating, media file playing, and all sorts of other things. Its plugin and extension-friendly backend means it can be constantly tweaked and adapted to provide more than the basic features, allowing you to use all manner of custom keyword and shortcut commands to speed up your workflow. It’s become one of those apps I can’t live without.
