Use Sparrow To Email Files As Attachments With A Right Click [OS X Tips]

Did you know that you can send attached files from anywhere on your computer, using Mail? Simply right click on any file in the finder, move your cursor down to Services, and select New Email With Attachment. OS X will open Mail if it’s not already running, and set up a new message with that file as an attachment.

That’s all well and good if you use Mail. But what if you’ve opted for Sparrow, a popular third-party OS X email client? You might think you’re out of luck.

You’re not, and we’re going to show you how to make it happen.

First of all, you need to have Sparrow (or Sparrow Lite), which can be downloaded from the Mac App store. Secondly, you’ll need to launch Automator, OS X’s magic automation tool. It’s where AppleScript kinds of solutions have all migrated to.

Once open, click on Service, then Choose. Change the drop down menus near the top to say, “Service receives selected files or folders in any application. Then, move over to the Actions pane and type “Applescript” into the search field there (labeled Name). The only available action that’s left is “Run AppleScript.” Drag it over to the pane on the right, where it says, “Drag actions of files here to build your workflow.”

Now, select the resulting AppleScript you see there, and delete it. Copy the below and paste it into the window, instead:

on run {input, parameters}
	tell application "Sparrow"
		activate
		set theMessage to make new outgoing message
		tell theMessage
			repeat with ii in input
				make new mail attachment with properties {filename:ii as alias}
			end repeat
			compose
		end tell
	end tell
end run

If you only have Sparrow Lite, substitute that name above where it says “Sparrow.” Save the Automator file now in the File menu and it will save itself in the correct spot on your Mac. Name it something clever, like “Email as Attachment (Sparrow). Quit Automator.

Now, head out to your Desktop and find a file, right click on it, and move your cursor down to the Services tab and choose the service you just created. Boom! Your Mac should now open Sparrow, create a new Email, and attach your file.

Slick, huh?

Source: Macworld

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