Hook version 1.2 (2682) is now available

Releases
1

We are pleased to announce version 1.2 of the Hook productivity app for macOS. Its title bar is substantially different. It now reflects the focal app and the item with which Hook is interacting. It also contains a fix for scripting with JavaScript, allowing Hook Pro users (and CogSci Apps) to customize Hook’s interaction with other apps using JavaScript. It also contains several improvements and bug fixes. This is described below.

Presenting Hook

But first, I would like to make a pre-announcement. As you probably know, Hook is the product of the first integrative design-oriented cognitive science R&D programme focused on cognitive productivity. As such, we have a lot of original and helpful perspectives to share on productivity. To be most helpful, these perspectives need to be expressed in an accessible fashion. We will soon formally announce what has already happened, namely that a world-class communications and marketing leader has joined CogSci Apps. Together, we have been revamping Hook’s home page. We will be extending our documentation and screencasts. We also plan to increase our rate of engagement on social media.

The improvements you will find in Hook 1.2 today, and in upcoming revisions of Hook, reflect our mission to improve the cognitive productivity of millions of people.

Improved

Hook’s title bar now reflects the focal app and item with which Hook is interacting

Before Hook version 1.2, Hook’s title bar contained the Hook logo (on left), the Hook wordmark (in the center) and a gear menu (on the right). As of Hook 1.2, the title bar contains

  1. on the left: the logo of the focal app in relation to which Hook currently operates;
  2. in the center, the title of the item (in the focal app) in relation to which Hook will operate; that is if Hook can determine this title; otherwise, the name of the focal app is displayed here in the center; and
  3. on the right: Hook’s gear icon (menu) (same as before).

For example, if you were to view this document on the Hook productivity forum in Safari and then invoke Hook, then Hook’s title bar would look like this:

Hook%20window%20new
Hook%20window%20new1630×474 62.3 KB

The title bar contains:

  1. on left: the Safari icon,
  2. in the middle: the document’s title: Hook version 1.2 (2682) is now available - Releases - Hook Productivity
  3. on the right: Hook’s gear icon (for accessing the gear menu containing items such as About and Preferences).

The main purpose of this change is to make it clear to users that Hook interacts with the foreground app, and when requested and possible, on the frontmost resource of said app.

As a reminder, the following commands apply to the frontmost resource:

  1. Link to New (⌘N)
  2. Copy as Link (⌘C)
  3. Copy as Markdown Link (⌘M)
  4. Link to Copied Address (⌘L and ⌘V)
  5. Reveal File in Finder (⌘R)
  6. Make Hook File (⇧⌘H)

Many Hook window commands, of course, operate on the linked items. See the “ACCESS LINKED ITEMS section” section of the “All Commands & Shortcuts” web page

Other enhancements

  • If the title bar is not big enough to expose the entire title, Hovering over the title bar will expose it all.
  • Rather than always selecting “Link to New” by default, now when you open the Hook window the first link will be selected, if there are any. This will make it even faster for you to access items linked to the focal resource.
  • We’ve added a global keyboard-shortcut, (by default, ⌃⇧⌘M), for showing/selecting and hiding/deselecting the menu bar window. (Forum.) Global means unless disabled, it will take effect even if the Hook window is not shown. This will make it even easier and faster for you to inspect Hook’s menu bar window.
  • Hook’s Shortcuts Preferences pane enables you to disable, re-enable and configure the new shortcut.
  • When Hook’s menu bar window is exposed, you can now hide it by hitting the ESC key.
  • Similarly, when the user types the Hook keyboard shortcut (⌘⇧SPACE by default) while the Hook window is shown, the Hook window will be hidden. (I.e., this keyboard sequence is now a toggle. See the Hook productivity forum.)
  • Files created with Link to New will no longer be given a meta-data tag. (The tag was com.apple.metadata:kMDItemWhereFroms.) The optional “Hook” Finder tag (configured in Hook’s General Preferences pane) is not affected by this change.
  • In the gear menu (in Hook window’s title bar), we’ve added some instructions for activating your Hook license.
  • Improved wording of a minor dialog box.

Integrating with 3rd party apps using JavaScript

The integration scripts with which Hook ships are currently written in AppleScript. (They are accessible via Hook’s Scripts Preferences pane.)

Hook included an undocumented feature in progress to enable its integration scripts to also be written in JavaScript. However, there was an issue preventing the \\JavaScript incantation from working. That issue has been addressed. This is pursuant to a forum topic initiated by @RobTrew, Almost there with JS scripts - Share your Hook scripts - Hook Productivity Forum.

We invite you to visit, and also feel free to contribute to, the Hook productivity forum. It’s fun and informative.

Fixed

  • Fixed a crash that would happen if users command-clicked on a link in the Hook popup window. Now, such clicking does nothing. (⌘click behavior may be defined in the future.)
  • Fixed a crash that would happen if Hook could not get the default template file (e.g., if there was a UNIX permission issue).

Updated Integration scripts

As always, we release Hook integration scripts on Hook’s integration server, available for automatic updates. We then package them into Hook productivity app. The latest integrations are documented in the Releases category of the Hook productivity forum:

If you happen to use StorySpace, you will have noticed with pleasure that Hook works out of the box with this software by Eastgate Systems.

Gratitude

Thank you to everyone who contributed integrations and/or reported issues through Hook Forum or other channels.

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