[API Feature Request] A method that return the selected Finder items

[fturcheti]

Describe the feature and the current behavior/state.

A method that return the selected items in Finder (files and folders). I've asked @thomaspaulmann about this on Slack and he suggested something like getSelectedFile, that would fit nicely with getSelectedText. I'm not completely convinced by the naming though because the method would ideally return an array of finder items, something like this:

interface FinderItem {
  path: string;
  isFile: boolean;
  isDirectory: boolean;
}

And that could be used like this:

const selection = getSelectedFiles();
const files = selection.filter(item => item.isFile);
files.forEach(file => { console.log(file.path) });

Will this change the current api? How?

No.

Who will benefit with this feature?

Extensions that act on the selected files and/or folders, like #147 – Open Finder Selection With…. Some examples:

• an extension with commands to open the selection with specific applications, so you could assign a keyboard shortcut to open files with your code editor for example;
• an extension to upload the selected file to an online file sharing service;
• an extension to display the summed size of the selected files;
• an extension to compress the selected files;
• an extension to convert the format of the selected image files.

Any Other info.

[thomaspaulmann]

Thanks for adding the issue. Good point on the multi selection and that it should return some array.

I wonder how this function should behave when the Finder isn't the frontmost application. Thoughts?

[fturcheti]

I wonder how this function should behave when the Finder isn't the frontmost application. Thoughts?

I don't see a practical use for this function when Finder isn't the frontmost application. And it can be confusing to return something if it is on the background. Maybe it should return some kind of error in that situation.

[dzg]

I would suggest making this behave like Launchbar's Instant Send. If frontmost selection is Finder items, that is what gets passed. If it is text (in any app), then that gets sent.

[mathieudutour]

you can already access the selected text (in any app) with getSelectedText. This will add getSelectedFinderItems to get the finder items if it is the frontmost app