10.4: Launch Dashboard Widgets using QuickSilver

Jun 23, '05 11:06:00AM

Contributed by: neilio

Tiger only hintThis is pretty basic, but it's a much nicer way of launching Widgets than the somewhat clunky interface that Apple currently provides.

Just add the /Library/Widgets and your user's Library/Widgets folders to Quicksilver's catalogue, and set the scan depth to 1. Once QuickSilver has scanned these folders, you'll be able to launch widgets via QuickSilver. Much better.

This should also work in other launchers like LaunchBar or Butler.

[robg adds: In Butler (b25), you'll need to do a bit of work to enable this ability, since it doesn't treat Widgets like applications. Create a new container (call it "Wiget Stuff" or whatever). This can be in either the This Mac or Invisible Items sections. Inside that container, add two new File items -- one each for the top-level and user-level Widget folders. Check the box to search for abbreviations, and set it to one level of recursion. You can also check the "Only list files with this extension" box and enter wdgt (though there really shouldn't be anything else in that folder). Quit and restart Butler to let it rebuild the abbreviation list, and you're done. A future Butler update may treat Widgets like applications, meaning you wouldn't need to take this step).]

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