1.1   Importing Is a Snap

Getting your information into EagleFiler is easy. When you’re viewing a Web page in Safari or NetNewsWire, looking at a mailbox in Mail, or browsing files in the Finder, just press the capture key (F1 by default, or Option-F1 to see the options below). EagleFiler will save the document into its library, and you can go right on working without interrupting your flow. (Of course, you can also use drag and drop or other methods if you prefer.) Once the document is in EagleFiler, you’ll always have a copy of the way it looked when you imported it. No more bookmarking a great article, only to find out later that the page is no longer available or that registration or even payment is now required. If you do research on the Web, you know that pages change—sometimes without notice—so it’s always good to keep a paper trail of exactly what you read. There’s no shame in being a digital pack rat when today’s Macs ship with tens or even hundreds of gigabytes of storage.

1.2   Familiar Mail-like Interface

EagleFiler browser windows use a three-pane view that’s familiar to any Mail user. This is not a database front-end; it’s a real Mac application with a fully Aqua user interface. Click on one or more sources to view their contents. Enter some text in the search box to filter the record list. Click on a record to view it right there in the window. HTML mail messages can be viewed as rich text, or you can view e-mails as plain text, complete with color-coded quoted text and clickable links. You can open as many windows as you want to view different parts of the library.

1.3   Search Everything

It’s no good to store your information if you can’t find it when you need it. Fortunately, EagleFiler offers some powerful search options. If you know the title, author, or recipient you’re looking for, you can search by one of those fields. Or, use EagleFiler’s indexed search to look through the entire contents of your documents. Like Spotlight, EagleFiler can search different types of files at once—after all, what matters is what you’re looking for, not whether it’s in a PDF, an e-mail, or a chat.

Unlike Spotlight, EagleFiler makes it easy to narrow down the results. You’re searching within the library, not all the files on your hard disk, so the search is fast. You can select one or more folders or mailboxes within the library to restrict the search—reducing the amount of data that EagleFiler has to look through, and number of results that you’ll have to comb through. You can even do Boolean, tag, and phrase-based searches to tell EagleFiler exactly what you’re looking for. Once you’ve narrowed the search results to a manageable number of documents, it’s easy to find the information you’re looking for because you can view the document contents right there in EagleFiler.

1.4   The Library Is Open

Like iTunes and iPhoto, EagleFiler keeps your data in a library. The library is just a special folder in the Finder that EagleFiler manages. You shouldn’t re-arrange the files and folders in the library except through EagleFiler, but other than that you can treat it just like a regular folder. Browse its contents in the Finder or Path Finder—the folder structure matches the folders in EagleFiler.

View and edit the files using your favorite applications. Drag key files to the Dock or make aliases of them on your desktop. Search the files using Spotlight. Back them up using Time Machine. Label files in EagleFiler, and the labels automatically show up in the Finder—and vice-versa. Files in the library will still show up in your application’s Open Recent menus, and Preview will still remember which page of the PDF you were reading. In short, you can capture, organize, and search your files using EagleFiler, without giving up the normal conveniences of the Mac experience.

1.5   Reliable Data Storage

The library may look like just a folder full of files, but EagleFiler uses a Core Data SQL database to keep track of the files and their contents. This lets you put thousands of files in the library and access them reliably and quickly. Each time you open a library, EagleFiler checks to make sure that all the files are present. It can even verify the library (using MD5 checksums) to make sure that none of the files has been corrupted. There’s no point in storing and backing up damaged files. When you archive your documents in EagleFiler, you can be sure that when you need to read them again they’ll be in pristine condition.

Plus, EagleFiler libraries go great with backups and archival. Your data is stored in individual files, so smart backup and synchronization programs won’t waste time and space copying the documents that haven’t changed. Since the files are in standard formats like PDF, RTF, and mbox, you’ll be able to read them years from now, even if—alas—you’re no longer using EagleFiler.

1.6   Add Tags and Notes

Tags are somewhat like labels in the Finder, except that each record can have as many tags as you want. EagleFiler has some tags such as “unread,” “flagged,” and “replied” built-in, and it will import these from Mail. If you’ve created additional tags in Mail using MailTags, EagleFiler will import those as well. You can also create your own tags. Tags may be treated like keywords, and each tag also appears as a source in the browser window, which acts like a playlist in iTunes or an album in iPhoto.

Each document or message in EagleFiler can also have a note. Notes, which you can edit in EagleFiler’s Info inspector, are like comments in the Finder on steroids. They support rich text with multiple fonts, sizes, and colors. Notes can even include clickable links, graphics, tables, and lists. Use notes to write down information that goes with your documents, to excerpt key passages, to add your own comments or analysis, or to add links to related records in EagleFiler.

1.7   Speed Up and Simplify Your Other Applications

Most e-mail programs are designed for communicating with your mail server and letting you read and write messages—not for storing all your old mail. By cleaning out your mail program’s database, you can remove some clutter from its mailbox list and speed it up. EagleFiler preserves the entire message source, including headers and attachments. But cleaning it out doesn’t have to mean lots of time wasted trying to predict which messages you might need in the future. Disk space is plentiful—just archive all your old mail into EagleFiler. Later, you’ll be able to find what you need with a quick search. Meanwhile, the archived messages will no longer be slowing down Spotlight searches of your files and current messages.

Likewise, your Web browser’s bookmarks feature is great for remembering sites that you’ll want to go back to frequently. But it isn’t ideal for remembering the information found on Web pages. Don’t bookmark news articles, recipes, reviews, and other documents—and then try to look through your overflowing bookmarks folder to recall the articles by title and URL. Instead, capture the Web pages into EagleFiler where you’ll be able to search their entire contents.

1.8   Multiple Libraries

Some people like to dump all their information into a single EagleFiler library, with minimal folder structure, and locate documents that they need using the search feature. But EagleFiler also supports multiple libraries, for those who like to separate their business and personal files, group them by project or client, or keep different kinds of files in different places. For example, you might keep some of your files on your iPod or USB keychain drive, some in an encrypted library, and others in your Documents folder. Unlike with iPhoto and iTunes, you can have multiple EagleFiler libraries open at once. However you want to group your files, EagleFiler can accommodate.

1.9   Feature List

The following is a partial list of EagleFiler’s features, so that you can quickly see how it works and how it’s unique:

General

• Easy to install: just drag and drop a single application file. There’s no need to install a database engine, plug-ins, or script files to integrate with your other applications.
• Easy to use, with a familiar three-pane interface—lots of power, without lots of cluttered options.
• Makes efficient use of RAM and disk space.
• AppleScript support, for automation and integration with other applications.

Importing

• Can import any kind of file. EagleFiler has special support for displaying most common formats, and it can use Quick Look to display the others.
• Just press a hotkey while in another application, and EagleFiler will intelligently import the Web page, mailbox, or file that you’re currently viewing.
• Import from any application by printing and choosing Save PDF to EagleFiler or by saving a file into EagleFiler’s To Import folder.
• Automatically import scans by setting your scanner software (Fujitsu ScanSnap recommended) to save its files in the To Import folder.
• There are many other ways to import (e.g. drag and drop, services) so you can choose whatever’s easiest for the task at hand.
• Automatically detects duplicate files to save disk space and help you see what’s already been imported.

Mail

• First-class support for archiving e-mail. EagleFiler understands the content of messages and treats them as mail rather than as text or RTF files.
• Import the selected mailboxes or messages from Apple Mail simply by pressing a hotkey.
• EagleFiler retains the full message data, including attachments, read/flagged/replied status, and MailTags, so nothing is lost when moving mail into EagleFiler.
• Speed up your mail program by moving older messages to EagleFiler.
• Messages are efficiently stored using the standard “mbox” format and can be imported back into any mail program if desired.
• Can display messages as plain text (with colored quote levels and clickable links) or as HTML.

Organization

• EagleFiler supports multiple libraries, stored wherever you want (hard disk, iDisk, USB drive, iPod, etc.).
• You can open more than one library at a time, and more than one window per library.
• Files can be organized with folders and tags, both of which can be nested.

Editing

• Create a new file with a single button or keypress and immediately begin typing. There’s no need to open a new window or go through a Save dialog box.
• RTF and text files can be edited from within EagleFiler.
• For other types of files (e.g. Word, Pages), just double-click to open them in your favorite editor. The changes are automatically saved back into the EagleFiler library.

Storage

• Your data and notes are stored in regular files using standard formats (RTF, PDF, Web archive, mbox, etc.), so there’s no lock-in or risk of database corruption, and it plays well with Time Machine.
• Uses MD5 checksums to verify the integrity of all files in the library.
• Metadata (tags, titles, source URLs, etc.) goes into a Core Data SQL database for reliable storage and quick access.
• EagleFiler automatically backs up the metadata and notes to XML property list files. In the rare event that the database file becomes damaged, you can import the files into a new library, and EagleFiler will build a new database and reconstruct all the metadata.
• Can copy tags into the Spotlight comments field to make them searchable and accessible to other applications.

Encryption

• Libraries can be encrypted with AES-128 for secure, password- protected storage.
• Encrypted libraries are stored using Apple’s disk image technology, so their contents are accessible on any Mac, whether or not EagleFiler is installed.
• The entire library contents—including the metadata, indexes, and temporary files—are encrypted. Unencrypted data never touches the disk.
• In other respects, an encrypted library works just like a regular one. It’s still fully searchable, and the files are still accessible to other applications (once you’ve entered the passphrase).

Search

• EagleFiler uses its own optimized indexes so that you can search the contents of your library faster than with Spotlight.
• You can do exact searches across individual fields (title, filename, notes, tags, from, to/cc) as well as searches across the entire file contents.
• Searches can use phrases, wildcards, Boolean AND/OR/NOT, and grouping.
• Matching search terms are highlighted in the document contents and in the records list.
• EagleFiler reads most files itself, so it can index text that Spotlight wouldn’t see (e.g. Skim notes attached to PDF files). It automatically takes advantage of third-party Spotlight importer plug-ins to support custom file formats.
• Since the files and notes are stored out in the open, they’re also searchable with Spotlight (for when you want to search your entire Mac at once), without the need for stub files in the Caches/Metadata folder.

Metadata

• For each file, EagleFiler records the document title, author/from, and source URL.
• You can assign tags (a.k.a. keywords). Tags can have abbreviation symbols and colors, and they can be nested.
• Each file or mail message can have notes, which can include rich text, clickable links, images, and tables.
• Each file can have a colored label, which also shows up in the Finder.
• You can copy links to EagleFiler records and paste them into notes or RTF files, or into other applications.
• When importing via the capture key, EagleFiler can preserve metadata (e.g. tags, notes, titles, URLs) from the source application. This is often higher fidelity than using that application’s own export feature.

2.1   Requirements

EagleFiler is a universal binary that runs natively on both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs using Mac OS X 10.4–10.5.

It is also recommended that you install Growl so that you get a notification each time a document is imported into EagleFiler.

2.2   Updating From a Previous Version

The easiest way to update EagleFiler is to use the Software Update command to download and install the latest version.

Alternatively, you can replace the old EagleFiler application file with the new one. That is, if EagleFiler is installed in the Applications folder, drag the new EagleFiler application icon into the Applications folder and click Replace when the Finder asks if you want to overwrite the old version. If you get an error saying that you do not have sufficient privileges, drag the old EagleFiler to the trash and empty it, and then drag the new one into the Applications folder.

2.3   Installing EagleFiler

Double-click the EagleFiler-1.3.8.dmg file to mount the EagleFiler disk image. Then drag the EagleFiler application to your Applications folder. You may need to log out and then log in again in order for the EagleFiler: Import command to appear in the Services menu.

2.4   Uninstalling EagleFiler

To uninstall EagleFiler, drag its application file to the trash. Although you will no longer be able to open your libraries with EagleFiler, the files in the libraries will remain accessible in the Finder. Next to each library is a folder called Files (which contains the files and folders in the library) and a folder called Notes (which contains any notes that you’ve added).

3.1   Basics

Within EagleFiler, you work with one or more libraries. Each library that’s open in EagleFiler is displayed in one or more browser windows. Each browser window contains a source list, which lets you access the library’s records. The record is the basic unit of information in EagleFiler. Files, folders, and mail messages are all records. Each record has contents that can be displayed (and perhaps edited) in the record viewer, and you can annotate records with tags and notes.

To start using EagleFiler, you need to create a New Library…. Then you can add records to your library. You can create new documents from within EagleFiler using the New Rich Text File command for the New RTF toolbar button. You can also import existing files and Web pages into your library. There are many different ways to import.

EagleFiler libraries are like iPhoto libraries: when you import a file, a copy is created in the library. While EagleFiler is importing, it shows:

• a downward-pointing green arrow in EagleFiler’s Dock tile.

  

• a spinning progress indicator below the source list for the libraries that are being imported into.

• an entry in the Activity window.

You should not modify or delete a file or mailbox while EagleFiler is in the midst of importing it. Doing so could cause EagleFiler to copy the file in an inconsistent state. Once the import is done, you will have a copy in the library and you can modify or delete the original if desired.

3.2   Library Folders

Outside of EagleFiler, for example when you are browsing in the Finder, each EagleFiler library appears as a library folder with the following structure:

• The .eflibrary file is the way that you open the library in EagleFiler. It also holds various information about the contents of the library, such as indexes that EagleFiler uses for searching, as well as tags and other metadata that you’ve added.
• The Files folder contains all the files and folders that have been imported into the library. The folder hierarchy within the Files folder matches that within EagleFiler, so you can easily browse and search the contents of your library from outside of EagleFiler.
• The Notes folder contains one RTF file for each record that has a note. You can edit a record’s notes using the Info inspector. The notes are searchable within EagleFiler and also from Spotlight.
• One way to import files into the library is to move or save them into To Import folder. You can do this even if EagleFiler is not currently running. When EagleFiler completes the import, the files are in the Files folder and no longer appear in the To Import folder.
• If a file in the To Import folder cannot be imported, EagleFiler moves it to the Unable to Import folder. If there have not been any such errors, this folder will not exist.

The contents of the library folder are managed by EagleFiler. What this means is that the files and folders are fully accessible to other applications, but there are some limits to the kinds of changes you can make to the library from outside of EagleFiler.

You can:

• view and search the contents of the library folder using the Finder, Spotlight, and other applications.
• open files using other applications.
• edit files using other applications and save your changes (without changing the filename).
• add files to the To Import folder.
• change the Finder label, Spotlight comments, and extended attributes of files in the library folder.
• store the library folder on a shared volume.

So long as you don’t do it while the library is open in EagleFiler, you can:

• move or rename the library folder.
• move or rename the .eflibrary file.
• backup and restore the entire library folder.

You should not:

• open the library in more than one copy of EagleFiler at a time.
• move, rename, or delete files inside the Files or Notes folders.
• modify the .eflibrary file.

These three restrictions ensure that the contents of the library folder stay in sync with the .eflibrary, so that EagleFiler knows where all the files are. If necessary, you can create new files inside the Files or Notes folders, but in most situations this is not very useful because EagleFiler will ignore files that were neither created in EagleFiler nor imported.

A common question is about file synchronization software:

• It’s fine to use software that copies folders quickly by only copying the files that have changed. An example of this is SuperDuper’s Smart Update feature. Such software works great with EagleFiler because it copies data in only one direction at a time. You end up with the same result as if you’d done a regular copy, but it doesn’t take as long. If you use ChronoSync, be sure to uncheck Prune folders and Ignore invisibles.
• You should not use software that synchronizes or merges by copying data in both directions at once. This is equivalent to adding/moving/renaming/deleting files, and so it would cause the Files and Notes folders to get out of sync with the .eflibrary file.

3.3   Ways to Import

There are many ways to get your files into EagleFiler. In most cases, the easiest way is to press the capture key or the capture with options key. EagleFiler will automatically determine what you have selected or what you’re viewing in the current application, and it will import it into the library. For example, if you’re looking at a Web page in Safari, you can press the capture key to import it as a Web archive. Press the capture with options key if you want to import it and, at the same time, assign tags or choose which folder it will go into.

Although the capture key is quick and easy, depending on the circumstances you may prefer to:

• Drag files, text, or a URL onto:

  • An EagleFiler browser window’s source list or records list. This can be useful if you want to import into a particular folder or tag source that you’re currently viewing.
  • The Drop Pad. The capture key is for importing whole documents. If you just want to import a selection of text, it’s better to drag and drop onto the Drop Pad or EagleFiler’s icon, or to use the service (see below).
  • The EagleFiler application icon (in the Finder or in the Dock).

• Select some items or text in another application and choose EagleFiler: Import from the Services menu (inside application menu) or press ⌘%. You may have to log out and log in again after installing EagleFiler in order for it to appear in the Services menu. You can change the keyboard shortcut using the Keyboard pane in System Preferences.

• While viewing a document in another application, choose File ‣ Print and then choose Save PDF to EagleFiler from the PDF button menu. This will convert the document to PDF format and import it into EagleFiler. As with the To Import folder (see below) this can be useful when you’re viewing a Web page (such as an Amazon order confirmation page) that cannot be imported by URL.

• Save files or folders into the To Import folder that’s next to the .eflibrary file in the Finder. When the library is opened (and, periodically, while it’s open) EagleFiler checks this folder, imports any files that are in it, and then deletes them.

  • If you use a scanner, you can set its software to use the To Import folder as its output folder, thus automatically importing the scans into your library.
  • You can put To Import folder(s) in the sidebar in the Finder so that they’re available in every application’s Save panel.

• Choose Import File(s)… from the File menu.

• Choose Import URL(s)… from the File menu.

• Drag files from one EagleFiler library window to another. This will preserve all of the tags, notes, and other metadata.

• Put some text on the clipboard using Edit ‣ Copy and then choose Import Clipboard from EagleFiler’s Dock menu.

• Control-click on a file in the Finder and choose Open With ‣ EagleFiler.

• Install some AppleScript files so that you can import directly from LaunchBar or Quicksilver.

• Run an AppleScript such as:

  tell application "EagleFiler"
      import files {POSIX file "/Users/mjt/Desktop/MyFile"}
      import URLs {"http://www.apple.com", "http://c-command.com"}
  end tell
  

In all cases, the data is copied into the EagleFiler library (as with iPhoto). EagleFiler automatically detects duplicate files so that only one copy of each document is stored in the library.

If more than one library is open (and you didn’t drag into a specific browser window), EagleFiler assumes that you meant to import into the current library (the one with the frontmost window). If no library is open, EagleFiler will show a dialog asking you to open one; then you can click the Import button to import the files into that library.

3.4   What Can Be Imported

EagleFiler can import virtually any file on your Mac, as well as Web pages that are displayed in your browser and e-mail messages that are displayed in your mail program. EagleFiler has specialized importing and viewing support for the following types of files:

• Bookmarks from Safari and OmniWeb, which will be downloaded and converted to Web archives.

• Chat transcripts. iChat logs chats as .chat or .ichat files in the folder:

  /Users/<username>/Documents/iChats
  

  Adium logs chats as HTML files in the folder:

  /Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Adium 2.0/Users/Default/Logs
  

• Dragged text from other applications. In some cases, EagleFiler will be able to import more information if you drag the text onto one of its windows rather than its Dock icon. For example, when dragging text from Safari, EagleFiler will be able to store URL that goes with the text.

• Folders. EagleFiler imports the contents of the folder (and any subfolders, preserving the hierarchy).

• HTML files.

• iCalendar (.ics) files.

• Images.

• Mailboxes in mbox format and Apple Mail mailboxes, attachments included. The Importing Mail section explains the recommended ways to import mail messages from each e-mail program.

• Microsoft Word files.

• Movies.

• PDF files. EagleFiler also understands PDFD bundles created by Skim and can index Skim notes that are attached to PDF or PDFD files.

• PostScript and EPS files.

• Rich Text (RTF and RTFD) files.

• Sounds and music.

• Text files (encoded with ASCII or UTF-8, or with a byte-order-mark) and text clippings.

• URLs, which will be downloaded and converted to Web archives.

• vCard (.vcf) files from Address Book.

• Web archives.

Documents that aren’t of any of the above types can also be imported into EagleFiler. EagleFiler can preview their contents using Quick Look, and it uses Spotlight’s importers to index them for searching. You can use the Open in External Viewer command to open the documents in other applications.

3.5   Importing Mail

Importing mail into EagleFiler speeds up your mail program and backups, creates an efficient and secure archive of your mail, and lets you organize and search mail messages alongside related files. The recommended way to import mail varies depending on which mail program you’re using:

Apple Mail

Select some mailboxes and press the capture key. EagleFiler will preserve the message status and flagged indicators from Mail, as well as any keywords, projects, and notes from MailTags. The mail will be converted to standard mbox format. EagleFiler is able to import messages from IMAP mailboxes, however it will only import the parts of the messages that have been downloaded from the server. Thus, it is recommended that you select the option in Mail’s preferences to keep All messages and their attachments for offline viewing.

Entourage

Drag mailboxes from Entourage to the Finder, and then drag the exported mailboxes into EagleFiler. You can also drag individual messages or exported .eml files. For small mailboxes, you can drag directly from Entourage to EagleFiler.

Eudora

Mailboxes are stored in the Mail Folder folder inside the Eudora Folder folder, and they can be dragged from the Finder into EagleFiler. They are not actually in mbox format (for example, the attachments are removed), but the format is close enough that EagleFiler will be able to read most of the messages. Running the mailboxes through Eudora Mailbox Cleaner before importing them into EagleFiler may produce better results. The .toc files are not mailboxes and should not be imported.

GyazMail

Select some mailboxes and choose File ‣ Export ‣ Unix mbox…. Then drag the exported files into EagleFiler.

Mailsmith

Use the capture key to import the selected mailboxes or drag the selected messages into EagleFiler. You may find it helpful to use Email Archiver to separate messages by age before importing them into EagleFiler. In Mailsmith 2.1.5, dragging mailboxes directly to EagleFiler will not work, but you can drag mailboxes to the Finder and then drag the exported files into EagleFiler.

PowerMail

Select some mailboxes and drag them to the Finder. Choose Unix Mailbox when it asks you to pick a format. Then drag the exported files into EagleFiler.

Thunderbird

The mailboxes are stored in the folder:

/Users/<username>/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/<profile>/Mail/Local Folders/

and can be dragged from the Finder to EagleFiler. The .msf files are not mailboxes and should not be imported.

Webmail

Web-based mail services do not store mail files on disk, so there is nothing for EagleFiler to read. The best way to import Webmail is to connect to the mail account using one of the above mail programs. If your Webmail does not support this, you can drag and drop text from your Web browser, use File ‣ Save to save messages into EagleFiler’s To Import folder, or print and choose Save PDF to EagleFiler.

When importing mail:

1. EagleFiler imports the entire raw source of the message, including the attachments and headers. In other words, all the information is preserved; if desired, the messages can be imported back into the mail program with full fidelity. (Exceptions: When importing from Eudora, EagleFiler imports the message text as processed and stored by Eudora, and it does not import the attachments, which Eudora stores separately. Webmail messages imported as PDFs do not include the full source or attachments.)
2. As with other types of imports, EagleFiler copies the messages into its library. When it’s done, you can delete the messages from your mail program. It’s simpler to have each message stored in only one place (the mail program or EagleFiler), and this way you won’t accidentally import multiple copies of the same messages into EagleFiler.
3. EagleFiler stores messages in mailbox (“mbox”) files. This is both for efficiency (one file rather than thousands for a mailbox containing thousands of messages) and for compatibility with other software that can read the standard mbox format.
4. Each time you import from a mailbox, a new mailbox file is created in EagleFiler, using the same name as in your mail program. If you had previously imported from that mailbox, you may already have a mailbox file in EagleFiler with that name.
   • Some people like to leave each import as a separate mailbox, e.g. so that for each mailbox there’s one file per month or per year.
   • Others prefer to have a single file that holds all the messages imported from that mailbox over time. To do this, select the Records source and sort by title. This will group the related mailboxes together. You can then select the related mailboxes and use the Merge Mailboxes command to combine them into a single mailbox. The combined mailbox will be stored in the folder that contained the oldest of the selected mailboxes, so your organizational structure is preserved even though the newly imported mailbox might have been imported at the top level.

3.6   Applications That Support Capture

EagleFiler’s capture feature lets you import the current window or items from the frontmost application, just by pressing a key. The capture key and capture with options key work in these applications:

Address Book

Captures a vCard file for the selected contacts.

BBEdit

Captures the file of the first document of the front window.

Camino

Captures the URL of the first tab of the front window.

Cocoalicious

Captures the URLs of the selected posts, preserving the tags, description, and extended description.

Cyndicate

Captures the URLs of the selected articles, preserving the label and flagged status.

DEVONagent

Captures the URL of the front browser window.

DEVONthink Pro

Captures the selected items, preserving the comments.

Endo

Captures the selected news items as Web archives, preserving their tags and importing the excerpts as notes.

Finder

Captures the selected files in the front window, optionally preserving the Spotlight comments as tags or notes.

Firefox

Captures the URL of the current tab. (For some users, Firefox 3 will report an error when EagleFiler asks it for the URL. If this happens, you can import the page by dragging and dropping the URL into EagleFiler.)

Flock

Captures the URL of the current tab.

iCab

Captures the URL of the front window.

Journler

Captures the selected documents, preserving their tags.

Keynote

Captures the file of the front window.

Mail

Captures the selected mailboxes or messages in the front viewer window. Tags, projects, and annotations from MailTags are preserved.

Mailsmith

Captures the selected mailboxes. You may find it helpful to use Email Archiver to separate messages by age before importing them into EagleFiler.

MarsEdit

Captures the text of current post window or the selected posts, preserving the permalink and the published date.

Microsoft Word (2004 and later)

Captures the file of the front window (make sure that it’s saved to disk).

MindManager

Captures the file of the front window.

Netflix Freak

Captures the URLs of the selected movies.

NetNewsWire

Captures the URL of the current tab, or the URL of the selected headline (if no tab is selected).

Nisus Writer Express

Captures the file of the front window.

OmniGraffle

Captures the file of the front window.

OmniWeb

Captures the URL of the current tab.

Opera

Captures the URL of the current tab.

Pages

Captures the file of the front window.

Path Finder

Captures the selected files in the front window.

PDFView

Captures the file of the front window.

Pukka

Captures URL being added, along with the title, tags, and description.

Safari

Captures the URL of the current tab. Some Web pages (e.g. some sites that require logging in) cannot be captured by loading the URL shown in Safari’s location bar. You can import such pages into EagleFiler by using Safari’s File ‣ Save As… command to save the page as a Web archive (perhaps into the To Import folder of an EagleFiler library), or by choosing File ‣ Print and then selecting Save PDF to EagleFiler from the PDF button menu.

Skim

Captures the file of the front window.

SubEthaEdit

Captures the file of the front window.

TextEdit

Captures the file of the front window.

TextMate

Captures the file of the front window.

TextWrangler

Captures the file of the first document of the front window.

Vienna

Captures the URL of the last selected post.

WebKit Nightly

See description for Safari.

WebnoteHappy

Captures the selected URLs as Web archives, preserving the tags and notes.

Yojimbo

Captures the selected items, preserving the tags, labels, and comments.

For applications that are not listed here, there are many other ways to import. For applications that support AppleScript, you can add EagleFiler capture support by writing capture scripts.

3.7   Writing Capture Scripts

You can add support for capturing from additional applications by adding capture scripts to the folder:

/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/EagleFiler/Capture Scripts/

A capture script is an AppleScript saved in compiled format. The name of the file is of the form <bundle identifier>.scpt, e.g. com.apple.Safari.scpt. You can determine an application’s bundle identifier by finding the CFBundleIdentifier in the Info.plist file inside the application’s package (which you can open using the Show Package Contents command when Control-clicking on the application).

The script should have a handler called capture that returns a list of AppleScript records. For example, the NetNewsWire capture script looks like:

on capture()
    tell application "NetNewsWire"
        set tabIndex to index of selected tab
        if tabIndex is 0 then
            if exists selectedHeadline then
                set theURL to URL of selectedHeadline
            else
                return {{|error|:"No URL is available to be captured."}}
            end if
        else
            set theURLs to URLs of tabs
            set theURL to item (tabIndex + 1) of theURLs
        end if
    end tell
    return {{|url|:theURL}}
end capture

Each record in the list should have a |url| key (for a remote http URL) or a |path| key (for a full POSIX path). If no items are available for capture, the script can return the empty list, or it can return a record with a |error| key that provides an application-specific error message.

The capture script for the Finder demonstrates how to capture multiple items at once:

on capture()
    tell application "Finder"
        set theSelection to selection as list
        set theResult to {}
        repeat with theFile in theSelection
            set theFile to theFile as alias
            copy {|path|:POSIX path of theFile} to end of theResult
        end repeat
        return theResult
    end tell
end capture

Other, optional, keys are:

|deleteWhenDone|

If the script creates a temporary file for the capture, it can include this key with value true so that EagleFiler will delete the temporary file after it has finished importing the file.

|fromName|

Overrides the From name that would be extracted from the file.

|note|

A string for the note text.

|sourceURL|

The URL that the document was downloaded from.

|tags|

A list of tag names.

|tagsString|

A Unicode string of space-separated tag names, which EagleFiler will parse.

|title|

Overrides the title that would be extracted from the file.

|creationDate|

Sets the creation date of the file.

|modificationDate|

Sets the modification date of the file.

4.1   Source List

Drag files here to import them. You can drop onto a folder or tag source to import files directly into that folder or to import them and assign that tag. You can use Exposé mid-drag to bring a window to the front and reveal the source that you want to drop onto.

The top-level sources are:

Library

Records

All the records in the library, from all the folders. Click the triangle next to the Records source to see folder sources matching the folders in the library’s Files folder in the Finder. You can drag and drop files and folders to re-arrange their hierarchy.

Trash

The records that have been deleted from the library, but which are still available until you empty the trash. This corresponds to the library’s Trash folder in the Finder.

Search For

Recently Added

The last 25 files that were added to the library.

Recently Modified

The last 25 files that were modified within EagleFiler or using another application.

Unfiled

Files that are at the top level of the library, e.g. ones that are directly in the Files folder rather than in one of its sub-folders.

Untagged

Files anywhere in the library that do not have any tags.

Tags

Tag sources behave like playlists in iTunes or albums in iPhoto. Select a tag source to view all the records with that tag. You can drag records onto a tag source to assign that tag to them. Each record may appear in any number of tag sources. Deleting a record from a tag source unassigns that tag; the record remains in the library. You can drag and drop tags to re-arrange their hierarchy.

You can select more than one source at a time to view all their contents at once. You can type the first few letters of a source’s name to select it. Press Return to open the selected source in a new window, or Enter to edit its name.

4.2   Records List

The records list shows the contents of the selected source(s). If a folder or tag is the selected source, you can drag files into the records list to import them with that folder or tag.

The columns are:

Tags

The abbreviations for the assigned tags.

Count

The number of pages in a PDF, messages in a mailbox, or attachments in a message.

Icon

An icon that shows the record’s type.

Title

The subject of a message or title of a document.

From

The sender of a message or author of a document.

To

The recipient of a message or document.

Date Modified

The date the record’s contents was modified. For a file, this is the file’s modification date. For a message, this is when the message was received.

Date Added

The date the record was added to the library.

Date Created

The date the record’s file was created.

Size

The amount of disk space used by the record.

File

The name of the file containing the record.

Kind

The type of the record.

Label

The Finder label of the record’s file.

Container

The name of the folder or mailbox that the record is inside.

Tag Names

The full names of the assigned tags.

You can type the first few letters of a record’s title to select it. Click the ▾ to choose which columns are visible. Double-clicking a record in the list (or pressing Return) is equivalent to choosing Open in External Viewer. Option-double-clicking is equivalent to choosing Open Source URL. Press Enter to rename the selected file or Option-Enter to change its title.

4.3   Record Viewer

The record viewer shows the contents of the selected record. Text, RTF, and RTFD records can be edited directly in the viewer. EagleFiler knows how to display many different kinds of files. If it does not natively understand a file’s format, EagleFiler uses Quick Look to display a preview of the file.

There is also a tags bar at the bottom of the viewer for assigning or unassigning the tags of the current item.

While the record viewer has focus, you can press Command-Delete to delete the current record(s).

4.4   Searching

The search box lets you filter the records of the selected sources to display only those records that match the search criteria.

There are two kinds of indexed searches:

Anywhere

Searches the contents of the records, as well as the Title, From, To, Cc, attachment names, and notes.

Notes

Searches the notes of the records.

These support an enhanced query syntax:

&, AND

Boolean AND. The <space> character also represents a Boolean AND.

|, OR

Boolean inclusive OR.

!, NOT, -

Boolean NOT. For example, apple -orange finds records that contain apple and do not contain orange.

(, )

Opening and closing delimiters for logical grouping. For example, (apple AND orange) OR (apple AND pear) finds records that contain apple and another fruit, but not ones that contain only apple.

"

Opening and closing delimiter for phrase-based searching. Phrase-based searches find records that contain all of the words in sequence.

*

Wildcard for prefix or suffix. Ignored in phrase-based searches. To search for a partial word, use two *’s, e.g. *ant* will find ant, repellant, anthem, and words with ant in the middle. If Match Partial Words is checked, EagleFiler will find partial word matches without your having to type the wildcards each time.

There are also five kinds of exact searches:

Filename

Searches the filenames as displayed in the records list.

From

Searches both the names and e-mail addresses.

Tags

Finds records that have the specified tag names. If Match Partial Words is not selected, tag searching is exact, so you must type the complete tag names (with the proper case).

To/Cc

Searches both the names and e-mail addresses.

Title

Searches record titles and message subjects.

For both indexed and exact searches, you can restrict a search to records with certain tags by adding tag:<tagname> at the beginning of the query. The search will then match only the records with all of those tags. For example, searching for tag:apple steve means to search for steve and show only the records with the apple tag. Searching for tag:mac tag:ipod halo !bungie means to find all the records that include the word halo, do not include the word bungie, and have both the mac and ipod tags.

5.1   The EagleFiler Menu

5.2   The File Menu

5.3   The Edit Menu

5.4   The View Menu

5.5   The Record Menu

5.6   The Format Menu

This menu contains commands for use when editing a rich text file in EagleFiler’s viewer or when editing a note. You can change the font and style and add clickable links, lists, and tables. In addition to the standard Mac OS X formatting commands, EagleFiler provides a command called Highlight, which makes the background of the selected text yellow, as if it had been drawn over with a highlighter.

5.7   The Window Menu

5.8   The Help Menu

This menu provides access to the full EagleFiler documentation (in Apple Help or PDF format) as well as a link to the technical support Web site.

5.9   The Dock Menu

The Open Recent commands let you access EagleFiler libraries that might not currently be open. The Capture From <Application> command is equivalent to pressing the capture key. The Import Clipboard command will import any text on the clipboard as a new rich text file. The New Rich Text File command opens a new window for the current library and creates a New Rich Text File.

6.1   Capture Key

You can always import into EagleFiler using Import URL(s)…, Import File(s)…, or drag and drop. However, if you are already viewing the information that you want import, it’s much easier to just press the capture key.

When you press the capture key, EagleFiler automatically determines what you’re currently viewing (or what you have selected) and imports it into the current library. There are many applications that support capture. EagleFiler will play a camera sound and show a camera icon in its Dock tile to let you know that the capture has started. When it’s finished, if you have Growl installed, you’ll see a notification bubble.

By default, the capture key is F1. If you have a notebook or an aluminum Apple keyboard, you’ll need to hold the fn key to type F1 unless you’ve checked Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys in the Keyboard & Mouse preferences pane. (This setting is called Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys in Mac OS X 10.4.) You can also change the capture key to a different key or key combination if you prefer.

If you’d rather import just the selected text instead of the entire Web page or document, you can use drag and drop or the EagleFiler: Import service (⌘%) instead of the capture key.

EagleFiler must be running in order for the capture key to work. Thus, you may wish to add EagleFiler to your Login Items in the Accounts pane of System Preferences. You can easily do this by clicking on the EagleFiler icon in the Dock and choosing Open at Login.

6.2   Capture with options

This works like the capture key: you press it while in one of the applications that support capture, and EagleFiler imports the “current item” into your library. The difference is that you can specify which library to import into, and which folder within that library. You can also set the title, from name, label, tags, and notes:

EagleFiler remembers this metadata (except the title) for each library, so it’s easy to quickly capture a bunch of related items. Pressing the Reset button clears the metadata and sets the folder so that EagleFiler once again imports into the Unfiled source.

There are keyboard shortcuts for choosing the library (Command-1), folder (Command-2), Label (Command-3), Reset (Command-K), Cancel (Command-. or Escape), and Capture (Enter). Once the folder menu is open, you can select a folder by typing the first few letters of its name.

6.3   Fonts

Sources

Used in the source list in browser windows.

Lists

Used in the records list in browser windows and in the list of tags in the tags inspector.

Rich text

Used for e-mail header information, HTML messages, and as the default font for notes.

Plain text

Used for plain text e-mail messages and text files.

The fonts for Web archives are mostly controlled by the Web archives themselves. The default font families and sizes can be controlled using Safari’s preferences.

6.4   Search highlight color

This is the color that EagleFiler uses to emphasize the search terms in the records list and record viewer.

6.5   Quoted Text Colors

EagleFiler colors plain text e-mail messages according to the number of quote characters at the start of each line. The pop-down menu lets you choose a preset coloring scheme.

6.6   Remember open libraries between launches

If this is checked, EagleFiler will remember which libraries were open when you quit it, and it will re-open them the next time EagleFiler is launched.

In addition, you can put aliases to your favorite libraries in the folder:

/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/EagleFiler/Startup Items

so that EagleFiler will always open them at launch. You can hold down the Shift key at launch to prevent it from re-opening the libraries or opening the startup items.

6.7   Copy tags to Spotlight comments

If this is checked, EagleFiler will set the Spotlight comments for each file to the names of the tags that it’s been assigned. This enables you to search for a file using Spotlight by typing tag names as part of the query. Any existing comments will be lost. If this is not checked, EagleFiler will preserve the existing Spotlight comments when importing files.

EagleFiler will automatically copy the tags to the comments when a library is opened and periodically thereafter. You can force it