BarCuts: Public Beta 🚀

[czottmann]

Two weeks ago I started working on an idea I had a while ago:

I have a ton of Shortcuts workflows, why can’t I sort and mark them on a per-app basis? I want to see only the workflows relevant to the currently active app, in a menu bar!

That’s how BarCuts came to be!

What it does

1. It adds an action to Shortcuts that lets you mark (“tag”) a workflow belonging to a specific app.
2. Its menu bar icon opens a menu that shows only the workflows tagged for the currently active app.

Here’s an example where I tag the shortcut “My Safari workflow” as belonging to Safari.

Now, when I’m in Safari, the BarCuts menu bar icon will list “My Safari workflow”:

(If there were more than just one Safari-tagged workflow, it’d list them all, sorted alphabetically.)

BarCuts also keeps an eye on Shortcuts. When there are changes to the list of workflows, it’ll refresh its internal list. No need to relaunch the app. It sits quietly in the background, and tries to stay out of your way until you need it.

The beta

I’ve released the beta last night. It’d be sweet if you could help me test it! It’s a minimally viable product right now, but I wanted to get this idea out of the door.

Let’s see how you folks use it before adding all the bells and whistles!

Bug reports & feedback

If you have suggestions or questions, there’s a feedback link in the app. That’ll open a new mail in your mail client. You can also open a new post here, of course!

,
Carlo

[doug78645]

Great idea! Currently, I have so many shortcuts that I have created many shortcut folders and assigned shortcuts to specific ones.

And since Shortcuts does not allow nested folders, I have resorted to using CAPITALS for major folders and move it related folders underneath that. At least, that provides a way to know where various shortcuts are located and when they can be used. In fact, I have specific folders for key applications.

Actually, folders have been quite useful when I want to have a group of shortcuts to appear in a widget since Shortcuts offers various sizes (1, 2, 4, 8, 16) on both macOS and iOS, which is very handy.

Also, I have used Pin to Menu Bar, Show in Share Sheet, or Services Menu. However, as you mentioned, it’s sort of an all-or-none situation and no way to organize them.

So I’m excited to try BarCuts (Beta). I installed it, and added the BarCuts Tagger action to some shortcuts. However, I’m not seeing anything listed under the menu bar. I tried it with different apps, but none show any shortcuts. I must be missing something, but I think I followed your instructions on how to use it. I also submitted a Feedback from the app.

Doug Warren

[leif]

Hi,
I deleted my first response to Doug because, in my initial quick test, it only worked with shortcuts where ‘Pin to menu bar’ was enabled. However, I now see that it also works with shortcuts where none of these options are selected. It may take a few seconds for the entries to appear. Nevertheless, this requires further investigation

– Leif

[czottmann]

Thanks, Doug!

I must be missing something, but I think I followed your instructions on how to use it. I also submitted a Feedback from the app.

Not necessarily – it’s an early beta, so …

I installed it, and added the BarCuts Tagger action to some shortcuts. However, I’m not seeing anything listed under the menu bar.

I assume the app has access to the Shortcuts folder. Do the tagged workflows show up in the menu after quitting and relaunching the app?

[czottmann]

However, I now see that it also works with shortcuts where none of these options are selected.

Yes, it’s entirely independent of the Shortcuts-native “Pin to menu bar” feature.

[leif]

Thanks Carlo, for this app. I think my wrong assumption that it only works with “Pin to menubar” shortcuts was result of the 3 seconds that it took until the app fetches all the changes done in the shortcut app. I should test and read more slowly ;-). Nevertheless here is some general feedback and a little wish list.

Your app might be at risk of being Sherlocked, but I hope you can find ways to benefit from the increased attention or by offering unique features ;-).

On my Mac, I don’t like using shortcuts through the sharesheet because it takes too many clicks. I usually use the “Pin to Menu Bar” option, but it only lets me have 16 entries and doesn’t change based the context. So, making a new way to run shortcuts instead of the Apple Shortcut menu is a great idea.

Currently, my Shortcut menu is cluttered with a small number of Shortcuts that I want to call everywhere, but most are only useful in the context of an app or a class of apps. So, for me, it would be best to move all the context/app-specific Shortcuts to BarCuts and leave the generic ones in the Standard menu. Or better would be two sections in BarCuts, first the app specific shortcuts and then the few that are labeled with the “Pin to Menubar” option so I can get rid of the default menu and hide it. The space in the menu bar is limited!

In addition, I have the following wish list:

1. I already sent my first requirement via e-mail: the placeholder for the icon is ugly and needs a quick (preliminary) replacement - I’m getting eye cancer ;-)!
2. The order of the items in the menu should be managed different:
   1. The “Show Window” entry should be at the bottom just before “Quit.” It could also be named differently (e.g., About BarCuts).
   2. In the final product, it might be combined with the entry for preferences/settings.
   3. The shortcut icons should also be displayed. Some people make some sophisticated color coding for their shortcuts.
   4. The order of the menu entries should be customizable.
   5. There should be a way to add all “Pin to menubar” shortcuts at once. see above.
3. The action “Barcuts tagger” should be able to handle a list of apps. I have some browser-related shortcuts that work within every browser, so currently I have to add for every browser its own action. If I could define a action with a class of apps, i could at least copy and paste this action easily to all shortcuts that handle browser actions.
4. A better solution would be to make the whole menu customization within your app. You know I’ve no clue about coding, but I check, it’s at least possible to get a list of all Shortcuts with an AppleScript, so it should be possible in Swift/Xcode as well. Why not customize the menus within a great usable app?

As I said, these are just some items of my wish list. Nevertheless the Apple Shortcut menu needs a replacement that is usable, so go on. Can’t wait for the final version.

[doug78645]

Oops, my bad! I was playing with several shortcuts using Barcuts Tagger, and forgot which I was using when I did this test. The Spectrum shortcut I mentioned for Browser Actions was tagged to appear in Safari, and another one I was testing when Obsidian was active. However, when I reported this problem where nothing appeared, I was actually in Obsidian (not Safari) and Spectrum did not appear in the Barcuts list. Obviously, that is working correctly because I wasn’t in the tagged app (Safari). When I switched over to the Safari app, I do see Spectrum under Barcuts as it should be. So it does appear to working after all. Sorry for any wild goose chase caused by my user error.

Doug Warren

[doug78645]

I assume the app has access to the Shortcuts folder.

I wasn’t sure what this means. But it is working now when I’m actually in the shortcut that was tagged by BarCuts.

Doug Warren

[czottmann]

I wasn’t sure what this means. But it is working now when I’m actually in the shortcut that was tagged by BarCuts.

I meant when you started the app for the first time, it asked you for access to the Shortcuts data folder, which you granted. Obviously, you did.

[czottmann]

@leif

Your app might be at risk of being Sherlocked, but I hope you can find ways to benefit from the increased attention or by offering unique features ;-).

I’m not so sure about that. Look at the state of Shortcuts, and how long it’s been like that. I feel kinda safe at the moment.

As to your input (thanks!):

the placeholder for the icon is ugly and needs a quick (preliminary) replacement

Already implemented, it’ll be rolled out with 2025.0.1.

The “Show Window” entry should be at the bottom just before “Quit.” It could also be named differently (e.g., About BarCuts).

Position: yes, naming: probably no. The window (as it is) is not yet complete, it’ll gain a settings tab and other things.

The shortcut icons should also be displayed. Some people make some sophisticated color coding for their shortcuts.

Noted for later. Sidenote: One could argue that elaborate color coding is only used in lieu of a better system.

The order of the menu entries should be customizable.

True, but I think any sorting that doesn’t sort a common property (name, creation date, modification date etc.) will be too cumbersome – because the manual sort order “weight” for each workflow would likely need to be set in each workflow.

There should be a way to add all “Pin to menubar” shortcuts at once. see above.

That’s a tough one because as soon as you check that box in any workflow, the “official” Shortcuts menu bar icon is displayed, and will remain so until you disable all those checkboxes again. So I’d need to find a solution for that, apart from "open all Pin to menubar workflows in the editor so you can tag them manually" (because BarCuts will not modify the Shortcuts database, there be dragons).

The action “Barcuts tagger” should be able to handle a list of apps. I have some browser-related shortcuts that work within every browser, so currently I have to add for every browser its own action. If I could define a action with a class of apps, i could at least copy and paste this action easily to all shortcuts that handle browser actions.

I plan on BarCuts natively supporting Browser Actions in one way or the other.

A better solution would be to make the whole menu customization within your app. You know I’ve no clue about coding, but I check, it’s at least possible to get a list of all Shortcuts with an AppleScript, so it should be possible in Swift/Xcode as well. Why not customize the menus within a great usable app?

I’m not ruling that out but let me take one step at a time here

[leif]

Moin,

@czottmann

Noted for later. Sidenote: One could argue that elaborate color coding is only used in lieu of a better system.

I are right, but it was at least a attribute that exist

@czottmann

That’s a tough one because as soon as you check that box in any workflow, the “official” Shortcuts menu bar icon is displayed, and will remain so until you disable all those checkboxes again. So I’d need to find a solution for that, apart from "open all Pin to menubar workflows in the editor so you can tag them manually" (because BarCuts will not modify the Shortcuts database, there be dragons).

I see, ok, so this will end up with two icons

@czottmann

True, but I think any sorting that doesn’t sort a common property (name, creation date, modification date etc.) will be too cumbersome – because the manual sort order “weight” for each workflow would likely need to be set in each workflow.

I see, so the your menu is non persistent data structure, that is created and destroy on the fly. So there is no way to add attributes inside your app and I agree it makes no sense to do this inside the workflows.

@czottmann

Noted for later. Sidenote: One could argue that elaborate color coding is only used in lieu of a better system.

You are right, but it was at least a attribute that exist

@czottmann

I’m not ruling that out but let me take one step at a time here

No problem, these were only some ideas from my side…