LaunchBar 5.1.3

LaunchBar  5.1.3 is described as a handy, smart and effective keyboard driven productivity utility that lets you access and control every aspect of your digital life.

Whatever you want to get done on your Mac – with LaunchBar it’s only a few keystrokes away.

Get instant access to applications, documents, contacts, calendars, bookmarks, media libraries, search engines and so much more – just by typing short abbreviations.

It’s a file manager, a web and desktop search tool, an app launcher, a clipboard manager, a jukebox, a calculator, an information browser, … or quite simply a tremendous time saver!

Major Features:

1. Abbreviation Search
   • Ultra fast, adaptive abbreviation search (AASv4) for amazingly accurate results. Automatically adapts to your preferences.
   • Find items by entering short acronyms of their name (e.g. AB to select Address Book).
2. Sub-search and Browse
   • Collections of other items (folders, bookmark folders, browser history, Address Book contacts, iTunes Library, photo albums, categories, etc.) can be browsed by pressing the right arrow key.
   • Alternatively (with a few exceptions) the space bar can be used for browsing as well.
   • Browse the recent documents of selected application. For example, type TED to select TextEdit, then press Right Arrow.
   • Browse Finder’s Recent Folders. Select Finder, then press Right Arrow.
   • Browse your Address Book contacts, contact groups and contact details such as email addresses, phone numbers, etc.
   • Browse your web bookmark folder hierarchy sub-search a flat list of all bookmarks and folders.
   • Browse or sub-search your web history grouped by day as a flat list.
   • Browse your iTunes Library by playlist, genre, artist, album, composer or song.
   • File System Browsing: Navigate to any file or folder on your hard disk.
   • File System Browsing traverses folder aliases and symbolic links.
   • Press ⌘→ to see a folder’s contents sorted by modification date.
   • Sub-search while browsing with arrow keys, press Space to perform a deep sub-search.
   • Category sub-search limits the search scope to a particular kind of items. For example, type JPI to select the JPEG Images category, then press Space to search to trigger a sub-search that searches for JPEG images only.
3. Text Input
   • Press Space to open an optional text field for entering search strings or parameters.
   • Direct Input of URLs (either via ⌘L or automatically by entering a dot character).
   • Search iTunes Store: Select iTunes, press Space.
   • Search Mac App Store: Select App Store application, press Space.
   • Pass parameters to AppleScripts, Unix Executables, services and actions. For example, select ping, press Space.
   • File Content Search: Select plain text, rich text or html file, then press Space.
   • Rename files, create new folders (⇧⌘R, ⇧⌘N).
4. Web Searches
   • Perform web searches: For example, select Google and press Space.
   • Comprehensive set of built-in web search templates (Google, Wikipedia, IMDB, YouTube, Flickr, Amazon, Wiktionary, Yahoo!, Merriam-Webster, and much much more).
   • Add your own, freely editable search templates.
   • Press ⇧Space to reuse your most recent search string with a different search engine.
   • Open another search template with ⇧↩ to re-run the most recent search immediately.
5. Opening items
   • Press ↩ to open the selected item.
   • Instant Open: Keep the last abbreviation character pressed to open the resulting item immediately, without pressing ↩.
   • Press ⌘↩ to show the selected item in Finder.
   • Press ⇧⌘↩ to show the selected item in the frontmost Finder window.
   • Open files with alternative applications: Press Tab to trigger “Open with” and select the destination.
   • Press ⌃↩ to open all files contained in a selected folder in one go.
   • Run AppleScripts.
   • Run Unix Executables.
   • Run Automator Workflows.
   • Invoke Mac OS X Services.
   • Press Space to enter string parameters for scripts, services and actions.
   • Drag items from LaunchBar or from the search result list.
6. Sending Items
   • Press Tab to send the selected item to the desired target.
   • Send to application to open items in that application.
   • Send to folder for move/copy operations.
   • Send file attachments to email contact.
   • Send text to search templates to perform a web search.
   • Instant Send
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   • Press and hold ⌘Space to send file or text selections from other applications to to LaunchBar.
   • A modifier tap can be used to invoke Instant Send ever more quickly.
   • Once the data has been sent to LaunchBar, a target can be selected for further actions (open with application, move to folder, perform a web search, send email attachment, invoke service, etc.).
   • Combine Instant Send with Instant Open for even faster results.
7. Drag & Drop
   • Drag items from other applications to LaunchBar.
   • Drag files, text or URLs from LaunchBar to other applications.
   • The dragging target can be selected in LaunchBar even while the drag operation is already in progress.
   • When dragging to a folder in LaunchBar, use the modifier keys to choose the desired file operation (move, copy, make alias, etc.)
   • Press ⌘D to simulate dragging the current Finder selection to LaunchBar.
8. iTunes
   • Browse your iTunes Library by playlist, genre, artist, album, composer or song.
   • Find similar songs: Select a song, press Right Arrow to find songs from the same album or the same artist, composer or genre.
   • Playback control: Play, Pause, Next Song, Back Track, Fast Forward, Rewind
   • Playback of individual songs but also entire playlists, albums, genres, artists and more.
   • Best-Of Lists: LaunchBar automatically collects your top rated songs.
   • Remote control your iTunes DJ playlist.
   • Access the currently playing song: For example, type IT to select iTunes, then Right Arrow to show the currently playing song, then Right Arrow again to find similar tracks.
   • Advanced iTunes Library management: The Identically Named Albums category helps to find albums with identically names but from different artists.
9. Web Bookmarks and History
   • Access bookmarks and history from a wide range of web browsers (Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome, Chromium, Opera, OmniWeb and more).
   • Open a bookmark with ↩ to open it in the default browser, or press Tab to choose a different browser.
   • Use ⇧↩ to open a bookmark in the current Safari tab.
   • Press Space to edit the selected bookmark prior to opening it.
   • Use ⌘L to enter arbitrary URLs.
   • Start typing a dot character switches to URL input automatically.
   • Reveal other bookmarks from the same domain by pressing Right Arrow.
   • Browse your web bookmarks: For example, type SB to select Safari Bookmarks, then press Right Arrow to browse your bookmark folder hierarchy, or press Space to get a flat list of all your bookmarks and bookmark folders.
   • Browse your web history: For example, type SH to select Safari History, then press Right Arrow to browse your history grouped by days, or press Space to get a flat list of your most recently visited web pages.
   • Open a bookmark folder with ↩ to open all contained bookmarks at once.
10. Configuration and Indexing
    • Powerful, multithreaded indexing engine, performs index updates in background.
    • Lots of indexing rules: Applications, Services, Actions, iTunes Library, iPhoto Library, Network Locations, Preference Panes, Dock, Address Books, Web Bookmarks and History, Cyberduck Bookmarks and more.
    • The Services indexing rule provides convenient access to commands from the Mac OS X Services menu.
    • Indexes bookmarks and history from a variety of web browsers (Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome, Chromium, and more).
    • Index your iPhoto events and albums.
    • User Accounts indexing for Fast User Switching.
    • Development Resources indexing rule, indexes the entire ADC Core Reference Library and the Developer Tools Reference Library.
    • Lots of configuration options to keep the index at a reasonable size (see the Options pane in the configuration window).
    • Live index updates. For instance, when you add a bookmark in Safari or when you import songs to your iTunes Library, these items are immediately accessible via LaunchBar.
    • Disabling of individual index items.
    • Multiple items can be enabled/disabled at once via context menu or by pressing Space.
    • Categories: Quick access to items of the same kind (Applications, RTF Documents, Bookmarks, Email Addresses, etc.).
11. Keyboard Shortcuts
    • Fully customizable hotkeys for LaunchBar search, Spotlight search, Calculator and Clipboard History.
    • Modifier Taps: Tapping a modifier key can now be used to activate LaunchBar and to invoke Instant Send.
12. Clipboard History
    • Seamless integration in LaunchBar’s standard interface.
    • Unique features such as stack operation (last-in/first-out), ClipMerge™, etc.
    • Paste as Plain Text option.
    • Paste a sequence of clipboard objects using Paste and remove from history.
    • Quick Look integration.
    • Clipboard objects can be used for LaunchBar actions such as browsing, send-to, drag & drop, etc.
    • Customizable Ignore List to protect sensitive data.
13. ClipMerge
    • Combine subsequent Copy operations into one single clipboard object just by pressing ⌘C twice.
    • Collect portions of text from different sources and paste them all at once into a text document.
    • Collect files and folders to copy or move them to a folder, or to send them as email attachments.
    • Works with plain text, rich text and files.
14. iCal Support
    • The Calendars indexing rule provides a list of all iCal calendars.
    • Create events and to-do items via LaunchBar: Select a calendar and press Space.
    • Events are entered in the format description @ date [and time]
    • Optionally, enter a location: description @ location @ date [and time]
    • To-do items are entered in the format description or description > due date.
    • Various options for entering dates, times and durations.
    • The tab key can be used to enter @ and > more conveniently.
    • Press ⌘↩ to reveal newly created items in iCal.
    • See the LaunchBar Help for details about the input syntax.
    • Option to create calendar events via third party utilities such as Fantastical or QuickCal.
15. Actions
    • Actions indexing rule covering built-in an user defined actions.
    • Comprehensive set of built-in Actions:
    • • File actions: Set/Reset Color Label, Empty Trash, Secure Empty Trash, Open Trash, Eject All Ejectable Volumes, Show Type and Creator
      • Compress actions to create ZIP or tar.gz archives.
      • Image manipulation actions: Resize, Recompress (High/Medium/Low Quality), Rotate Left/Right/180°, Flip Vertical/Horizontal
      • Application control actions: Quit, Force Quit, Quit All Applications, Hide, Hide Others
      • Utility actions: Make TinyURL, Start Screen Saver, Set Desktop Background, Show Date and Time, Show IP Address, etc.
      • Text manipulation: Enter Text, Display in Large Type, New TextEdit Document, Save Text
      • Clipboard actions: Copy as Plain Text, Copy and Paste, Copy and Paste as Plain Text, Clear Clipboard History, etc.
      • System management actions: Sleep, Log Out, Shut Down, Restart
      • Volume control: Decrease Volume, Increase Volume, Minimum Volume (10%), Medium Volume (50%), Maximum Volume (100%), Mute, Mute Off, Toggle Mute
      • Text to Speech actions: Speak Text, Stop Speaking. Invoking the Speak Text action automatically selects the Stop Speaking action, so it’s easy to interrupt the speech output.
      • iTunes control: Play, Pause, Next Song, Back Track, Update All Podcasts
      • iTunes Fast Forward / Rewind actions (invoking the action again switches back to playback).
      • Email actions: Get Mail, Get Mail in Background, New Mail Message
      • Creating Screenshots: Copy Screenshot of Selected Area, Copy Screenshot of Selected Window, Copy Screenshot of Selected Window Without Shadow
      • Search in Spotlight
      • Look Up in Dictionary
      • See the Actions indexing rule for the complete list of available actions.
    • Add your own custom actions. Put your custom AppleScripts or shell scripts in ~/Library/Application Support/LaunchBar/Actions. This folder is automatically indexed by LaunchBar.
    • The Reveal action (⌘↩) works with a wide range of items (Address Book groups, Albums, Artists, several indexing rules, etc.).
    • Support for sending items to Address Book Groups (e.g. to send a file to multiple recipients).
16. File Operations
    • Perform various file operations with a selected file or folder:
    • • Move
      • Copy
      • Make Alias
      • Make Symbolic Link (Absolute)
      • Make Symbolic Link (Relative)
      • Make Hard Link
      • Rename
      • New Folder
      • Duplicate
      • Get Info
      • Move to Trash
      • Eject
      • Eject Parent Volume
      • Compress
      • Set/Reset Color Label
    • Send to Folder functionality. Select a file, press Tab, select the destination. The desired file operation (Move, Copy, etc.) can be selected by pressing additional modifier keys. For example, ⌘↩ moves the file(s), ⌥↩ copies the file(s).
    • Asynchronous file operations to avoid blocking when copying large files.
    • Option to replace existing files when performing a copy/move operation.
    • ⌘A can be used to create multiple file selections.
    • When renaming a file, pressing Tab selects the filename extension.
    • Quick access to all currently mounted volumes through the Mounted Volumes indexing rule.
    • Eject All Ejectable Volumes action.
17. Quick Look
    • Press Space (or ⌘Y) to preview the selected item with Quick Look.
    • Press ⌥⌘Y to run Quick Look full screen.
    • Also works with Address Book items (cards, groups), text items, Clipboard History items.
18. Calculator
    • Powerful, extensible calculator, based on Unix bc.
    • Dedicated keyboard shortcut (can be configured in LaunchBar preferences > Calculator).
    • Switch to Calculator automatically when typing a digit or pasting a numeric expression.
    • Instant Calculate: If a text sent via Instant Send appears to be a valid calculator expression, the results are displayed automatically.
    • Scientific calculations:
    • • Logarithms: ln (natural), ld (binary), log (base 10)
      • Power: exp, pow
      • Trigonometry: sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan
      • Fractions: gcd (greatest common divisor), lcm (least common multiple), rem (remainder)
    • Trigonometry modes (Radian, Degree, Grad)
    • Function Shortcuts: Uppercase letters can be used to enter function names more quickly. For example, type S45 to get sin(45), or type Q2 to get sqrt(2).
    • Smart Brackets to insert closing brackets and bracket pairs automatically.
    • Smart Calculator Input for more efficient input especially on notebook keyboards.
    • Automatic decimal separator detection (dot vs. comma).
    • Extensible via custom macros. Put your bc macro files in ~/Library/Application Support/LaunchBar/Calculator
19. Command Line Operations
    • Invoke command line operations in Terminal or iTerm.
    • Open Terminal Here to open a new Terminal window for a given directory.
    • Alternatively, press tab to send a folder to the Terminal application.
    • Run Terminal Command Here to run a shell command in a given directory.
    • Run Terminal Command With to run a shell command with a given file argument.
    • Run Terminal Command to run arbitrary commands in a Terminal window.
    • Run Shell Command to run arbitrary commands in a background shell.
20. User Interface
    • Option to hide LaunchBar’s Dock icon (see LaunchBar preferences > Advanced).
    • “Turn Hiding Off” (⇧⌘H) to keep the LaunchBar window visible, to make it a better target for dragging operations.
    • Customizable width and position of the input window.
    • The input window can also be resized via keyboard by pressing ⌃⇧←/→.
    • LaunchBar’s contextual menus can be opened with ⌃→ and ⌃⌥→
    • Customizable number of items shown while searching and browsing.
    • Customizable font size in the search result list.
21. Other Features
    • Switching Network Locations
    • Fast User Switching
    • Path Finder support
    • Cyberduck Bookmarks
    • Text Clips (files with a “.clip.txt” or “.clip.rtf” extension). The file contents are inserted in the frontmost application.
    • Speech Synthesis: Spoken feedback of any searching or browsing activities.
    • LaunchBar is scriptable via AppleScript.
    • Automatic software updates.

Enhancements:

• New When an address book contact is selected, Shift-Space can be used to quickly create a new email message.
• New When Terminal.app is selected, press Space to quickly enter a command to be run in a new Terminal window.
• New Show pre-release versions option in Preferences > Software Update to get notified about beta versions and nightly builds.
• Fixes an issue causing network mounts not to appear in the Mounted Volumes list on OS X Lion.
• Fixes an incompatibility with sandboxed applications on OS X Lion.
• Fixes an issue when pressing Space on .applescript files.
• Fixes an issue with Calculator on Mac OS X 10.4.
• Adds a private user default named SpaceKeyShowsRelatedURLs for customizing the behavior when pressing Space on URLs.

Requirements:

• PowerPC or Intel based Mac (Universal Binary)
• Mac OS X 10.4 or later