integratethis 2024.6.23.1

Integrate programs or scripts into common tools like Windows Explorer context menu

* integratethis

This tool integrates other tools in common programs.

For example, I wrote some awesome Python command line tools such as
[[https://github.com/novoid/filetags][filetags]], [[https://github.com/novoid/date2name][date2name]], or [[https://github.com/novoid/appendfilename][appendfilename]]. Once installed via =pip
install=, they can only be used on the command line such as =cmd.exe=
or a shell.

To install all the supported tools, use the following command:

: pip install date2name appendfilename filetags integratethis

Using this tool, I can integrate them for example to the "Send to"
context menu of the Windows Explorer using commands like:

: integratethis date2name
: integratethis time2name
: integratethis appendfilename --confirm
: integratethis filetags --confirm
: integratethis filetags --parameter="--filter" --displayname "filetags filter"
: integratethis filetags --parameter="--filter --recursive" --displayname "filetags filter recursive"
: integratethis filetags --parameter="--tagtrees --recursive --tagtrees-handle-no-tag no-tags" --displayname "TagTrees recursive"
: integratethis filetags --parameter="--tagtrees --tagtrees-depth 3" --displayname "TagTrees lvl3"

Note that =integratethis time2name= is a shortcut for:

: integratethis date2name  --parameter="--withtime %*" --displayname "time2name"

Of course, you can remove the commands using the =--delete= parameter
as well.

- *Target group*: users who are fine to use command line tools
- Hosted on github: [[https://github.com/novoid/integratethis]]

** Installation

This tool needs [[http://www.python.org/downloads/][Python 3 to be installed]].

You can install filetags either via [[https://packaging.python.org/tutorials/installing-packages/][pip]] which is the recommended way.
Or you can install filetags using the source code, e.g., by cloning
the [[https://github.com/novoid/integratethis][GitHub repository of integratethis]].

*** Installation Via Pip

If you have installed Python 2 and Python 3 in parallel, make sure to
use the correct pip version. You might need to use =pip3= instead of
=pip=. If you only have Python 3 installed, you don't have to care ;-)

On Microsoft Windows (only), you are going to need ~pip install
pypiwin32~ as prerequisite.

Now install filetags via [[https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/][pip]]: ~pip install integratethis~

You get updates by executing the very same pip command again.

*** Installation Via Source Code

If you use the GitHub sources (and not pip), the executable is
~integratethis/__init__.py~. You might want to create a (symbolic) link named
"integratethis" to that file.

** Usage

 # #+BEGIN_SRC sh :results output :wrap src
 # python3 ./integratethis/__init__.py --help
 # #+END_SRC

#+BEGIN_src
usage: integratethis [-h] [--overwrite] [--parameter PARAMETERS]
                     [--confirm] [--into PROGRAM]
                     [--displayname DISPLAYNAME] [--delete] [-v]
                     [-q]
                     command

This program integrates arbitrary commands to various tools.
For example, you can add a program named "filetags" to the "Send to"
folder of the context menu of the Windows File explorer via
    integratethis filetags

The integration method used differs from tool to tool. For the Windows Explorer,
a batch file is placed within the AppData\Roaming folder in case of additional
parameters have to be added to the command and a lnk file to it is created in
the "Send to" folder so that you can use the command from the context menu of
the Windows Exporer. If no additional parameters are required, a lnk file to the
command itself is placed in the "Send to" folder. For details, please look at
the source code or read the help info for the --into parameter.

You can overwrite pre-configured parameters using the command line options.

positional arguments:
  command               The command to integrate. For a defined set of tools
                        which can be installed via "pip3 install", parameters
                        are pre-configured: filetags, appendfilename,
                        date2name, time2name (date2name but with time-stamp),
                        and more to come in the future. The path for the
                        command is looked up using "where" (Windows) or
                        "which" (all other operating systems) so that the
                        command has to be found in the path of the current
                        environment.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --overwrite           Do not warn when a previous batch- or lnk-file for
                        integration get overwritten.
  --parameter PARAMETERS
                        Optional parameter string which replaces any pre-
                        defined parameter set and gets appended after the
                        command when being invoked. For example, 'filetags' as
                        this pre-configured to "--interactive *" (on non-
                        Windows) in order to use the interactive mode and
                        operate on all selected files. Since this parameter
                        replaces pre-defined parameter sets, you have to make
                        sure to include '%*' (Windows) or '"${*}"' (non-
                        Windows) if you need to process marked files.
  --confirm             Ask the user to confirm by pressing RETURN/ENTER
                        before closing the dialog window of the batch file to
                        run the command.
  --into PROGRAM        Explicitely define, where to integrate the program to.
                        Valid values (according to your operating system) are:
                        windowsexplorer (same as File Explorer; default for
                        Windows), and more to come in future.
  --displayname DISPLAYNAME
                        Optional name that should be used instead of the
                        command name when being linked.
  --delete              Instead of integrate the program, remove its
                        integration. Command or displayname has to match the
                        existing integration point.
  -v, --verbose         enable verbose mode
  -q, --quiet           enable quiet mode

:copyright: (c) by Karl Voit <[e-mail]>
:license: GPL v3 or any later version
:URL: https://github.com/novoid/integratethis
:bugreports: via github or <[e-mail]>
:version: 2019-10-29
·
#+END_src


** Changelog

- 2018-04-25: initial version
- 2019-10-29: bugfix version

* Related tools and workflows

This tool is part of a tool-set which I use to manage my digital files
such as photographs. My work-flows are described in [[http://karl-voit.at/managing-digital-photographs/][this blog posting]]
you might like to read.

In short:

For *tagging*, please refer to [[https://github.com/novoid/filetags][filetags]] and its documentation.

See [[https://github.com/novoid/date2name][date2name]] for easily adding ISO *time-stamps or date-stamps* to
files.

For *easily naming and tagging* files within file browsers that allow
integration of external tools, see [[https://github.com/novoid/appendfilename][appendfilename]] (once more) and
[[https://github.com/novoid/filetags][filetags]].

Moving to the archive folders is done using [[https://github.com/novoid/move2archive][move2archive]].

Having tagged photographs gives you many advantages. For example, I
automatically [[https://github.com/novoid/set_desktop_background_according_to_season][choose my *desktop background image* according to the
current season]].

Files containing an ISO time/date-stamp gets indexed by the
filename-module of [[https://github.com/novoid/Memacs][Memacs]].

* How to Thank Me

I'm glad you like my tools. If you want to support me:

- Send old-fashioned *postcard* per snailmail - I love personal feedback!
  - see [[http://tinyurl.com/j6w8hyo][my address]]
- Send feature wishes or improvements as an issue on GitHub
- Create issues on GitHub for bugs
- Contribute merge requests for bug fixes
- Check out my other cool [[https://github.com/novoid][projects on GitHub]]

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