Launcher

The launcher is a search bar that opens on a hotkey. Type a few letters to open an app, run a plugin command, or pick a row that a plugin added, such as a file, a contact, or a calculator answer.

Opening it

Press ⌥Space (Option-Space). That is the default. To change it, open Settings → General and record a new combo in Launcher Hotkey. The menu bar item also has Open Launcher.

When the query is empty, the launcher shows only your starred rows. It does not guess what you want.

Searching

Matching is fuzzy: sysset finds System Settings, and the letters do not have to be next to each other. The launcher searches these sources:

Apps installed on the Mac.
Commands that plugins register with macotron.command().
Plugin rows: lists a plugin keeps up to date, such as Apple Notes or clipboard history.
Live answers: plugins that read what you type and answer it, such as the calculator. An answer that does not match by name, such as 4 for 2+2, goes to the top.
Macotron's own commands: Show Hotkeys, Macotron Settings, Macotron Plugins, Quit Macotron, and Reset Launcher Ranking.

The results you pick most often move up. Reset Launcher Ranking forgets those counts. The list shows up to 20 rows.

Keys

Key	Action
`Return`	Open or run the selected row.
`↑` `↓`, or `Control-P` `Control-N`	Move the selection.
`⌘Return`	Reveal the row in Finder.
`⌥Return`	Quick Look preview, for rows that are files.
`⌘C`	Copy the path, for rows that are files.
`⌘S`	Star or unstar the row.
`⌘K`	Record a global shortcut for the row.
`⌘;`	Open Macotron Settings.
`Esc`	Close the launcher, or leave an argument form.

Stars

Press ⌘S on any row to star it. Starred rows are the list you see when you open the launcher and type nothing. Press ⌘S again to remove the star.

Shortcuts for any row

Select a row, press ⌘K, then press the combo you want. Press Delete instead to clear the shortcut, or Esc to cancel. This works for apps, plugin commands, and plugin rows. A shortcut for an app hides the app when it is already in front.

You can also set command shortcuts in Settings → Plugins, and app shortcuts in Settings → Shortcuts. See Hotkeys.

Command arguments

Some commands ask for input before they run. When you pick one, the launcher shows a small form with text fields, number fields, or dropdowns. For example, Search Google asks for a query, and Generate Lorem Ipsum asks for a count and a unit. Fill in the form and press Return. A required field must have a value.

macotron.command("Search GitHub", "Search GitHub", (args) => {
  macotron.url.open("https://github.com/search?q=" + encodeURIComponent(args.q));
}, {
  arguments: [{ name: "q", type: "text", placeholder: "Query", required: true }],
});

Look

Settings → General has two options for the launcher:

Quick Search: the background. Translucent (the default), Glass, or Opaque.
Text Size: 80%, 100%, or 120%.

Plugins that add to the launcher

Plugin	What you get
Calculator	Type a sum (`20% of 85`) or a conversion (`12 km in miles`). Return copies the answer.
File Search	Files and folders by name, from Macotron's own index. See File search.
Clipboard History	Recent copies as rows. See Clipboard.
Text Snippets	Snippet rows. See Snippets.
Contacts Search	Names, emails, and phone numbers.
Notes Search	Apple Notes by title. Return opens the note.
Web Search	Search Google, Wikipedia, Maps, YouTube, or GitHub, and Define for Dictionary.
System Settings Search	Open a System Settings pane by name.
Emoji Picker	Type two or more letters of an emoji name.
Shortcuts	Your Shortcuts.app shortcuts. Refresh Shortcuts reloads the list.
Window Controls	Tile commands and Switch Window. See Windows.
Lock Screen Command	Lock Screen.
Dev Utils	Generate UUID, Unix Timestamp, Encode Base64, Decode JWT.
Lorem Ipsum Generator	Generate Lorem Ipsum, with count and unit.

Most other built-in plugins add a command or two. See Built-in plugins.