A Mac OS X Service for the Finder

Note that this application is no longer supported (last updated in 2010). You are welcome to download the last versions created (see below). It may not longer work on the latest version of macOS, or require some changes. The page is maintained for historical reference until I create a new, modern, version of this service.

Templates is a Mac OS X Service for the Finder, allowing a user to make any system object a template, with the ability to quickly and easily create new instances of that object based on this template. Templates can also take advantage of AppleScript in documents, allowing for scripted, and even interactive, behaviours in creating an instance.

Do you ever find yourself copying one file to another to ensure you have the same text or formats in a new document? Ever wanted to quickly create a new text file in a particular folder? Or make a particular file a template for other files? Welcome to Templates.

Template objects are stored in one of two locations:

  • /Library/Templates – for access by all users
  • Your home Library/Templates – for private use by you alone

When you install Templates, a default set of Templates are installed in the first location (unless you change the install location to your home folder). You can create a new Templates folder in the other location for private use. Now, you simply put any objects you wish to be templates in to one of these locations – Word files, Pages documents, even folders containing other files and folders.

You access Templates via the Finder Services menu, or assign a keyboard shortcut to the New… service and use that for easy access.

Templates will also honour metadata you have assigned to your Templates. For example, if you hide the extension on the template file, and even change the template file so that it opens by default with another application (say BBEdit for a particular template), the dialog will hide the extension, and the created file, when double clicked, will open with the alternate application.

Of course, Templates is a lot more interesting when you have a more complete library of Templates. And Templates has its own set of metadata you can apply to any template object giving you the ability to:

  • Change the display name of the object (the default is to use the filename)
  • Change the default name of the object (the default is Untitled)
  • Ask for a new name for the object
  • Open the object after creation (the default is to select in the Finder)
  • Interpret any AppleScript in the object before creation

To do this you simple add appropriate flags to the Comments area of the object. See the Read Me for full details.

AppleScript within the Templates themselves can also be interpreted before creation, leading to clever templates that can even be interactive.

See the Read Me file for more information.

Requirements

  • Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) only

Icon

The icon used by Templates was provided by Adam ‘Elroy’ Mazzitelli (http://www.elroyonline.com)

Known Limitations

  • The New… workflow does not always appear after installation. Follow instructions at the end of the installation if this occurs.
  • An admin username and password is required to install, even if only installing for the current user.

Disclaimer

Copyright © 2010 by Jamie Curmi (curmi.com). All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use of this software in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
Neither the name of curmi.com nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission of curmi.com.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Download

Download Templates 1.1
Download Templates 1.0

Download Terminal “new” Script 1.0
Note: this is the Terminal “new” script mentioned in the Read Me file. This is for command-line use of the software. Please install Templates first.