Contacting Developers of Other Apps and Information for Developers

Hookmark uses AppleScript to integrate with apps, but not all apps are scriptable or sufficiently scriptable. Suppose you open a previously saved resource (document or object) in an app and then invoke Hookmark, but Hookmark is empty except for saying No linkable item in <app-name> (in the status bar, at the bottom); it may be that the app is not yet compatible with Hookmark. This is either because the app is not (sufficiently) scriptable or Hookmark would need to be adapted to work with the app’s particular scripting idioms. An easy way to tell if an app is scriptable is to try to open the app’s ‘AppleScript dictionary’ using Apple’s Script Editor app (File > Open Dictionary menu item). If the app does not show up in that window, that means it has no AppleScript dictionary. (See below for other automation options).

If the app is not sufficiently scriptable, please consider contacting the app’s developer and let them know you’d like their app to be compatible with Hookmark, and send them the address of this page (https://hookproductivity.com/help/integration/other-app-developers/).

Hookmark’s scripting requirements are quite minimal. Nevertheless, third-party app developers are busy; so they will only add the required AppleScript if they know that their users can’t use their app effectively without it.

Example Email to an App Developer

Dear developer,

Thank you so much for creating and supporting App Name. It is invaluable to me.

Would you please add the minimal API (AppleScript, JavaScript, command line interface, or other) required for App Name to work with Hookmark? I use the macOS productivity app, Hookmark, to provide the missing links between my favorite apps. Hookmark enables me to to link items from my favorite apps to each other. This provides many benefits.

Hookmark needs AppleScript support to:

  1. get a name and URL (or other unique identifier) of the frontmost open resource in your app; and
  2. be able to open this resource later using that same URL/identifier.

That’s all there is to it. It’s quite easy to do, and many great apps support this.

For more information, please check out https://hookproductivity.com/help/integration/other-app-developers/.

Updating App Name to work with Hookmark would make it possible for me to more frequently use your app. On the Hookmark website you’ll see that Hookmark is already compatible with other apps like yours.

Thank you,

Your Name

Information for developers

So, if you are a developer of an app that you want to make URL-friendly (and hence compatible with Hookmark), please refer to Information for Developers to Make Their Apps Linkable (API Requirements for Compatibility with Hookmark).