Hook 3.3 Release Notes

Hook Version 3.3 (4542; Integration v. 183) is now available for download, or as an in-app update. (Build: 2021-10-13, 14:05).

Executive Summary

  • Programmatic integration with MerlinProject app.
  • Using an advanced Terminal preference (defaults write com.cogsciapps.hook background.app.mode 0), the Hook app can now be brought entirely in the foreground. In foreground mode, Hook shows up in the app switcher, Force Quit window, and Dock.
  • Hook now supports Apple’s Photos app on multiple Macs.
  • The Focus on Link in Clipboard command (introduced in Hook 3.2) is now shown in Hook’s Gear menu.
  • and more!

Detailed release notes

Foreground mode

Hook 3.3 defaults to background mode. However, you can now run Hook in foreground mode. This can be achieved by using the command line (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app) :

defaults write com.cogsciapps.hook background.app.mode 0

In foreground mode, you will see Hook in:

  • the App Switcher app (⌘TAB),
  • the Force Quit app, and
  • the Dock (which means you can click on Hook’s icon in the Dock to activate Hook)

When you bring the Hook app to the foreground (i.e., “switch” to it), you will see

  1. Hook’s search tool (which is context agnostic)
  2. Hook’s own menu bar.

Many of the gear commands are now available from there, like a traditional (foreground) app: Preferences, About Hook.

There are also new commands, such as:

  • File > Show Hook folder
  • File > Show Notes folder

We expect to provide significant new commands to Hook’s new menu bar 😊 .

When Hook app is in the foreground, you don’t see Hook’s contextual window. If you use LaunchBar, then you’ll recognize that this setting is quite similar to LaunchBar’s Show Dock Icon preference.

Of course, you can still bring Hook’s contextual window to the foreground, with the same commands as before.

Regardless of whether you use foreground or background mode, Hook’s contextual window remains the main way of using Hook, invoked with a keyboard shortcut or menu bar icon > “Show Hook” command.

Other changes

  • NEW: The Focus on Link in Clipboard command (introduced in Hook 3.2) is now shown in Hook’s Gear menu. This command is super helpful. It makes any app that has a Copy Link function linkable with Hook. Just copy its link from the app and focus Hook on it (⌃⌘L).
  • NEW: Added option to add a from:Hook GoodLinks tag to any bookmark Hook adds to GoodLinks. (See Using Hook with GoodLinks).
  • IMPROVED: Help > Contact Us menu item now opens contact web page.
  • IMPROVED: On Hook’s General preferences tab, clicking on Other... now defaults to the current Hook folder.
  • IMPROVED Hook’s Preferences tabs in additional, minor ways.
  • IMPROVED: Hook’s Scripts preferences tab “Save as” dialog box is now more informative and non-blocking. Also fixed a crash related to that dialog box
  • IMPROVED: Tutorial slideshow, menu bar window, and elsewhere in UI better reflect that opening Hook contextual window is now driven by ⌃H (control-H).
  • FIXED: issues involving the new ⌃H (control-H) keyboard shortcut (sometimes could not be disabled). Please note Terminal app defaults write com.cogsciapps.hook "Show Hook Input Window (main)" 1 can also enable this keyboard shortcut; and you can replace 1 with 0 to disable the shortcut.
  • FIXED:: ⌘X (cut) in Find works again .
  • FIXED: Adding a Hook bookmark via Copy Link global keyboard shortcut wouldn’t lead to the addition of a corresponding Pinboard shortcut, even if enabled.
  • FIXED: Using a global shortcut to add bookmarks to Hook wouldn’t cause Hook to add a corresponding bookmark to Instapaper even if that was enabled in Hook’s Services preferences tab.
  • FIXED: Hook would create an empty file-based sync folder even if the preference for that kind of syncing was disabled (say in favor of iCloud syncing).
  • FIXED: In Safari the Copy Selection and Link menu item was incorrectly labeled “Copy Quote and Link”.
  • FIXED a crash that could [rarely] happen when Hook’s context window was invoked while Show Pinned Items was enabled.
  • FIXED: An error message would be shown when trying to open hook:// URLs via the Open All Hooked Items command.
  • FIXED: Title bar tooltip was out of date.

New and improved software integrations

  • Updated: Merlin Project 8 linking now uses programmatic automation. Merlin Project is the premier project management software for macOS, developed by ProjectWizards GmbH. Its version 8 was released Sept 10. (Read more.)
  • New: Hook now supports Google Chrome Beta.
  • New: Hook now supports Apple’s Photos app. So you can now copy and paste links to Photos anywhere, including in Hook (Hook to Copied Link). These links do not yet work across Macs. For more information, please see Using Hook with Apple Photos App.
  • DEVONagent Pro by DEVONthink is now supported.
  • Bookends version 14, released earlier this month, is now also supported.
  • Tinderbox version 9 integration. (Read more).
  • Hook is now compatible with BusyCal on SetApp too.

Eligibility for updates

Hook software updates are free to any Hook customer with a Hook Updates license that was valid at the time the update was released. Hook Pro and Hook Essentials each come with one year of free access to software updates.

If your Hook Updates license has expired and you apply this update, please note that Hook will revert to Lite mode until you purchase and apply an Updates license. However, you can also revert to a previous version of Hook that was released during your Updates License period. Upgrading from Essentials to Pro includes an additional 12-month Updates license.

Next steps

So please

and enjoy 😊 .