Let me start by saying that if you haven’t checked out Setapp yet, you should. The number of quality apps available makes it ridiculous to not give it a try.
scripting, setapp, terminal
I use a fairly complex build system for the Marked 2 help documents that get used on both the website and in the internal help. Among the many features I’ve added over time is the ability to use named shortcuts for Mac symbols — Command, Shift, the Apple Menu, etc. — and have them replaced with HTML entities at compile time. Since it took a bit to put together the whole list, I thought I’d share it for anyone who faces a similar task.
html, ruby, scripting
Despite putting time into the replacement for nvALT, I also managed to get the latest update for Marked 2 out. My meds must be working. It’s available now on Setapp, direct (Check for Updates), and Mac App Store. It has a longer-than-usual list of improvements and fixes, so this post might get lengthy.
appstore, macappstore, macos, marked, support, tagging
I’ve come up with a lot of ways to see what’s taking up space in my directories from Terminal over the years. I’ve finally built one that covers all the little niggles I’ve had in the past.
ruby, scripting, terminal
You’ve been hearing from me for years about BitWriter, the nvALT replacement I was working on with David Halter. Well, I failed at my part, then we lost touch, and it never came to fruition. Now that my health is back to working state, I attempted to pick the project back up. Turned out David was MIA (hopefully ok), and the code I was left with no longer compiled on the latest operating systems. Seemed like it might be time to let go.
beta, nvalt, search
For those of us who have shifted from folder hierarchies to search as our primary method of “filing,” Spotlight has become a way of life. And where Spotlight falls short, HoudahSpot steps in and fills the gaps. I’ve said it enough that it sounds cliché to me, but HoudahSpot really is steroids for Spotlight on macOS.
appreview, macos, review, search, spotlight, tagging
I joined David Sparks and Rosemary Orchard on episode 20 of the Automators podcast. It was a riot, and made me realize exactly how nerdy I am about automation and its peripheral nerdery. One of the things that came up was my htaccess trick for handling Open Graph metadata on my blog. I got a bunch of questions about that, so I’m writing this up to explain.
facebook, html, service, tagging, tricks, twitter, webdesign
I work on a lot of different coding projects. Websites, front end and back, Mac and iOS coding, Ruby gems, scripting, design projects. While I’m working on a project, the build, deploy, and other development processes I set up become second nature. Once I’ve moved to another project or 20, I’ve learned it’s really easy to forget how I had it all set up. Maybe I was using CodeKit, or maybe I had gulp-watch set up, maybe everything is in a Rakefile…
css, developer, scripting, terminal
Thanks to Backblaze for sponsoring BrettTerpstra.com this week. I’ve been a user of both the Backblaze cloud backup and their B2 storage service for years, and it’s the best solution I’ve found for complementing my local Time Machine and drive clone backups. I’ve even been through the restore process, which is the true test of a backup service, and they passed with flying colors. Great to have them this week!
backup, cloud, sponsor
Just to be clear, this post is about a hair clipper called the Shortcut Pro. This is not about Shortcuts for iOS or any kind of automation. It’s about a hair clipper. You have permission to feel whatever you need to about that.
hardware, productivity, review, shortcuts
Hey, guess what? I’m speaking at Macstock 2019 (and yes, see the end of the post for my special discount code!). It’s coming up on July 27th and 28th this year, once again in Woodstock, IL. Which you obviously know is the town where Groundhog Day was filmed.
macstock, personal
Web excursions brought to you in partnership with MindMeister, the best collaborative mind mapping software out there.
bookmarks, browser, developer, editor, music, source
