Web Searches Plugin: How to reorder user-added shortcuts

[philipbrown2]

Hello,

Background: I've added ~20 shortcuts to the Web Searches plugin that installs natively with Flow Launcher.

Desire: I would like to reorder them to keep kinds of shortcuts together.

Attempted Solution: I tried editing the settings.json file that lists the web search settings.

Problem: Flow Launcher overwrites any manual changes to the WebSearches settings.json file.

Suggestions?

Thanks for your help!

[onesounds]

Could you tell us in detail how you had organized it and how you would like it to be displayed? A screenshot would also be helpful.

[philipbrown2]

Sure! Thanks for replying.

My current list of Web Searches look like this:

As you can see from the above picture, I have a shortcut for Archive.org intermingled with shortcuts associated with my Bible software (Logos).

I would like to be able to group my Logos shortcuts by similar function, as well as move the Archive.org shortcut below the Logos-related shortcuts.

*Possible Solutions:

• drag-and-drop rearranging of the shortcuts
• directions on how to edit the .json settings file so it isn't overwritten
• Some other creative option I'm not thinking of ... :o)

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Philip Brown

[onesounds]

Wow, I didn’t expect it to be used this extensively. So in the end, you need sorting mainly for easier management, right?

1. As far as I know, JSON files are likely read in the order they're saved, so if you edit them, the changes should be reflected.
   However, you need to make sure Flow is completely closed when you edit and save the file.
   It's a bit strange, but since I haven’t been able to test it myself, feel free to ignore this part.

2. A simple approach would be to include a number in the name of each item to represent its desired order, and then sort them by clicking the TitleBar.
   

For example, you could rename all the Bible items with a prefix like “1. Bible…”, and Archive items with “2. Archive…”, and then just click the TitleBar when you need them sorted. (Of course, this requires clicking the TitleBar each time, and it messes up the item names a bit.)

3. If this sorting feature is essential for you, I could consider adding a separate “Tag” field. Then we could make it so that when you open the settings, the items are automatically sorted by tag name. In that case, items without a tag would show up at the bottom.

---

Aside from the sorting feature, if you're using search this heavily, I imagine it's hard to remember all the keywords.
How about using a tag as a keyword to narrow things down first, and then selecting the actual item afterward? For example, if you've grouped all Bible-related items under the “Bible” tag:

1. In Flow, you type “Bible” and all your Bible items appear.

2. You select one of the items and press Enter.

3. The keyword gets auto-filled, and you can sae

With this approach, you might not need sorting at all. It might be a little slower than using a shortcut, but it could still be pretty convenient. (Implementing this would be a bit more complex, so I just wanted to ask if you think it’s worth trying.)

[philipbrown2]

Dear Onesounds,

I did not realize that the columns could be sorted! Awesome!

Preferred Option
I really like the idea of adding a tag that would be the basis of sorting.
If that isn't too difficult to implement, it would be a great addition!

Good Enough
Otherwise, I can name the shortcuts in ways that sort them and that serves the same purpose, even if not as elegantly.

Appreciation
Thank you for your interaction and help.
This tool is making navigating the web, doing searches, and using Logos much faster!
Flow Launcher is being mentioned on Ward on Words youtube channel as a PC alternative to Raycast.
Keep up the good work.

Blessings,
Philip