Hmmm. I thought about this and to the best of my limited knowledge, I figured out the following.
I’ve created an Automator Quick Action but I’ll admit it’s not perfect. As mentioned before, I use a MacBook but I also use Safari. Unless you are using those, then slight modifications would be needed, certainly with default actions in a browser.
A: The real issue I’ve not figured out is I haven’t been able to automate only the initial downloading. As we know, when we hit the save from the pop -up save tab, there is a complex coded useless name for the file, but it does need to be saved as a pdf (or any other acceptable attached file for that matter). In other words, I still have to save the download somewhere. That’s the glitch. Of course you will then have to locate that saved file, in the Finder folder, wherever that file was saved. Unfortunately, that’s what we are having to do anyway, at least definitely for pdfs at the moment but the following works on all acceptable attachments that were made and what follows is what my Automator “Action” app type of workflow does to that file. By the way, you don’t need to rename that file, just use it as named.
To me, the rest seems painless with this little workflow. It cleans up the saving, flipping back and forth from Safari to your pdf viewer, eventual trashing etc. I make it work by right-clicking on the "saved pdf, or whatever type” in it’s new temporary location in A: above. Once that saved file is right-clicked, when found in Finder, you will have an additional choice presented to you in the drop down panel... as a Quick Action, which should be named uniquely, so that you understand the consequence of clicking that particular action and its workflow's intent.
The results of that click will,
1. take that file and open it in a Safari browser tab. I have my browser set to tabs.That tab has the attachment viewing that we had been accustomed to in the past and I verified it with my testing. However, I have to admit that I also have a pop-up window that you will immediately see and need to close within a minute. No worries, I just click it right away, as it completes the trashing once the file was presented to you in the browser tab. If you don't click that little pop-up within the minute then your Finder will jump up and down and say it didn't complete the workfow, much like I jump up and down when I talk to the help people.
2. As my QBO is already open, because I downloaded that attachment from it and saved it somewhere as in (A:), just a minute ago, that newly opened tab is beside my QBO tab, as it was before.This depends on how you view your own QBO browser tabs.
3. I can now click and open that tab. You print from it if necessary. Do what you will with it, BUT... if you actually close it with the little x, you will have to start back with the annoying part of downloading as in the very top discussion A:. just don’t close it until you’re done with it.
4. Behind the scene, that newly downloaded file(again wherever you chose to download it to)…. that you just right-clicked and chose the action with, has already been removed and sent to the trash. WHY I DID THIS! That means there is no need to do other things. In reality, I am only wanting to view that attachment in a browser tab without opening it somewhere else like Preview etc. and then clean up the meaningless named files from the initial download, so I get rid of all of it. This little workflow, makes it less work and effort keeping your Finder folders clean. It reminds me when we closed the same viewing tab before there were no remains.
The care that we need to take when saving, is to "know where" you will save the file. The saving of downloads via Safari can be found in Safari preferences. In the drop down Safari>Preferences>General you can check where you have the downloads going near the bottom “File Download Location:”. We all have our own preferences and likely most people just use the Default Downloads Folder. Personally, I have mine set to the "ask option". In the big picture, you only need to be able to initially find the downloaded file by its name. I find Downloads usually has lots of useless stuff in it. I keep mine clean, but we each have our workflows. I “always” choose… where... and what…. Folder to download files from the browser. I simply created and named a new folder on my Desktop…. "QBO Temporary Attachment Holder”. So when I’m prompted to save from QBO, I make sure that’s where that hideously named file goes. That’s where I right -click it from and choose the approriately named app and that’s the last time I see it unless I look in the Trash.
Trying not to be too repetitive, this is basically a choice on a right-click, that has a panel, that will open the selected file, display it in your web browser, then move the file to trash. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to ever choose this action side bar on other files. Only those we’ve had to download.
If you’re interested, I could attempt to explain how to create the Automator app but I’d certainly throw in all of the disclaimers that you’d be doing this at your own risk. I only know I’m happy enough with this clumsy work-around. Maybe they fix this, maybe they don’t, maybe someone has a better solution?
Disclaimer: LOL. I am not an expert. I quit Fortran and Cobol in 1973.
Regards Old Toad
