Shortcuts (On Mac) File Actions

Shortcuts
1

I’ll admit I’m stumped.

I’m trying to export from MindNode as Markdown and then adjust the text it creates. That works fine.

I want to:

  1. Pick a folder - including probably creating a new one - on my Mac’s disk.
  2. Write the Markdown file to a freshly-named file in that folder.
  3. Write a make file that refers to the Markdown file into the same folder.

(Optionally, open both files in BBEdit.)

The idea is I can go from a mind map to the infrastructure necessary to use mdpre and md2pptx to create a PowerPoint presentation. I call the idea “instant presentations” as it removes a lot of friction in writing a presentation (for me).

Anyhow, I’m running into problems:

  1. I don’t know how to get a prompt up for a directory that includes the (often used) “create new directory” button.
  2. I don’t know how to get a prompt for a file to save to, having retrieved that directory name (or at any rate being positioned in that new directory).
  3. I don’t know how to write to that freshly named file (nor how to retrieve its name).
  4. I don’t know how to copy boilerplate text files - metadata.md and standard.css into that directory.

I’ve spent a lot of time searching the web and looking in the Shortcuts app - and I’m getting nowhere.

I have to believe the problems above are ones others need solved.

(On portability, it might not be realistic to port to iOS / iPad OS - though I’ve proven the MindNode Export works on iPad OS.)