“Open in Sublime Text” in macOS context-menu

sublime-text-macos-context-menu.md

This list has been updated for Big Sur (and later). Since I don't use these versions, this guide might still need further improvements. For older macOS versions, please see this older revision.

Open in Sublime Text

• Open Automator
• Quick Action
• Set “Service receives selected” to files or folders in any application
• Add a Run Shell Script action
• Set the script action to /Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl -n "$@"
• Set “Pass input” to as arguments
• Save as Open in Sublime Text

Add to Sublime Text

Let's repeat the steps above for a second entry, this time to add files or folders to an existing Sublime Text window

• Open Automator
• Create a new Service
• Add a Run Shell Script action
• Set “Workflow receives current” to files or folders in any application
• Set the script action to /Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl -a "$@"
• Set “Pass input” to as arguments
• Save as Add to Sublime Text

Keyboard Shortcuts

You can assign a global shortcut to run the services we just created

• Open “System Preferences”
• Select “Keyboard” then the “Shortcuts” tab
• In the left pane, click on “Services”
• In the right pane, scroll to “Files and Folders”
• Select “Open in Sublime Text” (or “Add to Sublime Text”) and click “add shortcut”
• Select a shortcut

Edit Context Menu items

You might want to rename or edit the items we just created

• Activate Finder
• Click on “Finder” in the Apple menu, select “Services” then “Services Preferences”
• In the right pane, scroll to “Files and Folders” and scroll to the item you want to edit
• Right click the item and select “Open in Automator”
• Edit and save

Alternatively, you can edit the workflow (e.g. ~/Library/Services/Open in Sublime Text.workflow) in your preferred text editor

Please fix shell scripts introducing double quotes in order to open files with space character in their name:

/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl -n "$@"

and

/Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl -a "$@"

I am having an issue where if I have a blank instance of Sublime text open, with no project open. (as I often do, as I like to have one blank one open for working with files through FTP) regardless of having the -n option it opens the folder in that open sublime text window.

Is there any option that would make it open in a newly created window every time no matter what?

Thanks for this, by the way, it is amazing!

Awesome! Thanks.

Can someone please explain "$@" in /Applications/Sublime\ Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin/subl -n "$@"

I understood that the first part finds the executable for Sublime Text, -n option is for a new window.

"$@" is an automatic variable contains the input to the service.

...in this case, the filenames selected in Finder.

Looks like Service option has been renamed to "Quick Action" in the current version of Automator.

This doesn't seem to let me open directories. Is there a way to do that?

I figured it out. I needed to set Shell: /bin/bash (which I had previously left blank) in my "Run Shell Script" action.

In macOS Big Sur the Automator option to "Create a new Service" is replaced with "Quick Action"
I had to look other places in automator for the "Create a new Service" option in confusion

In macOS Big Sur the Automator option to "Create a new Service" is replaced with "Quick Action"
I had to look other places in automator for the "Create a new Service" option in confusion

And the Service receives selected have been changed into Workflow receives current, like this:

@ahmu83 @MajoroMask Thanks for the input, I've updated the gist accordingly

In macOS Big Sur the Automator option to "Create a new Service" is replaced with "Quick Action"
I had to look other places in automator for the "Create a new Service" option in confusion

And the Service receives selected have been changed into Workflow receives current, like this:

I tested it for macOS Bigsur, it works.