Introduction
You can use Drafts to manage a library of interesting quotes.
Setup
Basic quote
Quotes are just drafts with the tag "quote". They are formatted using Markdown quote syntax that contains a > prefix on each line, consisting of the quote text and an author line. The quote text can be one or more lines, which is followed by an author line for source attribution (preceded with a long "em-dash" — prefix).
See following example from Winston Churchill:
> Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe.
> — Winston Churchill
If you want, you can write a quote over multiple lines. If you want to include extra blank lines within the quote, it must also begin the a > prefix. You can also include a bullet list and/or links within the quote text. For example, you might want to have a space after a longer quote before the author line like this.
> Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself.
> Before you can move their tears, your own must flow.
> To convince them, you must yourself believe.
>
> — Winston Churchill
Workspaces
A Drafts workspace is a set of filters and options that can be applied to a draft list. This makes it easier to manage groups of text draft entries that you want to view, process, edit, or update.
Drafts provides a Default workspace that provides a single draft list that contains all your drafts. However, with a Drafts Pro license, you can define multiple workspaces, such as Quotes, Snippets, etc.
You can install the Quotes workspace from this private link on the Drafts Directory.
Action group
Install the Quotes action group from another private link on the Drafts Directory, which is based on a similar one for Snippets.
Quote actions
This action group provides actions to work with a quote library, based on drafts tagged with “quote”, and a “Quotes” workspace.
This group contains the following actions:
- Split big quotes file: This script splits a single large quotes file into individual drafts with a
quotetag for the Quotes workspace in the Archive folder. Each block contains at least two lines in standard Markdown quotation format that begins with a>prefix on each line (even those that are blank). - Insert quote: Prompts to select a quote from the “Quotes” workspace and inserts the quote text in the Drafts editor as if you pasted it. Use this action when you are composing content in Drafts and want to utilize one of your quotes.
- Copy quote: Prompts to select a quote, as above, but instead puts the quote text in the system clipboard–ready to be pasted into other apps. Use this when you want to use some of your quote text in another app.
- Copy quote (via Prompt): Similar to “Copy quote”, but instead of the draft selection window, this version lists your quotes as buttons in a dialog prompt. This version may be more suitable if you have only a small number of quote.
- Edit quote: Select a quote, and open the quote draft in the editor for editing.
- Load Quotes workspace: Applies the “Quotes” workspace to the draft list. Same as selecting it in the Workspace menu.
TIP: Try the “Copy quote” action in a Drafts Grid Widget on your Home Screen or Lock Screen – or add it to Control Center.Grid Widget
Quote shortcut
Similar to the “Copy quote” action above, but implemented in Shortcuts. This shortcut fetches your list of quotes, asks you to select from the list, and puts the result in the system clipboard, ready to paste.
The above works great on Mac if you enable it to show in the “Pin in Menu Bar” option, so it appears in your shortcut list in the main menu and can be accessed from anywhere quickly.
On iOS, you can add this shortcut to your Home Screen or Control Center.
Snippets
If you wish, you would also like to install a Snippets workspace and action group:
The Snippets example was documented in a Using Drafts as a Text Snippet Library how-to article.
Related
See more information about Drafts on my website, or use the Drafts tag grid page page with all Drafts articles.
Resources
See the Drafts User Guide for more information about the Workspaces or Action Groups features.
