Sonny Software

Although it is nice to have the Bookends browser, I'm sure I'm not the only person who often uses their preferred system browser when researching and reading journals in general. It would be amazingly helpful if Bookends had a service menu entry or an applescript that could take a webpage address or selected text and add it to the open database. My ideal workflow would be an script I could trigger using Quicksilver, I'd simply select a DOI[1] in my preferred browser and activate the service. Currently Bookends doesn't have any scripting support (there is no dictionary at least according to script editor), so perhaps the question should be whether bookends will be scriptable or integrate (yosemite's extensions etc.) better across other apps?

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[1] BE can drag-n-drop pubmed pages (great feature!) so there is no need to have to parse whether selected text is a PMID etc...

Bookends has a variety of AppleScript features that let you retrieve information from a Bookends database (please see the user guide for full details -- look for AppleScript).

Jon
Sonny Software

Is there any applescript interface to *add* a reference (this isn't mentioned in the user guide)? In my toy example I'd like to add a reference via a DOI for example?

No, I've avoided letting users manipulate the actual data from outside of Bookends because (1) it's not trivial to implement and it's a feature very few will use, and (2) I'm concerned about inadvertent corruption of the database.

Jon
Sonny Software

BTW, did you know that if you drag and drop a DOI onto the Bookends library window the metadata will be instantly imported from the Internet?

Jon
Sonny Software

In the next Bookends update we have created a bookmarklet that, once added to your browser's bookmarks bar, will tell Bookends to open whatever web page you're working on in Bookends Browser. You can then import references (if Bookends can recognize them) and/or a PDF with a single click/drag.

Jon
Sonny Software

Neat! Looking forward to that.

I didn't know about the DOI drag-n-drop, useful with the caveat that many journals I use seem not to markup DOIs as links...

Bookmarklet is a workable solution, thanks Jon!

Jon wrote:BTW, did you know that if you drag and drop a DOI onto the Bookends library window the metadata will be instantly imported from the Internet?

Jon
Sonny Software

Amazing, I didn't know that! This is going to save me a lot of time using CrossRef.org to sync my pdfs with library. Thank You.

Yes, I find it very useful, too. And in looking at landol's last comment, I think he is misunderstanding. It's not a link to a DOI that you drop, it's the DOI itself. In fact, you can type a DOI in a text editor and drag and drop what you typed on the Bookends library window -- Bookends will find it on the Internet and import it (assuming it is in fact a valid DOI and indexed by PubMed, CrossRef, etc.).

Jon
Sonny Software

Jon wrote:Yes, I find it very useful, too. And in looking at landol's last comment, I think he is misunderstanding. It's not a link to a DOI that you drop, it's the DOI itself. In fact, you can type a DOI in a text editor and drag and drop what you typed on the Bookends library window -- Bookends will find it on the Internet and import it (assuming it is in fact a valid DOI and indexed by PubMed, CrossRef, etc.).

Jon
Sonny Software

Yes, it's actually the DOI itself, but it needs some clarification for those that did not get it yet. You need to select the DOI first, then drag it to BE library window and it will populate a new reference. No need to type the DOI in a text editor, unless it's part of your workflow. How to obtain the DOI? Well, I go to CrossRef.org, type some title/author words, then it gives me a list of hits. When you find the desired hit you have to click "Actions" menu, then "Cite" and choose a format that will give you the DOI. Good choices to get the DOI are BIBTEX, RIS, APA, and CHICAGO. The other styles will not give you the DOI, only the URL.

Yes, I just mentioned entering into a text file and dragging from there to show how it would work if you dragged it from anywhere.

And yes, your workflow is a good one.

Jon
Sonny Software

Jon wrote:Yes, I just mentioned entering into a text file and dragging from there to show how it would work if you dragged it from anywhere.

I didn't realize that this is possible but it is extremly helpful! For example, I have lots of pdfs from colleagues where the DOI is printed on the first page, and this can be dragged onto BE as well and works as outlined. Perhaps this feature should be publicized a little bit more ...

Cheers,

Nils

Bookends has so many useful features like this that it's impossible to highlight them all. Note that if you have the PDF, you could also do an Autocomplete Paper (Shift-Command-C) on it and Bookends would find the DOI in the PDF for you and offer to autocomplete based on that. See?

Jon
Sonny Software

Jon wrote:Bookends has so many useful features like this that it's impossible to highlight them all. Note that if you have the PDF, you could also do an Autocomplete Paper (Shift-Command-C) on it and Bookends would find the DOI in the PDF for you and offer to autocomplete based on that. See?

I see! However, this does not suit my workflow as I have all my documents in Devonthink Pro Office (and indexing is not an option).

Cheers,

Nils