Suggested tweaks to Extract Notes and Annotations

[joolian]

I am LOVING the Extract Notes and Annotations updates this year ... there are some small tweaks that could help me and others that are using this to export into Literature Notes in other PKM applications.

I've noticed that I and others are trying to use complicated AppleScripts or launcher (Keyboard Maestro, Alfred, etc) hacks to streamline exports to other apps like Obsidian, Capacities, DT3, etc.

One thing that would help the keyboard scripting for this process is to have an option to put the Extract directly into the clipboard. Current behavior pops up a window that is the front-most window but for some reason not selected in a way that the Extract is copyable with keyboard commands. Or Saves to Disk (which is great for PKM apps that have watch folders). Having Add to Clipboard in that Configure then Extract dialogue would be a useful 3rd option.

Another thing that would be helpful is to have deeplinks at the end of the annotation paragraph rather than on a new line, at least as an option if not the default behavior. The reason for this is that the PKM apps (Capacities, Tana) that I use consider each paragraph a discrete node or block, so it is very helpful to have the deeplink be part of that atomic block (for transclusion, backlinks, etc) rather than a separate node/block.

The dreamiest way for this all to work would be to have a one-way direct export (or even a sync, but I know that causes conflict issues if the extract then gets edited in PKM app) to apps that support it via API or X-Callback-URLs. Someday maybe

Thanks very much!

[Jon]

Hi,

You know that you can configure extraction to save to disk automatically, right. And even if you send it to the window, you can save to disk with a right click. Have you seen the video tutorial? It shows this as well as saving the extracted notes directly to an Obsidian vault. Is that would you mean by a direct export, or do you mean something else? I'm not familiar with Capacities or Tana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJeuORD_SR0

As for not being able to copy to the clipboard from the window, that's because when it's created it doesn't have the focus. I'll see about changing that for the next update, then you just need to Command-A and Command-c to copy it.

Jon
Sonny Software

[joolian]

Thanks, Jon! The Save to Disk is useful for PKM/Note apps like DT3 or Obsidian that import/index local files, but there are many online or hybrid local/inline PKMs that don't, where Copy to Clipboard would be better.

I think there'd be interest in having Extract to Clipboard be an option to save as default config but if not, an update that allows keyboard scripting to clipboard by having the extract window start with focus would do well enough for me. Thanks for tweaking that!

For the export directly to app, I was thinking about using APIs or X-callback schemes to enable something like Hookmark's Hook to New, so that Bookends folks like me that read and annotate in Bookends but then process annotations & notes in another app could easily generate a new Literature Note in another app that is populated with the Bookends Annotations and Notes from a paper (or group of papers). The downside, of course, is that the PKM/Note app space is crowded and getting busier so I'd totally understand if Bookends doesn't have the bandwidth/desire to make that happen.

[Jon]

I've already modified the next update so that the extract function gives the output window the focus.

As for exporting directly to other apps (independently of writing to a file), as you suggest I think that's best left to scripts that manipulate the output Bookends creates. As noted, there are too many, each with different capabilities and features, and no universal exchange exchange mechanism.

Jon
Sonny Software

[joolian]

That was fast! Thanks again.

Apologies for followup, I do think lots of folks who use block/node/outline-based PKMs would appreciate having the deep link for each extracted annotation be able to directly follow the highlight or note rather than being in a separate paragraph, to keep annotation and deeplink together in all the note apps that have block-based editing.

[Jon]

I have no objections if no one has any issues with that for deep links. For technical reasons the link to the reference itself is (which comes after the formatted metadata) is on a separate line. I gather that's not an issue?

Jon
Sonny Software

[joolian]

That works for me! Thanks again ...

[joolian]

Wow! It's live! That was so fast, Jon. Love that the window has focus now and the deep link is in the same "block" as the annotation.

[Per]

This is amazing! The only couple of things I would still wish for regarding the export is:
1. An option to export each note or annotation as a single markdown file to the specified folder. That would save a lot of work for us believing in "one idea = one note" knowledge management systems (e.g. Zettelkasten), as it is easier to curate many atomic notes than several long lists of notes/annotations.
2. An option to include the Bookends citation code (what you get when selecting "copy citation", with the page number, if specified) after the note text or annotation. That would prepare the notes for future use in documents and allow for swift scanning of the finalised documents to get the reference list in order.

Thanks for an amazing software!

Best wishes,
Per

[Jon]

#2 you can do right now -- Bookends shows the formatted reference metadata, which will use the currently active format. Add this text to the format to output a temp citation (you can precede with a return if you want it on a separate line). It looks messy but is rather simple. The $ signs tell Bookends to output the intervening text as entered.s

${$a, d, $#$=$}$

And tell Bookends to output only the first author and use surname only. Of course you could make it more complicated.

As for #1, I'll think about that. But note that this is a pro feature, and if you're a pro you probably can script a solution for this.

Jon
Sonny Software

[Per]

Thanks Jon!

I am afraid I am not a pro when it comes to scripts, although I very much wish I were. I am only a very happy user of Bookends as a central part of my personal knowledge management system. I am regularly reviewing the increasing capabilities of other reference management systems, and Bookends is continuously keeping the others rather far behind in relation to meeting my evolving needs.

It is great that #2 is already available. I apologise for my ignorance, but where should I add the text to generate the scannable citation codes in the exported notes and highlights? Could you please explain?

I am still hoping for #1, as I have no clue how to accomplish a script for separating the exported file into individual notes with the reference and reference link on top of all of them.

Thanks again!

Best wishes,
Per

[Jon]

You would enter it in the format's Field Order. Here's a short video tutorial that explains some of the basics for creating and editing formats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CowJRIualSQ

Jon
Sonny Software

[Jon]

If you have difficulties getting your format to output exactly what you want, please contact tech support for help.

Jon
Sonny Software

[Per]

I realise that I mixed up two different things. I am very happy with the full bibliography reference being listed on top, with a link to it in Bookends. That is very useful. What I would like, if I am allowed to dream, is to have a scannable citation code, with the page number, after each exported note and annotation (before the deep link for the annotations). Just like when I "Copy notecard and citation" in the note steam. That way, the exported notes and annotations can be used directly in any document, ready to be scanned by Bookends to produce the bibliography.

[Jon]

I doubt I'd add it as a separate item. But if it were added, you'd have copy/paste it into the document you want to scan. I'm telling you that you can output the exact same information at the end of the formatted reference, which you can copy/paste. There is no functional difference.

Please contact tech support directly if you still want more information about this.

Jon
Sonny Software