Remove attachments from batch

[happycatmachine]

I'd like to remove all attachments from a batch of items in Bookends. I use Bookends for its renaming and citation functionalities, my documents are stored in DevonThink. My workflow looks like this:

1. Drag an article to Bookends and it will fill the data out and rename the PDF.
2. Export the PDF (without annotations) to a folder.
3. That PDF will get added to DevonThink automatically and then be deleted from the folder

I do this as I'm gathering papers so I end up with a list of items in Bookends and I am currently forced (unless there is a way) to delete attachments one item at a time. I've got 3 semesters worth of papers in bookends now and deleting all of them one at a time is a real chore.

Thanks much.

[Jon]

If the Bookends can't find the PDF (which I think is the case here), the attachment is "orphaned". You can remove orphaned attachments in batch using Global Change -> Remove Orphaned Attachments.

Jon
Sonny Software

[DrJJWMac]

@happycatmachine ...

With your comments, I might suggest that you change your processing steps. First question though ... Are you indexing or importing to DevonThink? I presume you are importing. If so, I recommend that you live with two copies of the PDF, one (raw source) in Bookends and one (annotated and processed and man-handled) in DevonThink. This is because ... data storage is cheap, and the recovery of lost data can be ominously tedious. You should also explore how to obtain a URL reference to the PDF stored in DevonThink so that you can paste that URL reference in a USER field in Bookends (and vice versa). Then, while in BE, you can see the raw PDF, go to the URL, and see the annotated, processed PDF (and vice versa). The best of both worlds.

If you are indexing in DT, the processing is different and, IMO, easier *but brings its own caveats*.

[Jon]

Bookends doesn't index anything. I don't know what you mean by "importing to DevonThink" means -- exporting? Whatever, DT had scripts that query Bookends for reference information, which Bookends provides. These scripts are written by DT and initiated by the app.

You don't need a URL reference to PDFs in the DT PDF folder. You can set the Bookends default attachment folder to the DT PDF folder. Then the workflow you described would be this.

1. Drag an article to Bookends and it will fill the data out, rename the PDF, and move it to the DT PDF folder.
2. There is no step 2.

There are many threads on the DT forums, and some on ours, about how people use these two apps together. You may find them helpful.

Jon
Sonny Software

[happycatmachine]

Thanks all for your thoughts. I'm sorry I'm not super active on the forums to reply so quickly to responses here and my head isn't always in "the process" but rather the things I'm working on. Even understanding some of these posts has required multiple readings on my part .

At any rate, I'm very much appreciative for what Bookends has done for the stuff I'm doing. I don't index in DT and the way that DT organises its imported files is not conducive to using its (many) locations to treat as Bookends' attachments folder.

Yes storage is cheap these days but honestly, I'd rather not invest in iCloud storage (I'm no where near close to capping it by the way). It was just the fact that the PDF exists in two places. It's not a big deal at all really, just one that has gone on for a couple of years of research and I'm only looking for ways to keep things just a bit cleaner.

I used to code so I could write a script, but I'd rather not actually. TBH, I want to put as little time into the tools as I can because they are rabbit holes all their own. What I have works and I'll live with it. Very much obliged for the help.

[Jon]

Understood. I'll just point out one more thing that you might not be aware of (or if you are, others reading this might not be). You can have PDFs in many different folders, not just the default folder, and Bookends will find them. These are called "ad hoc" attachment folders, and you can see and manage them in Settings. If you attach just one PDF from a folder and *don't* have Bookends move it, Bookends will remember that folder and in the future search it for PDFs it doesn't find in the default folder. This may find this useful (or not) at some point.

Jon
Sonny Software

[DrJJWMac]

Yes storage is cheap these days but honestly, I'd rather not invest in iCloud storage (I'm no where near close to capping it by the way). It was just the fact that the PDF exists in two places. It's not a big deal at all really, just one that has gone on for a couple of years of research and I'm only looking for ways to keep things just a bit cleaner.

FWIW, I was talking about hardware storage as cheap, not cloud storage. While I too at times might prefer to have only one copy of a PDF in both Bookends and Devonthink, I can also recognize that importing into the latter all but eliminates the ability to keep only one copy of the PDF active in both places *without careful back and forth trips in sync actions*. In short, based on what I understand about your workflow, I again suggest that you keep your clean (unannotated) copies in BE and keep the annotated copies in DT. Not only is data storage cheap, but having a raw (pristine, unvarnished, unannotated) copy squirreled away in BE may save your sanity some day (e.g. should your DT database ever crash).

Following also on Jon's notes about ad hoc locations, you might consider purchasing a (small) external drive where you can store your pristine PDF library attachment folders rather than deleting the attachments entirely. Simply connect the external drive when you need to work in BE. In my case, I have my internal SSD segmented to include a Database volume where I store my BE libraries and attachments as well as my DT databases.