Exporting User Notes/User Tools other than PDF

[sobertruth]

Is there a way to export user notes, ideally the entire file, to .txt. or some other format rather than .pdf?

 

If not the entire file, then is there a way to export selections in .txt or some other format?

 

I have searched the forums and help files and could not find an answer to my question.

 

I tried selecting a portion of my user note file and then tried "saving to text" but it was grayed out.

 

Edit: it does seem to work in user tools, but not user notes.

Edited January 28, 2019 by sobertruth

[Helen Brown]

I think that the complexity of the User Notes precludes an export option. You can of course simply copy and paste the notes that are currently visible in the tab.

[spencer.]

It's possible, but it's a lot of work. Ironically, it's easier to access the plaintext of a copyrighted Accordance module than it is your own notes. Weird right?

 

Accordance is the custodian of your notes data. As a user, I very much dislike this and typically avoid any apps that don't allow export. Apps that do this appear as if they want to keep you in their ecosystem and are not very user-oriented.

 

The process is as follows, but I bet the devs could explain an easier way.

1. Copy and paste the notes to a .rtf file. You may have to do this in batches as Accordance has limits on copy-paste export.
2. Use a text editor or Pandoc to convert to Markdown. You could also make it a Word .docx but not recommended.
3. Format the notes how you would like: such as turn each verse reference into a Markdown header (# Matt 1:1)
4. Use Regex to insert a break between the different notes such as ----
5. Write a script to separate the notes into different txt files using ---- as the break point. Use the verse reference as the title.

The result, when done correctly, was thousands of note files with each one for a different verse. This mimics the workflow of Accordance's one verse noting, but now you own the notes!

 

I then imported all the notes into a text editor like NvAlt, FSNotes, or Ulysses which allows note searching. It's not as convenient, but I'm less worried about the longevity of Accordance and it holding years of notes captive

[smf360]

 

 

Five years later and despite assurances that the ability to export user notes is on the todo list, no movement. 

Of course there is a great deal of code necessary to ensure that one can't export notes, it is trivial to allow users to print a file, which is what the User Notes should be. 

 

It is frustrating to be bound by software that you paid hundreds of dollars. I advise others away from Accordance for this reason. I'm frustrated that they lie and tell us that they plan to do it. 

[Kristin]

1 hour ago, smf360 said:

Five years later and despite assurances that the ability to export user notes is on the todo list, no movement. 

 

Supposedly this is going to change soon, and we will be able to export notes. Granted, 5 years late, and we still haven't seen proof, but supposedly this is coming soon.

 

1 hour ago, smf360 said:

It is frustrating to be bound by software that you paid hundreds of dollars. I advise others away from Accordance for this reason. I'm frustrated that they lie and tell us that they plan to do it. 

 

I truly like Accordance and use it every day and plan to continue to do so. However, I unfortunately can't recommend it either because of the corruption issues and lack of an ability to export one's own work. As mentioned above though, this is supposedly going to change, and I would love to be able to recommend it like I did before the corruption started with v.13.

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

It is still on our list to look into, but it is no trivial update, so it will involve some effort.

 

We have had some useful feedback from other Accordance users on some technical suggestions we can look into. The end goal I'd love to see is the ability to easily import anything into Accordance and easily export anything from Accordance.

[Accordance Enthusiast]

I would love such a feature for user notes and all user tools!

 

Great project.

[Shane R.]

I’m actually shocked that this is an issue. Glad this was brought up, I will be sure to duplicate any notes I do make so I don’t end up in this situation. Since it has been so long, I certainly won’t hold my breath. There are more pressing matters that have been promised and marketed that we are waiting to see.

[Accordance Enthusiast]

On 12/14/2019 at 1:31 AM, spencer. said:

Copy and paste the notes to a .rtf file. You may have to do this in batches as Accordance has limits on copy-paste export.

 

@Dr. Nathan Parker, this is an important point. Why should Accordance limit the copy and paste and export feature for user-created tools, texts and notes? It a tool/text is in the Public Domain, and especially if it belongs to the user, Accordance should allow to copy and paste or export everything at once.

[Kristin]

14 minutes ago, Accordance Enthusiast said:

Why should Accordance limit the copy and paste and export feature for user-created tools, texts and notes?

 

Hi @Accordance Enthusiast,

I think the real question is why there isn't a simple export button which allows us to then choose if we want a PDF or Numbers (or Excel for Windows), and hopefully more options as well. Simply copying and pasting isn't really a pure export feature, but more as an act of desperation.

 

That all said, a few years ago when I had been on the phone with support, I had been told that the 500 word limit was a limit of Mac, not Accordance. Obviously if Accordance had a true export feature there would be no limit (assuming it is done correctly). However, how it currently is, is simply relying on Mac's "copy to clipboard" feature, which apparently has a 500 word limit.

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

@Accordance Enthusiast I think it's because it shares the same system as copy/pasting from our professionally-developed modules at the moment, but I'd have to check.

 

The ideal solution would be a smoother export process for sure.

[smf360]

I don't need an actual export. It would be sufficient, actually easier, if accordance would decrypt and write the User Note file. Then I could just open and use that file. In other words, give me back the information that I naively placed into the tool over the past 20years. 

 

It is my content, I was never told that my content would be taken and held hostage. Simply decrypt and write-out the note file in RTF. 

[Kristin]

13 minutes ago, smf360 said:

It is my content, I was never told that my content would be taken and held hostage.

 

I do need an export function, but I agree with this comment 100%.

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

We don't intend to "take your data hostage", but the current notes format is a proprietary format to Accordance. Part of the export option exploring has been exploring ways to pivot to more standards-based formats under-the-hood, although it takes some solid planning to do so.