export option for user notes is critically needed

[Kristin]

Look, I understand that Accordance wants people to stay in the program, but given the high level of note corruption, it is just simply not practical for there not to be a simple "export" option for user created notes.

 

I have a job and a lot of responsibilities, and I don't have the time to note-by-note copy and paste my Accordance notes to Numbers (or really anything at this point). So I keep attempting to do it, but I don't get around to it until something provokes me, like the recent "Done" thread which reminded me of the seriousness of it.

 

So then I think, "Ok, it will be a pain, but this just needs to get done, if I am committed, I can chip away at it and dedicate the month and push my real work to the back burner."

Then I open up a random note file, I have about 20 or 25 of these "Accordance Notes", and to my horror there are 5000 of these little notes that I need to copy BY HAND since there is no export function.

So let's see, copy one note, paste, format, back to Accordance "only 5502 notes left of this note file." Copy next note, paste, format, back to Accordance "only 5501 notes left of this note file." This would literally take years to do.

Given that getting rid of the note and highlight corruption has literally taken years to resolve, and is still an issue, could the ability to export notes be bumped as a top priority?

This is really depressing.

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

Thanks for the feedback! Exporting of user data is at the top of the "feature requests" list I'm tracking. I don't have a specific ETA on what Accordance version we'll get exporting of user data into Accordance (since I don't know how technically involved it is), but after we get enhanced syncing done for 14.1 (since we've already promised that), this'll be something I'll chat with our programmers on as our most-requested feature.

 

Ideally, I'd like to see all Accordance user data have a smooth import/export process to make it easy to get your data in and out of Accordance. If user notes is the main file format that customers are wanting to see an export option, that's the file format I can put at the top of the feature request list.

[Teddy24]

I suggest tana note taking app. You can open it in Accordance browser and take your notes. This way you can take notes in accordance but still keep it safe from corruption. This  is the best approach I have come up with so far. 

[Kristin]

Hi @Teddy24,

Thank you for the idea. I will take a look at that. If I have learned anything, it has been making sure any new notes I create are made elsewhere.

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

In the meantime, Kristin, printing to pdf would give you a backup of existing notes that would be significantly quicker than individually copying and pasting.  I just tested that process, and the text in the generated pdf is recognized as copy and pastable....although copying and pasting sections from the generated pdf that includes Hebrew results in garbled and mis-placed Hebrew.  (Copying and pasting those elements directly from my note in Accordance works fine)

 

[Kristin]

Hi @Lorinda H. M. Hoover,

Thank you for the idea. I have attempted to do that before, but it has not worked for a few reasons. First, even though the font is normal (it looks like 12 pt in Accordance) the PDF print preview is at 74 pt font. I have attempted to print a PDF on numerous occasions, not clear how to resolve the font size. I really with there was a "print at x percent" how there is if you are literally printing it. The other problem is that it will only print 100 pages, which goes to Gen 5, even though this specific note file is throughout the whole OT.
 

I appreciate the idea though.

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

@Kristin The font size you see in User Notes should be appearing in the PDF. I might recommend emailing Support on that one so we can see what's going on.

[Kristin]

Hi @Nathan Parker,

I had actually done that a couple years ago (when I first tried to export my work), and the issue had to do with the super odd font sizes Accordance uses (for example, the size of the font creating a Tool, vs how the Tool views). I will try to email them again when I have a moment, but I already know there are word limits which make it impossible. The only way to copy all of it is in sections, and you can only copy 500 words at a time, which means that copying sections to print would almost be as time consuming as exporting the notes by hand. So I am currently doing that since they will be searchable and sortable.

Thank you for the idea though.

[Daniel L]

I'd like to be able to export user tools, too.

As a rule, any user-created content should be exportable to a number of popular or versatile formats, which should include RTF (rich-text format), in my opinion.

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

4 hours ago, Kristin said:

Hi @Lorinda H. M. Hoover,

Thank you for the idea. I have attempted to do that before, but it has not worked for a few reasons. First, even though the font is normal (it looks like 12 pt in Accordance) the PDF print preview is at 74 pt font. I have attempted to print a PDF on numerous occasions, not clear how to resolve the font size. I really with there was a "print at x percent" how there is if you are literally printing it. The other problem is that it will only print 100 pages, which goes to Gen 5, even though this specific note file is throughout the whole OT.
 

I appreciate the idea though.

Interesting.  I don't have the font size problem.  In terms of the page limit, it seems to work for me to do the following:

-open the notes in their own search tab

-set the search range to a chunk that works out to less than 100 pages

-print that chunk

-search for the next appropriately sized chunk.

 

In preview it's pretty simple to combine separate pdfs into one. 

 

Again, not a perfect solution, but--if the font size issue can be dealt with--perhaps a stopgap?

[Kristin]

Hi @Lorinda H. M. Hoover,

Thank you for the idea. I think the fundamental issue is the font style Accordance uses of "normal" as opposed to "12pt" or something. When I have a moment I might try calling support as I had done a few years ago about it, but since this isn't the first time I have needed to address the font size, I think right now I just need to prioritize exporting the notes so that they are searchable and sortable. (I should probably also mention that in a webinar I had raised the font issue, and it had been noted as a feature request, so I don't think it is a simple setting I am missing). I am just feeling kind of burned out about this at the moment.

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

1 hour ago, Daniel L said:

As a rule, any user-created content should be exportable to a number of popular or versatile formats, which should include RTF (rich-text format), in my opinion.

 

This is ideally where I'd like to see export go in the future.

[smf360]

I see that it has been a year since this issue was raised. 

 

I have a huge number of unsearchable notes, There are a growing number of corruptions in my note file, which is making it increasingly more difficult to stay within accordance. I've accumulated over 20years of notes in accordance, so it is costly for me to switch to another application. 

 

Is there any momentum in doing this? Or at least sending a key to the encoding so an open source solution can be found? 

I feel like my notes are hostage to Accordance. 

[Kristin]

@smf360,

I agree with everything you wrote and it is extremely frustrating. If I spent three hours a day exporting my notes by hand I still don't think I would be done in a year, and frankly, I don't have three spare hours a day. Yet I feel time pressure to get them out since the longer they are there the more likely they are to be corrupted and lost forever.

 

I NEVER would have created USER notes if there was no way for the USER to access their own notes. I still need notes for class, but with new notes I create them somewhere else then just have a copy in Accordance, but I will never again create material in Accordance.

 

On a practical note, I recommend just spending the time to chip away at exporting it by hand like I have been doing. It is time consuming and mentally exhausting, but users have been asking Accordance for the ability to export notes for literally years, so at this point I wouldn't hold my breath. 

 

Also, with the history Accordance has with corruption (notes, highlights, the rush of v.14...) I am also concerned that if exporting becomes possible, the act of exporting would eat my notes. So if this hypothetically ever does become an option, be sure to do time machine before you do it. 

[mbcvida]

Hello Dr. Parker

 

I notice you refer to a number of different lists you are keeping. Is it possible to see the top five in the 'feature requests' list? In other words, is it possible to see which feature requests have been most often requested?

 

Edited May 7 by mbcvida
tag

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

Right now I keep a running list of all the feature requests that come in, but looking over it and cross-checking it with the forums, here are some of the main feature requests (besides syncing and cloud):

 

• User Notes Export/Improvements
• Highlight Improvements
• Sermon/Message Builder (that can export to PowerPoint)
• New Android App
• Dark Mode Refinements on Windows

[mbcvida]

thank you

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

Anytime!