Annotation File Format

I’m wondering if there is a setting somewhere that I can force the default format for the Annotation file? I see that it’s a simple RTF if I don’t choose a template, but I think it’d be nice to have a setting to force it to be a PlainText or Markdown.

The only possibility right now is to use your own template.

@cgrunenberg I noticed that DTTG actually creates Markdown files for the annotations and also makes a proper Markdown link to the document as well. It’d be awesome if this comes to the DT as well! :smile:

You can already create your own custom Annotation file for DEVONthink.

PS: DEVONthink To Go generates a Markdown file as a default since RTF is not a mobile native nor friendly format, while Markdown is.

Is it possible to customize the annotation template for DTTG, e.g. including placeholders?

Also, can you be more specific regarding how to customize the Annotation template for DT? I found the following post regarding the annotation template but not sure how to customize/edit the template file. :sweat_smile:

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I’m also a bit confused - I thought annotation templates could be edited before, but I can’t find that feature anymore in 3.8.2. Is it still possible to create custom annotation templates?

Of course, and they’re in the same place: The dropdown for the Annotations field in the Reminders & Annotations inspector has the New from Template > Open Annotations Folder command. Put your custom templates in the Annotations.noindex folder.

Thanks - is there any reference for which naming scheming (.dtTemplate?) I should follow and which variables I can use?

A .dtTemplate is a different type of template and unrelated to Annotation file templates.

Create a Markdown file in DEVONthink and use Control-click > Insert Placeholder to insert the placeholders. You can use that as your template to export.

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When I annotate in DTTG, it create a Markdown file as default. However, when I annotate in DT, it create a RTF as default. These resulted I have annotation files in two formats.

I know I can use the Markdown annotation template. But, most of time, I do not use/need template. I just want to quick write on the Annotations box on my thoughts.

To use an annotation template, it requires additional 3 clicks for each time you annotate a file.

  1. Screenshot 2022-11-04 at 7.28.43 PM
  2. Screenshot 2022-11-04 at 7.27.59 PM
  3. Screenshot 2022-11-04 at 7.28.06 PM

Is there a setting (hidden setting) somewhere that I can force it to be Markdown when I write in the Annotations box? If not, can this be considered for future release for a consistent file format for both DT and DTTG?

defining a shortcut in macos settings would reduce the clicks. but indeed it would be great iff a standard could be defined in dtp settings so that we could just start typing… ?!

I have a shortcut defined for my custom annotation, which works on the selected document from anywhere as long as the relevant Inspector Panel is visible. (You don’t need to invoke the Annotations menu in the panel for this to work.)

I.e. Simply having the source document selected in the document list (the focus doesn’t have to be in the document text area), I can press cmd-alt-ctl-a and the annotation (my template) is opened with the cursor in it ready to type.

(This won’t work unless the Annotations and Reminders panel is already open—if not Ctl-3 does that, but that’s true of any annotation method, of course.)

Once it’s set up, I can’t see how it could be made any quicker—it’s definitely quicker than having to stop typing to move the mouse over to the annotation panel.

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Indeed…

I recall blogging about this years ago.

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Thanks for sharing. This helps!

Ctl-3 then cmd-alt-ctl-a

Your Menu item ‘Simple Markdown’ is different from mine ‘Annotation’. Is that the new version?
Screenshot 2023-11-16 at 7.31.56 AM

It’s his custom annotation; that final section of the menu lists your custom annotation templates with the titles you’ve given them.

Ha…ok. Got it. Thanks.

I didn’t know what we are able to create our own customised template and have it listed as a menu item. Even though it was discussed in this thread, I somehow overlook it. Probably, I wasn’t looking for a template solution or customised annotation file.

In the first menu, Open annotations folder, is a handy way to get to the annotations folder in Finder. Use any markdown editor you like to create new templates.

If you want to edit a new template in Devonthink, create a template as a regular markdown document in your Devonthink database and use Reveal in Finder.

Open the annotations folder in another Finder window. Copy (don’t move) the markdown document you created into the annotations folder.

The annotations folder is one of those rare places where you can make changes outside of Devonthink without breaking rules.

The “new from clipboard” is handy, although you really want a link in your annotation back to your document, which is done with a placeholder.

I like:

[%recordName%](%recordLink%%digitalObjectIdentifier%)
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