Confusion over two types of annotations

DEVONthink
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After Reading The Fine Manual (and Joe Kissell’s fine book on DT4) I’m still a bit confused over the two types of annotations and the use case(s) for each. One seems to be more of a page markup, which is what I normally think of when I see the word annotation. The other seems to be a textual note that is added as an external text file linked to the document. Confusingly (to me) they both have tabs labeled “Annotations” in an inspector: Info > Annotations and Document > Annotations.

I’m used to using the first type when marking up a page with short notes, comments and highlights as I read it. Not really sure what a good use case for the external note type would be.

And is the second type (with external file) preserved when the file is copied elsewhere in the file system, or is the linked annotation just accessible within DEVONthink?

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  • Annotations are highlights, underlines, etc. on documents, e.g., PDF documents and typically referred to in lower case.

  • Annotation files, as upper case, i.e., Annotation files – and yes, we make this distinction – are separate documents backlinked to a document where notes are taken. Where they’re stored depends on your settings and if the referring document is indexed or not. However, it’s a separate file and accessible to open and edit in other applications.
    And as far as use cases go, the limit is your need and your creativity. Many people use Annotation files for all manner of note-taking about a specific document.

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Thank you! That helps

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And Info > Annotations isn’t limited to a certain document type.

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You are right on the confusing UI markup/labeling, here.
Always gets + confuses me too… :zany_face:

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One thing I missed (for years!) about Annotation files is how to really use them as documents. That little window in the Annotations tab in the Inspector’s “i” panel is not much real estate to edit in.

The Annotations drop-down menu, the same one that lets you add a new Annotation file, has an “open” command.

That gets you a full edit window complete with its own Inspectors sidebar. All the features work, including the ability to add annotations to your annotations, de rigeuer for the truly Escher-esque researcher.

Less silly than annotated annotations, you can use everything in an annotation’s Inspector, so See Also, the node graph, and all those things work perfectly.

You can only have one Annotation file per document but there’s no reason not to use that one Annotation as a map of contents, linking to as many things as you want.

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Also, the Edit > Open in two windows script from the Support Assistant will open a document and its Annotation file in side-by-side windows, if one is detected.

@amoore:
An addendum as I was starting a pot of coffee this morning. Finder Comments can be used for taking notes. However, they have a limited size (though DEVONthink internally can hold much more text), no formatting, etc. An Annotation file bypasses any Finder limitation and also gives you a place to write more extensive and rich notes. But note, I am not saying you have to have more to say to use an Annotation file. It could be as simple as an emoji :face_with_monocle: or endless paragraphs of thoughts and images…

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Open in two windows works perfectly - many thanks!

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You’re welcome. It’s one of my handier scripts, I think and detecting/opening an Annotation file was an extra touch I was proud of. :slight_smile:

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Annotation Files are definitely one of the killer features in DEVONthink.

When I first started using DT, I would manually create a new note and paste excerpts from PDFs or other documents into it. Over time, I realized how hard it was to keep a clear reference back to the original source.

It took me a while to actually start using Annotation Files, but once I did—especially with backlinks—the value really clicked. It’s a powerful way to extract knowledge and make your own notes while keeping a track to the source.

And yes, as others have already mentioned: you don’t have to rely on the small inspector panel. Annotation Files can be opened and edited like regular documents, which makes working with them much more comfortable.

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Agreed- remember that the '“source link” does not have to be an item link. It can be a page link or a selection link.

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Exactly. And to make it even faster, you can use this script that someone kindly posted here. I don’t remember who it was, but thank you again to that person :slightly_smiling_face:

-- Open annotation file of selected item
--- without having to open the Annotations & Reminders inspector

tell application id "DNtp"
	set theRecord to (selected record 1)
	try
		set theAnnotation to annotation of theRecord
		open tab for record theAnnotation
	on error error_message number error_number
		if the error_number is -2753 then
			display alert "Item has no annotation"
		else if the error_number is not -128 then
			display alert "DEVONthink" message error_message as warning
		end if
	end try
end tell
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Exactly!

It is quite a good and pargonal example of where the power of DT contradicts its UI/UX, IMO.
That is because the different functional domains are never really explicated to the full.

So, the sad thing about is: it is great! Then, the way things work most people who would benefit from it will probably either never find out, nor come around habituating it. That is everyone that is not approaching DT with a technical/tinkerer/nerd mindset.

IMO it only starts w/ the ambivalence of the terms, i.e. “annotation” being used in different contexts and (technical) meanings in the same UI.
So, finding a distinctive and evocative term (like “aside”, “note attachment” or anything…) would already really improve and “unclutter” things dramatically for the ordinary user.

Another example where things just are way to byzanthine in terms of UI/UX is the very fact you mention, and one which I would read as an index of some deeper confusion/obstrusiveness w/ regards to UI/UX:
it takes a lot of time and effort to process the very fact that something that starts as a box in the rather technical/finegrain realms of somewhere in the right sidebar then becomes a full grown document-of-sorts within the DT-document-ecosystem, attaining all those powers that autonomous documents have in DT.

It is just not very intuitive and transparent.
And I am not only talking about discovering it.
But as everyone with non-technical mindset – and within UX – knows, this is also true for dedicated users which just constantly have to work ‘against the system (UI)’, and/or who have to remember that there is a script sitting somewhere, or there is just another shortcut to that which I have to remember.

The UI would already do much better in this regard, if it would allow creating that annotation document directly from a context/right click, directly linked to pointing to (clicking) any particular document.
After all, it jsut doesn´t make sense from the logics of real-world use that right-clicking a document you can a) OCR it, b) set a reminder (after all DT is not a task manager), and c) stamp it … but not annotate it directly.

I see that very often even in venerable apps. They are adding modules and features – but rarely they think in UX and workflows. It´s a shame because most users are just that: users, not engineers-by-mindset.

So, “annotations(2)” rock! In theory. As they are not really put on stage in proper dress and with proper accompaniment tunes… :woman_dancing: :man_dancing:

PS: yeah that script really is one of those ‘easy ones straight from heaven’. But then, it steps in for something that shouldn´t sit in the scribes cellar/department, but really be on center stage… :slightly_smiling_face:

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I’m pretty sure I wrote that, glad it’s useful :slight_smile:
(But it was some time ago… I’m not sure about that error handling, doesn’t feel like the most elegant way to go about it.)

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Ah, so that’s your script. :+1:

Elegant or not, it works perfectly and even provides a hint if a file has no annotation. What more could you want?

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This has been eye-opening. Thank you all

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Thanks for your perspective and putting it in a very coherent way!

if I may to try to summarize it: let’s make annotation files feature more easily accessible & discoverable. Right click or maybe a button sounds as a good option to me :sparkles:

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Somewhat related question that I cannot find in the Help.

How do I use the “Insert Still Image” feature? Why is it grayed out?

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This requires a video, other document types aren’t supported.

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Yeah, good summary! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
– I would add: if this should be reworked and improved some time, also make the (find-)relation between document → aside note (annotation file) symmetrical to the other way round (aside note → document). As currently to find references in the right sidebar, one has to visit the ‘Annotations’ within the ‘Info’-panel – while the other way round is different route (“Document” > “Links” > “Incoming links”).

There is to some rescue the visual index via graph – but that is not really dedicated to this specific two-way relationship, which should be marked and highlighted more easily overall. Especially given the consensus of this thread, that this kind of annotation file is really a power horse feature of DT, theoretically/potentially.

Let´s hope. :slightly_smiling_face:

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