DT Pro Internal rtf files

DEVONthink Tips
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I am finding DT Pro so convenient that I create a lot of notes and documents internal to program now, where I used to use other apps and import them for organization and searching features. I am a little concerned about not having “backup” of the documents independent of a particular vendor/application and wondered if there are any recommended procedures regarding this. I know I can export the folders … is this a good idea? Are others concerned about this?

Thanks! It’s a GREAT program!
Gloria :smiley:

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Hi, Gloria:

We do recommend backup, both the internal backup Folders inside the database package file, and external backups.

There are two convenient scripts in DT Pro’s Scripts > Export. (DT Pro’s Scripts menu is the stylized “S” just left of the “Help” menu item.)

The “Daily Backup” script will export a dated backup folder containing exports of your database to the Backup folder in your User directory. Your rtf files are directly available there to any application that can read them. This export is equivalent to selecting everything at the top level of your database and selecting File > Export > Files & Folders. The folder organization in the export corresponds to the group organization in your database.

I like the “Backup Archive” script. It will automatically run Verify & Repair and Backup & Optimize, then create the smallest possible archive of your database. This archive is saved to a location of your choice and the date is appended to the file name.

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[i]
… We do recommend backup, both the internal backup Folders inside the database package file, and external backups.

There are two convenient scripts in DT Pro’s Scripts > Export. (DT Pro’s Scripts menu is the stylized “S” just left of the “Help” menu item…[/i]

Thanks a lot Bill. Those sound like very useful scripts and I will try them out. If I may ask another question about scripts … I used the import mailboxes to get a good backup/searchable set for a project I am working on. Now I would like to add to those with the current group of follow-on messages using a script rather than manual copy & paste. I don’t use scripts much and tend to get confused on exactly how they work and what they do. I tried once to add some mail, but got a whold mess of duplicates and not where I expected them to go. I have about 5 mailboxes I would like to add to, but saw no prompt for destination, so not sure how to go about it, perhaps I’m using the wrong one. I do see the flags set in Mail when the whole mailbox is copied, so it seems to know which ones it already has. I’d appreciate any guidance on this as well.

Thanks again for the help!
Gloria

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Looks like a small, dark, inverted version of the image for Dictionary’s definition of scroll on 10.4 (click link twice to view it).

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SJK, Thanks for the attempt to help, I’m sorry if I was not clear on my request. I have used the included Script to import Mail boxes. What I am not understanding is how to keep the new mail of interest current inside DTPro. I can copy each one and past to a new document, but I was hoping to use a script to transfer selected mail into the right “box” in DTPro.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Gloria

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If I understand what you want to do, all you do is select the messages (don’t have to open them) in Mail that you want to transfer. Then in the system script menu, where you went to copy/import the mailboxs you have two choices. One is to choose the “Add Message(s) to DEVONThink” script, which is right below the Add Mailbox(es) script. The other option is to choose the DEVENThink Pro script folder in that system script menu and choose “Copy Selection To …” Then a box will appear with representations of your folders in DTPro and you can pick which folder you want the messages to go into.

Hope this helps.

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Thanks Martin,
That was what I was missing. I appreciate the help. Is there a way to change from the raw MIME text to something more like what I see in mail with a clean header and body of text?
Thanks again!
Gloria

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Glad to help, Gloria. Not sure what you mean by clean header and body of text rather than MIME. When I do this, the doc that shows up in DTP looks just like what was in my mail, including header and no strange marks.

Best,

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Gloria,

due to limitations of Mail’s AppleScript support, importing HTML mails or mails with attachments can only store the raw MIME source.

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Thanks a lot guys! I think that answers the questions I have for now. I really appreciate the help.
Gloria

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Hey…I don’t have that script - import mailboxes. The only scripts I’ve got that have anything to do with Mail is Reply To…

I would REALLY like the scripts you’re talking about. (And…sorry if you feel that this is sort of off topic. I’m still learning DTPro.)

Thanks a lot!

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Others know a lot more than I do … but for what it is worth, here is how I imported the scripts needed, compliments of tech support. I think this was just after I went from DT to DTPro back in September, so if they weren’t loaded automatically for you during install, it should still be valid. Hope it helps! The Tutorial is really helpful and Help is also quite good. The dialog that follows was because some of the documentation nomenclature varied a little from the actual file names that ended up being included.
Good luck!
Gloria

[color=red][To Tech Support]
I am working my way through the tutorial and wanted to set up a database for my mail. Reading on how to import mail, the instructions say:
To import selected e-mail messages from Apple Mail, do the following:
(1) Open the folder »Mails« in the folder »Scripts (Additional)« on the DEVONthink Professional disk image.
(2) Copy the script »Import Selected Mail« to the folder »~/Library/Scripts/Mail Scripts«…

But, when I open the referenced folders to find the script, I only see the following choices for Mail:

  1. Add mailbox(es) to DEVONthink.scpt
  2. Add messge(s) to DEVONthink.scpt
  3. Mail Rule Action Import

Am I missing something or do I need them all? I will be doing either whole mailboxes or only messages as selected, depending on the subject matter.

[color=blue]From: support@devon-technologies.com
Gloria:

Script 1 will let you add whole mailboxes to DT Pro.
Script 2 will let you add one or more selected messages to DT Pro.
Script 3 would let you automate imports by rule – you may not want to try it yet, but may want to play with it in the future.

So go ahead and copy all three scripts.

Tip: These will only import plain text (maybe rich text), without attachments and images. If you want to import the message with those added features, it can be done (one at a time).

[1] In DT Pro, select Preferences > General. Under “Interface” make certain that the check box for Hide Groups When Inactive is NOT checked.

[2] Select Tools > Show Groups. Move the Groups panel to the right side of your screen. Then click on its Minimize (yellow) button to send it down to the Dock. It will now be a floating panel that will be available not only in DT Pro, but in other applications, as well.

[3] Switch to Mail. Click on the Groups panel in the Dock to make it visible.

[4] Select a Mail message that you would like to import into DT Pro. Double-click on it to open it in its own window.

[5] Click in the message window, and press Command-A to select all. Now drag the selection onto the Groups panel, to the group or subgroup into which you wish to place the message. Release the mouse button when you have reached the desired location.

Return to DT Pro. You will find the fully formatted message in the group location into which you placed it.

Regards,
Bill DeVille
support@devon-technologies.com

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Thanks Gloria!

The Groups window thing seems very useful. I am still a bit confused as to why the scripts You and Bill are talking about aren’t available to me. You know - the Add Mailboxes and Add messages. I’ll certainly scan the tutorial and Help bits. And maybe end up hassling the support team with it.

Thanks again!

Oscar

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Found the answers through the Help. Done. No hassling the support team.

Phew.

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