Import Smart Rules?

I just bought a new MB Air and would like to get my smart rules from the old one onto the new one. There was a way to export them, but I’m not seeing a way to import them.

I’m syncing databases through iCloud. Am I missing something there?

Quite generally, you might want to see this thread.

More specifically, the smart rules are here: /Users/yourusername/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink 3/SmartRules.plist; if you copy that file from the old to the new Mac, the smart rules will be available in your new installation of DT.

Smart rules are not synced; there is a certain logic to this (think teams syncing databases, but each team member has a different assignment and thus different requirements with regard to smart rules & groups), although I do wish syncing this additional data was optional.

Thanks. I understand not syncing then with the DB. Makes perfect sense. I guess I don’t understand having a way to export, but no way to import. Maybe it’s in a future release.

I’ll grab the file and move it on over. Thanks much.

I’d never noticed there was an export option; if you option-click any smart rule you will find an import option directly above the export option.

This was the right answer. Thanks Blanc.

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If you export smart rules, you can unzip them and double-click them to install them in DEVONthink.

Given that DT is not really marketed as a multi-user product, I don’t find that argument very convincing. Just imagine two people modifying the same record simultaneously – there are no transactions, no isolation levels, no rollback. So they would end up with a very much unpredictable state of said record.

But synching smart groups out of all things poses a problem for teams working on these databases?

Allow me to point you here.

I think it was actually one of the arguments Criss presented, but I can’t find the post off hand and may therefore be mistaken. I also seem to remember it was something on the long list of things to do. Anyway, Jim’s head has just appeared on my screen - hold my coffee :smirk:

We have many people using DEVONthink in a multi-user situation.

Also, in the scenario you propose, if the people are syncing the same database, this would be handled by the conflict setting in the sync preferences.
Also also, in any kind of collaborative situation, things should be administered and delegated to avoid such collisions.

@chrillek And here is Criss’ response. But you’ve read that previously it turns out :wink:

I also read your last part in the Excel thread that became a bit weird (the thread).

I may be overlooking something here, but I have the impression that DT relies on what I’d call “good will” in a multi-user setup: everyone can modify the conflict resolution on their device, there’s no concept of user rights, user files and no administrator…
I’m not implying that DT can’t be used in a multi-user environment. Just that it is not providing the usual checks and balances for this scenario. In any case, if smart groups will eventually be synchronized, that’ll be a Good Thing. Having smart files synchronized would be even better :wink: