I’ve chosen to use a DT3 database to serve as my personal navigation and documentation guide to an OSx folder. I’ve chose to use the Index function to collect the structure and files from the Mac Folder Directory so that I could use the DT3 capabilities, primarily through DT3 RTF’s, to comment on the files and provide the linkage between and among the files in my indexed OSx folders.
I’ve had a lot of trouble with the DT3 index function. Mostly my errors most likely. But all I’m looking for is an interface between the MacOS file structure and my commentary about the files within the Mac OS file structure.
Am I expecting too much from DT3? I’m expecting it to keep track of the content and relationships within a Mac OS folder. I thought an Index of that folder would suffice. But after months of utilization, I’m finding I can’t rely on DT3 to keep track of the Mac folder changes. It looks like I have to maintain the data relationships and check them against the DT3 interface. And I’ld admit DT3 is awesome, but I haven’t been able to trust it to keep track of my Mac indexed folder relationships.
DEVONthink is not a Finder replacement. Bear that in mind. If all 1.5TB is needed for your project, that’s fine. If you’re injudiciously dumping in 1.5TB because it’s all on the same drive, that’s not recommended.
On the face of it, there is no inherent issue if one understands the intimate connection between DEVONthink and the Finder and how actions in either app affects the other.
There is not enough detail about your setup to accurately assess this. This would include the format and health of the external drive you’re using (and Disk Utility would give a decent report on this).
Also, DEVONthink 3 is in maintenance mode. DEVONthink 4 is the actively developed application and is strongly recommended.
Thanks Jim. By the way, I’m not using an external drive for anything but TimeMachine backup and archiving my Mac Files. Maybe I’m trying to use DT3 for unintended purposes. I use it all the time for my routine information management and it’s great. I will check out the DT4 upgrade.
As @BLUEFROG said, there is not a lot of detail here re: what exactly you are doing, and there are also a ton of “warnings” about indexing throughout the forum, but I can tell you this much: I started using DT way back when, I think it was version 1, and I indexed my major databases for many, many years before switching to importing–I believe I did that just in the last three or four years–and I never ran into any of the headaches people have described. Are you making sure to Update Indexed Items as you go?
Thanks for your support and advice. Going back in time, I started out with Evernote and switched to Devon Think years ago. But I’ve only been working with indexing a particular Mac Folder for a couple of years. I think II may be using DT for purposes beyond its focus. I’m trying to create an information structure that does not require DT as the interface to the information. And that’s part of my motive for using indexes. I can index a Mac folder, use DT3 to create RTF documents for links, explanations and interrelationships, and I end up with a Mac Folder that can be shared with anyone who has Mac. And that folder contains the information content in a sharable format. Within that indexed Mac folder reside the information files as well as the RTF’s with the crucial linkage. And I can add to or change any of the information in the Mac folder. DT is an excellent interface for maintaining those relationships. BUT there are strict criteria for changes in the Indexed Folders. I’ve violated some of those rules and ended up needing support to deal with them. I think your decision to stay with importing rather than Indexing is a good one because it’s just you. How do you plan on sharing your information and data with your legacy?
Yes I do, Jim. They include most of the legacy files on my Mac. The music, video, photo, spreadsheets and documents I’ve acquired and created over the years, some since the DOS and Lotus days . But the files by themselves are of little value to my legacy without context, explanations and interrelationships. Without that information, those files are rather like un-captioned photos in a shoe box. And that’s where I’ve been trying to utilize DT. DT is the most efficient application I’ve discovered that allows me to collect and group the files; and then, via RTS’s explain the documents, their application and interrelationships. At that point, I can share the content and my legacy can use the RTF’s for explanations and navigation. Creating a web site might be better, but I don’t have the HTML expertise or server.
Sounds like quite the project. But if I’m understanding you and you’re creating these relationships via linking, those links would be internal DT links and therefore useless if your legacy do not have the app as well!
As for me, I’m ashamed to say (especially in my line of work), I don’t have that plan in place yet! However, I am young enough that I tell myself I can do it later. Which I know I should not. But I have no intention of trying to preserve that amount of data for anyone. Just the essentials so the wife can get at the money Best of luck!
Probably, especially the linking. “Feels” better to me than using DEVONthink for what you are explaining and wish to do, especially with the huge amount of data you say you have. Huge. Simplistically: DEVONthink a tool for personal information storage, analysis, … (long list), and web sites for communication to others.
HTML is not that complicated and being an “expert” is not needed. And there are apps available which provide an interface to deal with your web site. I’m no longer in that world, so I can’t give any recommendations.
You can run a web server on your Mac. Lots of articles on the “inter-web” thingy explaining how to do. Search “web server on mac”.
Surely you can source some local expertise in Ohio? Lots more expertise out there for HTML and web servers than for DEVONthink. If you do that, don’t go for fancy. Web developers tend to want to do fancy. Just a text-based HTML with a little CSS (cascading style sheets) will work wonders, I think. I say that as I’ve done it. And, I resisted pressure from some of my users to turn our web site into an audio-visual masterpiece which would have cost $$$$.
Thank you. It is quite a project. And your point about the links is valid. I did some checking and even though the RTF links worked fine, I didn’t realize that the links were to DT Items, which then opened the target files. I found that out by shutting DT down. Then using OS Finder, navigating to and opening one of the RTFs. I clicked on one of the links in the RTF. It opened the target file just fine, but not until it first opened DT. So I now realize that DT is required to enable the links to work. The reason I didn’t discover this earlier is that I always had DT running when I checked the links within the RTFs.
Then I did some more digging, checked the link text in the RTF and saw that it pointed to a DT item, not to the target file itself. Now I need to reconsider my path. I thought I was generating stand alone content. Too late smart, but better late than never. Brings to mind one of my grandfather’s favorite maxims. “It ain’t so much what you don’t know, that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know that ain’t so”
If I understand correctly, what you are seeking to do is to create a sort of digital scrapbook or archive for others to use at some time in the future, and independent of DEVONthink. You might, perhaps, consider taking a look at Obsidian publish, or just Obsidian without publish. If you are wanting to create a sort of Wiki for your material it might fit the bill. There are pros and cons, of course, but I guess one has to try a few things before one finds a solution that works. It might be easier to build things up in Obsidian and then convert the vault to a website rather than working direct in html. I found html rather laborious when I worked with it.
Do you mean something like Dreamweaver? It’s a loooong time since I worked with it. I don’t remember there being a lot of options in the old days, but perhaps things have changed now.
The point I was trying to make is that if one is trying to create a repository of files that are linked together, it might be a good idea to use an app that is good at linking. Maybe it is just my preference, but I think I would prefer to get everything set up and linked locally, then convert it into html (perhaps using Pandoc?) and export it to a website afterwards. I get that others might well want to do it differently!
Unfortunately, this requirement is not enough. The question is not only, if something is “good at linking”, but also, what a link is.
They always begin with a protocol (x-DEVONthink-item, https, mailto…). And that protocol defines, which app will be used to open the link: DT, a web server/browser, or an e-mail client.
HTTP(S) requires a server that maps looks to filenames. And it is probably the most used protocol for links today. Therefore, it seems to me that starting with MD and converting to HTML might be the best approach. MacOS comes with a webserver, which must be switched on.
I think we are getting a little off-topic from DEVONthink … but from what the OP @OhioSteve is saying I’m thinking rather than jump to yet another software package not built specifically for what I infer is the purpose … seems like the OP would be better served making a so-called “static” web site for “publishing/communicating” this humongous number of documents (which don’t have to be HMTL) to the users. Lots of guidance available by searching on inter-web thingy, e.g. How To Make a Static Website . My preference would be HTML only with a tiny bit of CSS and no JavaScript or anything like that, at least initially. I’m not intending to get into the details here, but there are numerous internet articles out there, along with tools fit for purpose.
For a static site, it’s just files. TB’s on a Mac or usb-drive is not demanding. Those files already exist (presumably) on the local Mac, so there is not extra burden putting a static web site on top of that pointing to the files. Moving to an internet web server would only be a matter of cost of disk space which may be significant. Investment of disk space presumably already purchased for the existing Mac.
And with a static web site no need for a web server anyway.
Best of luck!