Labels, Tags, and Flags… Oh My!

DEVONthink Scenarios
22

–Replying to topic as whole–

I collect a lot of reading material blind on searchers using DA. I use the Modern preference - sets colour on text - for labels and have changed the colours to subtle pastel shades, I mainly use to flag what I’m reading/working on, or to indicate what I’ve read. I also have a couple of extra variations if the document was of particular note, or a good positive or negative reference for that category.

I use Flags as convenient temporary return-tos, I have a smart folder setup to pick them up.

I do tag, but I currently find it is most useful for manually looking in the tags grouping for related documents across group structures. Maybe when I learn more I’ll do more with them. I have my Inbox and Tags visible within the Database, I find this more useful than all in Global.

1 Like
23

I edited that one out too. It was partly a joke at my own expense if you read it as intended, only partly I admit, however I will avoid stepping on any sensitive toes to protect the excellent forum this is and the excellent app that DEVONthink 3 is. Better than ever in my view. I did withdraw the post; sorry I couldn’t do it fast enough for your liking.

1 Like
24

I use tags and flags extensively, colours less so.

1 Work database,

Colours I use for Groups that are currently active. I have considered not having a separate database for archived work but the combined number of groups would be too long for ease of use.

I use sorter before answering a call so as to record the day/time log, then in ‘Name’ - enter the date (using TypeExpander) and details - then make notes during the call - then tag the item. Format: rich text. Location is the database Inbox.

I only use Groups for records containing fixed information concerning the particular matter. Otherwise Group is akin to a visual separator between different matters and a time-saving repository for achieving.

The location of all items is the database inbox. For each matter, I have Smart Groups that are geared to the tag I enter on the record.

I use flags where I need to do something with the information after the call is ended or for listing the important matters that need attending to. I have a central Smart Group for all items that are flagged.

  1. Law Library and Research

It is in my law library and research databases that I find tags come into their own. When searching for something in particular, I tag the resultant record with my abbreviation (which tallies with the tag in the work database) for the matter. For example, KL26. In a central Smart Group I add the parameter tag KL26 so for current and future use of the results of my search for KL26.

With legislation, UK Acts of Parliament, etc, a tag of the section and sub-section is useful, for example s24(1). To avoid duplicates where the same section number is in different legislation, I add another tag with my abbreviation for the Act. Also I use Smart Group to find amongst the thousands of records and indexed pdfs any of s24(1) , section 24 (1), so that I can manually add the tags.

(I understand the reason for each database having its own tags but frankly I find it a nuisance where the content of different databases is ‘linked’.)

Currently. I am saving info on Coronavirus where relevant to my work. In my research database, I have smart groups for Time Lines. Each relevant record is tagged TL and the year. I have a central smart group for all items tagged TL and separate Time Line smart groups for each year of a time line.

1 Like
25

I didn’t know you could alter the colors and I too might try the pastel approach which looks so much nicer. Thanks

1 Like
26

I use colored labels to indicate the maturity of a note - whether it is a jot (an idea with no links), a seedling (a note with 1-2 cross references) etc. This way I can “garden” my DT zettelkasten in a fairly unstructured way, pulling weeds, watering seedlings, etc.

A little problematic on DTTG because the colors don’t show up clearly, particular in the rotary selector.

1 Like
27

Huh. I really like @phoutz’s idea, but the limit of seven labels means I can’t implement it with the other ways I use labels.

@bluefrog I know this limit is hard coded (and that I could use custom metadata instead, to some extent). Still, is there any way to edit the limit, perhaps via a hidden preference?

1 Like
28

Also - is there a reason why we can only have one label? Is it possible to be able to choose multiple labels simultaneously?

1 Like
29

What if we had an option to color the item when we set specific custom metadata? We could define which custom metadata should set which color and go ahead! )

30

@ryanjamurphy: No there isn’t. It follows Apple’s convention of seven label colors.

@rkaplan: No this is not possible.

1 Like
31

That would have the additional benefit that you can assign as many custom metadata fieds to an item as you wish; you are not restricted to just one as with labels.

However a plus of labels at present is that they can be depicted in the web server; custom metadata cannot be shown on the web server.

1 Like
32
  • I use tags mainly for the creation of smart groups and cross-referencing as a time saver (replicating a document into 10 folders takes a ton of time; slapping on a tag is really fast).
  • Flags–I haven’t considered what I’d use them for, but now I’m thinking.
  • Since the introduction of custom metadata, I use that instead of labels EXCEPT FOR one label in concert with a smart rule. Anything I want to read/annotate on my iPad, I assign the iOS Reading label, and then the smart rule replicates it into a folder before syncing so that I don’t have to go hunting for things on my iPad. And when I’m done, I remove the label. It works for both contained-in and indexed files. The idea for this was elsewhere, but I can’t find it.

Technically, groups can be like tags in DT. Check out DEVONthink Document Magic.

33

I’m a writer. I use two sorts of labels: “interview notes” and “article drafts,” to distinguish those types of documents from the mass of emails, PDFs, web pages and other documents I’ll accumulate in the course of a project.

I don’t use tags or flags much at all. Everything is organized in groups.

I’ve been at this job almost three months now, and my database is getting unwieldy. I’m looking for ways to separate projects I’m working on daily vs. projects I’ve submitted and am waiting for feedback on from colleagues and customers, vs. articles that are finished. Hence my googling “labels vs. tags in DevonThink.”

34

Have you considered making one database per project?

PS: Databases do not have to be large.

1 Like
35

Right now I’m doing one group per project. I’m certainly willing to consider dividing my work into one database/project. It’s intriguing. But what would be the advantage? How would that make my projects less unwieldy?

By “unwieldy,” I mean “hard to locate things that are more than a week or so old.”

I’ve been on the current job nearly three months, and in that time I’ve done about ten projects. That’s ten groups, plus a few more for administrative information.

I do worry sometimes about my database becoming corrupted and boom there goes a huge amount of work. One database/project would solve that problem.

This article recommends using tags for projects, and groups for similar documents, which (he says) makes DevonThink’s AI smarter.

1 Like