Links in inspector window: bug or feature?

DEVONthink
1

Version

DEVONthink Pro 3.9.2

Problem

depending on the document mode (preview or source) different links are listed in the document inspector (markup document) under “links”. This behaviour occurs in Markdown and Email documents as well.

Example

I have a markdown document with this content:

- this is a [[my wiki link]].    → link in inspector is listed only in preview mode
- automatic my wiki link.     → link in inspector is listed only in preview mode
- [another document](x-devonthink-item://129FA30F-92F9-4156-A184-038352C29A8A)   → link in inspector is listed in both preview and source mode

If the document is displayed in preview mode all links are displayed in the inspector window:
image

If the document is displayed in source mode only this link is displayed in the inspector window:
image

Expected behaviour

Preview and source mode should both list all links in the inspector window

2

Development would have to assess this behavior. It’s not a given that’s how it should work as the inspector depends on the selection and the contents of the view/edit pane when visible.

3

Unfortunately, I can confirm that.

I checked a substantial number of Markdown files; they mostly contain Wikilinks with double brackets [[...]] or a few x-callbacks to other apps.

(1) One callback to another app that I do not use any more did appear in the source mode, but not in Preview.

(2) Other links mostly did not appear in source mode but preview, they were all wikilinks with double brackets to files that exist. I could not see a pattern in the behaviour.

4

Depending on edit or preview mode, either the source or the rendered preview are used and the upper pane of the Links inspector lists all valid links found in either the source or the rendering respectively.

5

Thanks for the explanation. I am still puzzled; how can links be valid or not valid depending on source mode or preview mode? They can all be clicked and follow to the other file…

6

Wiki links in the source are basically just text appearing as links (also in rich/plain text documents) but for the rendering the Wiki links are converted to real links.

Likewise the source might contain links (e.g. in the metadata) which are not visible in the rendering.

7

Thanks, that sounds logical. I will look for these cases in the near future, very interesting.

1 Like