Possible to group Reading List files?

DEVONthink
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I’m exploring the Reading List, and am wondering if there’s any way to group files that I add to it, i.e., through Smart Group or a regular group in conjunction with a Smart Rule – or anything else. If so, how can one set this up?

Also, would this organizational grouping work with DTTG?

Thanks!

2

The Reading List is just a list and can’t be organized (only ordered). A group containing replicants might be an alternative to the reading list.

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Thank you, @cgrunenberg – I appreciate your input, as per usual.

I’ve been try to set up your suggested approach, but just realized that I was facing a basically problem (that I keep forgetting with DTP): I can’t replicated groups and files outside of a DB. I thought that I might be able to replicate files with the Global Inbox, but soon learned that doesn’t work, either. That’s why I thought the Reading List might provide a solution but, as you say, it “is just a list and can’t be organized (only ordered).”

Anyway, here’s my conundrum: in lieu of a Reading List that can be organized, I would like to replicate groups/files – and sync these groups/files with DTTG – but can’t do so with the full structure of the DB that I’m using, because of it’s large size.

Is it therefore possible to set this up in a portion of a DB to be synced (e.g., the Inbox within a DB), and that I can use for the replication that you’re suggesting? If not, do you have another suggested approach?

Thanks again for your terrific help…

4

No, you can’t sync part of a database.

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Thanks, @BLUEFROG – I just tried to do it, and figure out that it won’t work.

So…is there any other approach you (and other) might suggest for how I might be able to replicate discrete groups/files – and sync these groups/files with DTTG?

Thank you!

6

Have you considered creating smaller, more focused databases to sync instead?

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I have, but it’s a real pain. I’ve already split up my databases to better manage my work process. But breaking them up further just to segregate my reading list would be a real pain, since it would be splitting them from the work projects they’re attached to.

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Any other ideas? Is there another approach you might suggest?

Thanks again!

9

Have you considered or tried one database per work project?

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I’ve actually thought about this before, but concluded it wasn’t the best way for me to structure my DB’s / groups / files in DTP.

The reason is: there’s some parity between certain projects – and so, I tend to replicate files between different (but related) projects in the same database.

Thanks for the suggestion, though…

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Well, maybe there’s a way to suggest the ability to organize / group / sort files in DTP’s Reading List as a feature request.

Apart from that, do you have any other suggestions for how else I might able to accomplish what I’m seeking?

Thanks again…

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Actually there are no such plans, I’m sorry. It’s just a list. For more complicated structures databases already provide all the required possibilities.

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Thank you for your reply, and all of your help. You and @BLUEFROG offered many suggestions.

I feel that I’m a bit stuck trying to find a solution.

To quickly recap, I’m trying to accomplish the following:

(a) create three parent groups for priority reading: Urgent; High; Medium;

(b) use tags to group the files, so that they’re organized by their topic (I’ve created parity between Tags and each of my research projects, so any kind of tag-group configuration works perfectly.), and;

(c) sync these groups/files with DTTG;

I first tried setting up a way to replicate my reading groups and/or setting up various smart rule and smart groups, but soon remembered that I couldn’t do so outside of the database in which files are located.

I fully understand that the Reading List is just a list, and cannot be grouped and organized. I also understand that we’re unable to sync part of a database.

And I really do appreciate the other suggestions re: creating discrete databases but, as I said, I’ve already split up my databases and breaking them up further just to segregate my reading list would be problematic, since it would be splitting them from the work projects they’re attached to (i.e., separate but related project in which some files are replicated).

Anyway, @BLUEFROG & @cgrunenberg have already offered incredibly generous and thoughtful ideas (as per usual), but I’m just wondering if you might have any other suggestion – based on what I’ve laid out in my steps for a , b and c.

Thanks so much, again!

15

I realize it’s been a while since I first posted this query, but I’m still desperately trying to find a solution for grouping files (reading material) – based on project – and sorting them by priority.

Anyone have ideas about either how to:

-Set this up through DTP’s Reading List (I don’t believe it’s possible, but maybe things have changed!);

-Set this up though a configuration of Smart Groups and/or Smart Rules that would work in DTP and DTTG;

-Interface with another app that would enable me to group and sort files (by priority) that I’ve clipped in DTP/DTTG;

Honestly happy to consider any option that would work best. Thanks for your help!

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maybe tags for projects and tags for reading priority might help?!

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Thanks! Already have topical tags and reading priority label to the files, so this might be relatively easy to configure.

I believe I first asked about making the changes in DTP’s Reading List because:

(a) it already exists, and thought it might be configurable, and

(b) at the time, I understood that DTTG didn’t work with Smart Groups and Smart Rules.

I don’t see that DTP’s Reading List is now configurable (it never was, and that’s fine).

But given the changes to DTP / DTTG, would I be able to set up my own kind of reading list – for topical groups, sorted by priority labels – using Smart Groups and/or Smart Rules?

Thanks!

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No the Reading List has not changed in this regard. It functions just like Safari’s Reading List. It’s not meant to be another filing cabinet, especially when there are already many opportunities for organizing your data in each database.

Here’s an older but pertinent blog post…

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Thanks, @BLUEFROG ! I figure that was the case with the Reading List.

I’ve considered apps like Pocket, but the thing is I save (clip) files via DTP/DTTG as PDF’s – because that’s the format I use when I’m annotating them. My sense is that it’s easier to curate that stuff in DTP/DTTG databases rather than re-importing and/or syncing such files with another online app.

Putting that aside, is it possible to configure Smart Groups and Smart Rules so that I can create the kind of organized reading list I’m seeking and have it sync between DTP and DTTG?

Thanks again…

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I wasn’t advocating Pocket in the blog post. I mentioned it as that was the flavor of the month at the time.

Smart rules don’t sync anywhere.
Local smart groups sync to DEVONthink To Go but are not functional and are hidden at this time.

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Thanks, @BLUEFROG… (and sorry about my late reply – was traveling)

Ok, so… I understand that the Reading List is “not meant to be another filing cabinet, especially when there are already many opportunities for organizing your data in each database.” As you know, I’m trying to find a way to organize project-related reading groups, organized by priority. So, in a sense, I’m trying to put together a surrogate “Reading List” that would provide this capability, and could sync between DTP & DTTG.

I also re-read the “Read It Later in DEVONthink” post you put up. So, it seems like the solution you’re suggesting would be organized around creating a Favorites folder, which would be a general way of collecting “read later” files which could be organized, and synced between DTP & DTTG. Is that a fair assessment?

If so, I’m happy to give it a shot. And there might be ways to make this work more seamlessly through Smart Rules, i.e., as a way to help manage and automate some of the organizational structure I’m seeking.

I guess one possible hurdle is that it seems like such favorites would have to interface with just one database, correct? I’d love to bundle reading lists into such a Favorites folder, but if that’s going to be the logjam I’ll just create Favorites-reading list folder per each database – unless you’d suggest another way…

Anyway, just let me know whenever you can, and thanks for your continued help with this!