Just wondering if I understood you correctly, and what you thought of my approach (and questions). Thanks!
I may have missed something, so I apologise if that’s the case, but it feels like you’re trying to make something complicated that isn’t complicated? (No judgement, sometimes we cannot see the wood for the trees.)
I manage my “reading lists” based on topics. I use the read/unread functionality to indicate if something is read or not. DTTG can already filter content on this.
I use groups to file everything in my database. Groups are for me topic-themed, so all items are already arranged by topic (this would work for projects too).
I maintain a 5 tier tagging system with “1-high”, “2-medium”, etc. and tag items as I move them into the right group.
All my files are therefore sorted by topic, read status and priority, and this is compatible across DTP and DTTG.
I do not use the Reading List function in DT at all, as it offers no value to me.
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Thanks for your reply – appreciate it.
It’s certainly possible that I’m overcomplicating this process, and I don’t mind that observation. Honestly don’t mind if I use another process other than DTP’s Reading List – though it sure feels like it would be easier just to do it through that function, rather than having to set up something else that accomplishes the same thing, but with more more features and flexibility for organizing and sorting files.
In my case, I use a three tier prioritization system (Urgent, High, Medium) – though with Labels not tags (just what I set up at the time; I’m flexible about changing it) – for sorting the relative importance of files I need to read. I’m also working on multiple projects, and so I need to group these files by project folks (groups) and then they’re essentially sorted by my prioritization labels.
I keep my active projects in one database, and my on-hold and inactive projects in separate databases. (I’m still clipping and reading articles for the latter projects, in case I revisit them.)
Because of the volume of stuff in my databases, I’d only like to sync stuff that pertains to clipping and reading articles and documents for my DTP/DTTG databases & groups. I understand, per @BLUEFROG’s post, that “Smart rules don’t sync anywhere. Local smart groups sync to DEVONthink To Go but are not functional and are hidden at this time.”
So, I’m trying to figure out how best to set up groups for reading files for different projects (that are in different DB’s) that would enable me to sort them by priority, and sync them between DTP and DTTG.
Labels are fine - I don’t use them myself but they definitely have value!
I misunderstood your issue, which is the sync issue, rather than managing the unread material itself. We can handle how to manage organising your reading material, but it’s sorting the sync between devices that is an issue.
What size databases are you talking about? We know that DT can’t offer the type of sync you want, but I do wonder how much that matters. You could just do a shallow sync via iCloud and download files on demand if you have the iCloud space.
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I just thought of them as a way to use another feature to help sort files w/o being over-reliant on tags (which I tend to use for curating topics).
Thanks! Yes, that’s part of the challenge I’m facing: the desire to group, sort + sync between the MacOS & iOS platforms.
Oy…the databases have variable sizes. Some are quite heavy. I actually Index some of groups for Article and Documents, in order to ease the size of the DB’s…
Honestly happy to explore the kind of solution you’re suggesting re: “shallow sync via iCloud.” Just trying to figure out the best solution so I can tackle my reading lists…
A reading list and a priority list aren’t one and the same IMHO. Some things may have been read but still have a high priority. Some things you need to read, but some are less important than others. You could certainly create subgroups for priorites, like…
No, it won’t expand from the Favorites section, but it’s accessible and would work with DEVONthink To Go as well.
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Thanks, @BLUEFROG Before I ask you more questions about setting this up, I’ve just noticed that my Favorites folders aren’t appearing in DTTG. In fact, looks like that iOS app isn’t syncing with DTP. Need to figure that out first, fix it, and then I’ll circle back with more questions…
The Favorites smart group in DEVONthink To Go doesn’t sync with Favorites in DEVONthink.
I was saying – not clearly, it seems – the All Favorites group in my screen capture is in the Global Inbox. That could sync to DEVONthink To Go’s Global Inbox and would serve the same function if the same databases were available.
Do note: I was also assuming the use of item-link bookmarks in the group(s).
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Thanks very much, @BLUEFROG. If I’m following you properly, you’re saying:
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DTTG’s Favorites doesn’t sync with DTP’s Favorites;
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I could create a group, which could be part of DTP’s Favorites – and sync with DTTG – if it’s stored in the Global Inbox;
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When you say, “That could sync to DEVONthink To Go’s Global Inbox and would serve the same function if the same databases were available.” – I understand one would need both the Global Inbox and the source database to by synced in order for this process to work;
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This process would be facilitated through “item-link bookmarks in the group(s).”
Have I got that right?
Some problems on my end:
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I’ve got one iOS DTTG that’s not syncing properly (might contact you off-forum about it);
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I’m only syncing the Global Inbox. My other databases are probably too big to sync. Is there another work-around solution?
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I confess I don’t know much about item-link bookmarks, but am happy to figure it out! Still, it seems like I need to first get an answer to the second bullet item (above).
Thanks again…
- DTTG’s Favorites doesn’t sync with DTP’s Favorites;
Yes, and neither do DEVONthink’s at this time.
- I could create a group, which could be part of DTP’s Favorites – and sync with DTTG – if it’s stored in the Global Inbox;
Technically, it can be stored in another database, but as the Global Inbox is a core component of both our apps, it could be a convenient location for this particular situation.
- When you say, “That could sync to DEVONthink To Go’s Global Inbox and would serve the same function if the same databases were available.” – I understand one would need both the Global Inbox and the source database to by synced in order for this process to work;
That would be correct. If you didn’t the bookmarks would still exist in DEVONthink To Go, but they’d point to nothing without the corresponding database.
- This process would be facilitated through “item-link bookmarks in the group(s).”
That’s just what I was imagining at the moment, mostly due to the inability to create replicants across databases.
But this is only one option. Just riffing on the idea, you could create a priority document. It could be a sheet or Markdown or rich text document. You could add links to the document through a variety of methods. But again, if the documents aren’t available in databases in DEVONthink To Go, the links won’t point to anything.
My other databases are probably too big to sync. Is there another work-around solution?
Then using the Reading List in DEVONthink To Go would be useless for your purposes. They, like the bookmarks I mentioned, would point to unavailable documents located in unsynced databases.
Are you only intending to actually read these documents, not edit them in DEVONthink To Go?
Will just answer this, for now, as it might help us figure out a solution… I’m overhauling part of my workflow and, as part of that, will be revisiting DEVONthink’s annotation capabilities.
Anyway, for now I’d like to open the files I’m clipping in DTP/DTTG (in which I mostly save as PDF’s) in another annotation app (e.g., Highlights). Does that help figure out a possible solution?
Well, it certainly curtails an option I was considering 
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Ugh. Sorry, man… Really do appreciate your help with this, though…
So, if I was annotating PDF files within DTP/DTTG you might have another solution…?
No worries!
Actually, the option I was thinking of involved nothing but reading the particular documents.
It is possible to create a syncing database for your reading list documents. It would obviously be much smaller and contain what you need to process. However… you’d need to do more file management. I wouldn’t copy documents into this database, I’d move them. This would alleviate having copies in different states in different databases. When I was done annotating / working with them, I could move them back into another database, if needed.
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Thanks again for your help with this, @BLUEFROG – and sorry for not responding sooner, but we’ve been dealing with other pressing matters!
Just wanted to follow up on your last post, and what you might suggest as a workflow process for it. Look like I’ll be w/o my primary machine, so I’d like to figure this out soon (if possible).
Thanks so much – again!