What will that figure tell to me?
That the contents are not part of the database (probably indexed or linked using an earlier version).
Interesting. I have a few groups which I populated by dragging in the URL from a browser. In other words, they’re all links to various web pages pretty much added at the same time. Some of them have this icon and others don’t.
I thought at first this might indicate pages that have been updated since I last visited it, which would be useful. However, loading the page in DTpro doesn’t remove the icon.
To get rid of the icon, do I have to convert the link to a web archive?
Mark
Is that figure (and there are some other figures, too) new in DT Pro 1.1? I´ve never seen that before.
The Screenshot above shows a file “ClickRepair-Manual” (with the wave-figure), that is part of the database. I can open the database by ctrl-click (show content of package) and there it is stored in the folder “file”.
Is there any possibility to determine if the imported files (exspecially PDFs or images) should be stored in the database or if thy can remain in an external folder and DT only makes an link to the original file. I cannot find a possibilty to select that in the preferences?
Yes it is new. There’s also a new ‘flag’ to mark smart groups.
Please look at the Info panel for the PDF shown in your image, and check the Path field. It’s possible that you might have both a an externally linked and an imported copy of the PDF.
Yes. You have now two modes of import.
- File > Import > Files & Folders (or drag & drop): Everything is copied into the database – 2 exceptions: a. Word (.doc) files are not copied but remain external; b. one can choose to import “unknown” file types in Preferences > Import. All text-type files (plain text, rich text, HTML, etc.) are copied into the “body” of the database. PDF, image, QuickTime media and optionally “unknown” file types are copied into the Files folder inside the database package file.
- File > Index: Using this mode to capture data, the files remain external to the database package (externally linked) and if possible their text is captured for searching and analysis. If Preferences > Import is checked for Unknown file types, they will be captured as zero byte linked documents (but you can add notes in the Info panel Comment field).
An Imported database is self-contained (except, currently, for Word .doc files) and so is highly portable, e.g. for movement to another computer or for distribution on a CD or DVD.
An Indexed database contains information about the files (text, images, metadata, etc.) but the files remain external and may be “scattered” among multiple volumes. If those externally linked files are deleted or have their paths broken, the database loses information about their content.
Obviously, the package file size (and often the memory requirements) of an Import database will be larger than for an Index database. There are pros and cons for either approach. And in practice, the user has the option of capturing some images, for example, by Index and others by Import, so the modes can be mixed in the same database.
Even in an Index database, all text-type content added by the user, such as new text files for writing and web pages captured from the internet will be stored in the body of the database and will not be externally linked.
Now that user choices for capturing data have been somewhat simplified, confusion about what will happen when a document in the database is launched under it’s parent application, edited and saved is reduced. For Indexed files, synchronization of edit changes back to the database contents becomes a simple matter. That’s also true for files Imported into the database package Files folder. Note that material captured by Index cannot be edited directly inside the database; such documents must be launched under the parent application to be edited.
Example: Suppose one has a large collection of 8 megapixel JPEG photo images. Importing them into the database Files folder will result in a large increase of the database package size. Indexing them will result in a relatively small increase in the database package file, as the actual images remain externally linked in the Finder (and should not be deleted). In either case, the user can launch an image file under the parent image-editing file he has set to open JPEGs in the Finder, edit the photo and save it, and the changes will be reflected in the image displayed in the database (after reopening it in the database).
Because DT/DT Pro will always let the user export files to the Finder, it’s possible to export contents and ‘switch’ the capture mode from Imported to Indexed, or vice versa – although moving from Indexed to Imported requires a bit more thought and ‘tinkering’.
Note also that when you export a DT/DT Pro database to the Finder, the exported material will reflect the organizational structure of the database, e.g., the exported folders and subfolders will mirror the groups and subgroups in the database.