YABDTIQ (Yet Another Bookends --> DEVONthink Integration Query)

DEVONthink
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I’m hoping it may be possible for someone to give me a pointer or two as to the feasibilty of what I hope to do, and (if it is feasible), to starting points. As a point of reference: I have substantial experience with programming in general, including *nix shell programming. However, I have essentially zero experience with AppleScript. (I have tended to shy away from “hardware-specific” languages, and also have found it opaque when I’ve looked at it).

What I’d like to do:

  1. Keep my references in Bookends, including both ones for which there is an attachment, and ones for which there isn’t an attachment

  2. Index the Bookends Attachment folder in DT

  3. Have a substantial amount of the Bookends metadata for a reference in the PDF attachment file, so that it is visible in the DT record for that (indexed) PDF file.

I’ve read as many as I could find of the many threads asking Bookends → DT integration questions, but remain confused. The thread that came closest to what I want to do is Link Devonthink to Bookends but there was no solution reached there, AFAICT.

I have been able to achieve (1) and (2) above.

For (3), I have tried, without much success, to tinker with the script shown at Autolinking Bookends and DEVONthink records - Sonny Software. I’m pretty sure my failure simply reflects my inexperience with AppleScript.

But another possibility occurred to me.

DT can, of course, import references from Bookends into DT in the form of RTF files, one for each reference in Bookends. Now that I have done that import, the metadata from Bookends is in these RTF files (as is a link to the corresponding Bookends record).

So, my questions:

  1. Is it feasible to extract that metadata from an RTF file in DT, and put it into fields of the DT record for the corresponding PDF file (if there is one)?

  2. If this is feasible: Are there any scripts that do similar things that anyone can point me to, that I could use as a starting point?

In asking the above, I am making the assumption that the necessary AppleScripting would be simpler than that needed for adapting the AppleScript given at Autolinking Bookends and DEVONthink records - Sonny Software

So my third and fourth questions:

  1. Would I be better served by just biting the bullet to understand AppleScript enough to adapt the script given at Autolinking Bookends and DEVONthink records - Sonny Software ?

  2. And in either case, can anyone recommend a good tutorial introduction to Apple Script?

Hope that was not too convoluted, and made some sense. Thanks in advance for any information.

1 Like
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FYI: You are not limited to AppleScript, JavaScript is another option. There are some posts titled “Automating DT with JavaScript” that might help you.

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@chrillek —thanks for that possibility!