(Archived) Synchronize changes on exit -- How is this supposed to work?

[akevit 5]

I'm trying very hard to switch from Simplenote to Evernote as Evernote offers so many additional features, however, Simplenote's extremely simplistic approach to jotting notes down and having them everywhere immediately is hard to move away from.

With Simplenote I use a program called ResophNotes and it innately synchronizes every X minutes and immediately upon exiting out of a note. If you haven't seen this functionality I'd really recommend you check it out and add this to Evernote. ResophNotes also has the following options:

• Minimize to System Tray
  
• Minimize when press ESC
  
• Start minimized
  
• Global Hotkey
  

Evernote has basically the same options. Evernote launches at startup (minimized) and I can call it from global hotkeys, however Evernote has the upper hand in that it also has a hotkey for going direct to a new note as well as one for opening Evernote (albeit called 'Find in Evernote'). The feature that it lacks is the ability to Minimize with ESC (I know you can press ALT+F4 but it's fairly universal to have ESC do the same thing or at least define the key that performs this function; Control+Q completely exits the program).

TL;DR: Synchronize changes on exit does not seem to work. Please allow me to press the escape key to minimize the program (and also trigger the sync -- which it should if it's to sync changes on exit). When creating a new note (Control+Alt+N) the note should synchronize immediately upon closing it.

Edit: It appears that pressing Control+Q does force the sync, however now Evernote is closed and the program needs to be relaunched for the Global Hotkeys to work. This only works for the program itself, it will not sync new notes via Ctrl+Alt+N after being created unless I load Evernote then press Control+Q to completely quit the program.

[Owyn 457]

The best you can do at this time is to set automatic sync to every 15 minutes.

Tools -> Options -> Sync

- Check "Synchronize automatically"

- Select "Every 15 minutes"

[akevit 5]

That's unfortunate

[Owyn 457]

C'est la vie.

BTW. The latest beta (4.5.4.6170) also adds a checkbox for "Synchronize changes on exit".

[akevit 5]

C'est la vie.

BTW. The latest beta (4.5.4.6170) also adds a checkbox for "Synchronize changes on exit".

I saw that which is what got me to try Evernote again. Unfortunately by exit it means quit, so you need to quit Evernote for the synchronization to happen. By doing that the Global hotkeys are disabled which defeats the purpose I was trying to accomplish in the first place.

[Owyn 457]

As I mentioned on the other thread. What you may want to use is F9 to force manual sync after creating a new note.

[jbenson2 2,147]

I don't close Evernote during the day.

To sync in Windows, if I want to do it manually, I hit F9, otherwise it will take care of itself in 15 minutes.

[akevit 5]

I don't close Evernote during the day.

To sync in Windows, if I want to do it manually, I hit F9, otherwise it will take care of itself in 15 minutes.

I really enjoy being able to call and dismiss the Window at whim, and knowing that the notes are synchronized right away. I'll see if I can live with the additional hotkeys needed to do what I want to do, I just came here to ask since I saw the new feature of sync on exit and couldn't figure out how to get it to work. I see now that it's Sync on Quit.

Simplenote workflow

1. Control+Shift+Z to load program
   
2. Control+N to write note
   
3. Escape to exit note (syncing it) then escape again to minimize program to system tray
   

Evernote Workflow (2 ways -- I'm aware the hotkeys can be changed)

First

1. Control+Alt+L to load program
   
2. Control+N to create a new note
   
3. F9 to sync the note
   
4. Alt+F4 to minimize to system tray
   

Second

1. Control+Alt+N to create a new note
   
2. F9 to sync note
   
3. Escape to close note
   

Albeit the second workflow has an equal amount of steps and hotkeys to use, using F9 is slightly annoying, and if I want to view the notes I have to use a different workflow. Please don't assume I'm bashing the program, I am just describing the workflows that I would use and possibly there's something I'm missing.

[jbenson2 2,147]

I really enjoy being able to call and dismiss the Window at whim, and knowing that the notes are synchronized right away.

I understand you are not bashing the program. Comments like yours have generated a lot of improvements in Evernote. I've gone through 53 EN upgrades since May 2010. I guess the difference is that I don't mind keeping Windows Evernote open, along with other programs and websites. If I closed Evernote after each web capture or new note, I would probably see your side better.

[akevit 5]

I've decided I"m still going to give it a shot and work with the different hotkeys. One of my main reasons for using Simplenote was the fact that I could share notes with other people for free, but I really don't use it enough to warrant that being the sole reason for my decision (it also allows for free offline notes, though I rarely need this feature). Hopefully they'll enable some additional sync optoins in the future to cover my *** in the event I forget to hit F9 before shutting down.

[Owyn 457]

Simplenote is a very good solution for plain text notes. In fact, it's limitations can make it a better solution than Evernote for notes where text must be maintained absolutely (e.g. code snippets).

[dlu 628]

Thanks for posting. Have been following and will take it into account in future design decisions.

[akevit 5]

Good to know, thank you. One other thing to check out is Simplenote's way of merging notes together if two users are typing and saving into the same note at the same time. Rather than creating a copy of the note, the lines that were changed or added are just merged according to date entry. An option that would be nice to have especially if sharing something simple like a Grocery list.

[mdalves 17]

"Sync on exit" works fine when exiting Evernote (File / Exit) but does not work when just signing out (Tools / Sign Out). I did quick updates in some notes using my wife's computer some days ago and then signed out; now I'm using my own laptop and don't have those updated notes.

Sync on exit should be expanded to "Sync on exit or sign out".

[dlu 628]

"Sync on exit" works fine when exiting Evernote (File / Exit) but does not work when just signing out (Tools / Sign Out). I did quick updates in some notes using my wife's computer some days ago and then signed out; now I'm using my own laptop and don't have those updated notes.

Sync on exit should be expanded to "Sync on exit or sign out".

Thanks! Great feedback

[akevit 5]

Please also add the option for Esc to minimize Evernote to System Tray and sync, this would be extremely helpful

[francola 1]

Please also add the option for Esc to minimize Evernote to System Tray and sync, this would be extremely helpful

Yes, please. This is the exact behavior I would like to see implemented as well.

[Pete C. 1]

Hi there. I am experiencing similar problem of this topic.

I have a habit of right-clicking the Evernote icon at the system tray and click Quit, but it do not sync for itself and I have to click the sync button every time I quit the programme.

(I am not sure if I should reply to this old post or open a new topic. Please let me know which is the right way.)

[ever111 24]

The normal way to exit Evernote, as far as I was told, and as I do, is to do a file exit or file signout in the top left corner. Mine does a sync when I close it that way. I think the thing in the tray is the clipper, so you are closing down via the clipper.

But when I do the file signout, the logon screen comes up and I do your right click exit then to close the logon screen.

You do have sync on exit checked in tools profile sync (no reply necessary if yes).

Guess the right click exit from the tray should act the same though, as you say. Somebody want to help?

(Maybe you should open a ticket)

[akevit 5]

I made an autohotkey script that will remap the escape key to sync Evernote and close to the system tray with a single press:

 

; Remaps escape key to a macro that presses F9 then closes to system tray#SingleInstance ForceSetTitleMatchMode 2#IfWinActive, ahk_class ENMainFrame	Escape::		send {F9}		WinHide, ahk_class ENMainFrame	return

 

Just install AHK, save this to a *.ahk text file, then place in your startup directory.