Workflow with local documents (Pages, Numbers, etc)

[ihackstuff 0]

I've done a lot of searching and playing and can't quite get my arms around this one.

 

I use a Mac, obviously, and work on Pages docs and Numbers sheets quite a bit. I'm use Evernote exclusively to keep track of all my stuff. I especially like that all my notes are in one place and I can be on any machine or platform and get to my stuff. This is great for notes. 

However, When I move machines, sometimes the content I need is a Pages or Numbers doc. 

Here's where I get all turned around. 

I can easily drop a sheet into a note:

No problem. Now after I drop, I edit the sheet and save the changes:

I sync Evernote, and my preview shows the old version:

Back in Numbers, I look at the dropdown and see that it's now a new copy residing in my Library:

Whereas the original is in iCloud:

So, thinking that this behavior is because of iCloud, I start over, create a new document on the Desktop, then drop it into Numbers. I edit the desktop version, sync Evernote and I get the same behavior. I have two copies of the document. 

OK, so that's how Evernote works. My local document always becomes superfluous. Ok, that's annoying, but I go with it. I rename my local copy as COPY, or something so I know it's not the original, and from now on I have to try to remember that the "active" version must be opened in Evernote. Again, if thats how Evernote does it then fine, I'll have to get used to it, or take the plunge, have faith in the Evernote Cloud and delete my local copy, hoping that I don't accidentally delete the Evernote copy, or hoping I never need an old version. (I'm skirting around a question about version control in Evernote.. I don't think Evernote has this, unlike my local Mac copies that always have a version trail I can access. Correct me if I'm wrong here). So I end up keeping my copies in a local folder instead of deleting them.

I guess I can shortcut this process by creating a new document, copying it to Evernote, opening the Evernote "version" and working from there, erasing my original, if I don't care about a local backup / version control. 

Sorry this is wordy, but I hope you understand my broken workflow. Is this really the ideal workflow? I hope not.

And I need to extend my question because this workflow applies only to new documents. If I want to be able to access completed local documents on other devices, I have to do basically the same thing: drop it into Evernote, mark the local doc as a COPY, throw it into a folder so I don't get confused/junk up my machine, and open the doc from the Evernote "link", always working from / updating the Evernote copy.

Thanks for any insight here. I really appreciate it. I like Evernote, but this seems painful and difficult for a tool that I'm using to simplify my life.

Johnny

[ihackstuff 0]

Huh. Sorry. My pasted screenshots after the colons didn't make it to the post. Crud. Hopefully you can still make sense of it.

[DTLow 5,736]

10 minutes ago, ihackstuff said:

Back in Numbers, I look at the dropdown and see that it's now a new copy residing in my Library

I moved this discussion to the Mac forum

You're talking about two different copies of your spreadsheet
One in a file attachment to a note
The other in the iCloud Numbers library

Personally, I use the file attachment in Evernote

When I create a speadsheet and save it, I use my desktop or Evernote Import folder

[ihackstuff 0]

Oh that's helpful. Thanks. But I don't have the "@Evernote" in my "Where:" Dropdown. How do I create that?

[DTLow 5,736]

6 minutes ago, ihackstuff said:

I don't have the "@Evernote" in my "Where:" Dropdown. How do I create that?

That's a whole new topic; Creating  an import folder using Folder Acions and AppleScript

How about just saving to your desktop so you can drag the file into a note

[ihackstuff 0]

Thanks, for anyone reading this, one of the solutions is here. It's an AppleScript that does the trick. 

[DTLow 5,736]

41 minutes ago, ihackstuff said:

one of the solutions is here. It's an AppleScript that does the trick. 

Thats a script from Veritrope.
Its a great work, and quite complete with extended features

The basic script command is    
          tell application "Evernote" to create note from file new_file

[ihackstuff 0]

Thanks @DTLow! That's much simpler! :-D Thanks for all your help. I feel better. I really love Evernote, and anything I can do to improve my workflow adds seconds and eventually days to my life. :-)

[DTLow 5,736]

5 minutes ago, ihackstuff said:

anything I can do to improve my workflow adds seconds and eventually days to my life. :-)

I recommend all Mac users learn the scripting level of Evernote offered with Applescript
It improves the workflow and user experience.  
Many of the requests posted in these forum can be achieved with scripting

[ihackstuff 0]

Not to lazy web, but do you have any specific recommended pages? 

This one seems promising but I don't know if you recommend others: Wrangle Evernote with AppleScript. 

Thanks again!

[DTLow 5,736]

9 minutes ago, ihackstuff said:

Not to lazy web, but do you have any specific recommended pages? 

This one seems promising but I don't know if you recommend others: Wrangle Evernote with AppleScript. 

That's the official Evernote script documentation and it's useful

For those just starting scripting, I'd suggest starting with something simple like
     say "Hello World"

After that, I just look for existing scripts and learn from them
For example you found an Import Folder script.  You can run the script, but there's a lot to be learned from looking at the commands used