Internal Links don't survive export/import into other account

[lisec 283]

I just always assumed that internal links meant just that: links that were internal to the eco-system.

But when I exported every notebook in my 2nd account (pro) and imported into my 3rd account (also pro) none of the internal links worked.

Since the links in the original account open internally (and not on the web) I just assumed that exporting the notes would preserve the links assuming all relevant files were exported along with the files including the links.  In other words, I didn't think it mattered which account the eco-system was in, just as long as all relevant files were there.

Is this a bug or just the way it works?  And if it is just the way it works, then so much for creating some archives and moving them to a backup account  (I rely a lot on TOCs with links to notes).

[DTLow 5,736]

8 hours ago, lisec said:

I just assumed that exporting the notes would preserve the links assuming all relevant files were exported along with the files including the links.

It's just the way it works; and internal links are broken on export/import

An integral component of internal links is the note-id
The note-id is not included in the export data   
The import creates new notes; i.e. a new note-id

           Note Id                                                              Note Id repeated                                             
evernote:///view/nnnnnnn/s10/426ffa40-8613-440b-8706-317c3e6d36f0/426ffa40-8613-440b-8706-317c3e6d36f0/

fwiw  I append the note-id (internal link) to the note contents    
This allows me to switch to text search to resolve broken links

[lisec 283]

Well, it's a darned shame they could not go with "eco-sysem:noteID". It defeats the purpose of having multiple accounts on my end. I'm thinking I'll have to give up my 3 (pro) accounts and just stick with the one instead. 

[CalS 5,280]

17 hours ago, lisec said:

Well, it's a darned shame they could not go with "eco-sysem:noteID". It defeats the purpose of having multiple accounts on my end. I'm thinking I'll have to give up my 3 (pro) accounts and just stick with the one instead. 

I make sure that the link name and note title stay the same.  That way if I do have to import notes with links I can at least search on link name.  Doesn't help much if a set up leverages TOC notes for sure.  I do have a PhraseExpress hotkey which searches for highlighted text in EN.  FWIW.

[lisec 283]

I have auto-hotkey, I'm assuming I can do a similar thing, but, and it is a big but, one of the reasons I use links is to make everything easier on Android, where I always find it difficult to find anything (even when search results do come up fine the titles are all truncated and I can't distinguish between any of my notes!) . So I use Indexes a lot (TOCs) for that purpose.  I can't be sure but I think auto-hotkey and things like PhraseExpress don't work on Android.

I'll test this, but if you know for a fact it would save me some time: If I export some notes and then bring them back into the same account, do the links still work? I mean is it the fact of exporting/importing, or is it the fact of importing into a different account that kills the links?

[CalS 5,280]

42 minutes ago, lisec said:

I have auto-hotkey, I'm assuming I can do a similar thing, but, and it is a big but, one of the reasons I use links is to make everything easier on Android, where I always find it difficult to find anything (even when search results do come up fine the titles are all truncated and I can't distinguish between any of my notes!) . So I use Indexes a lot (TOCs) for that purpose.  I can't be sure but I think auto-hotkey and things like PhraseExpress don't work on Android.

I'll test this, but if you know for a fact it would save me some time: If I export some notes and then bring them back into the same account, do the links still work? I mean is it the fact of exporting/importing, or is it the fact of importing into a different account that kills the links?

Don't know about Android and PE. 

If the original of the target note is still in the data base any notes containing a link to that note can be exported/imported and the link works.  Meaning the id of the target note is embedded in the link.  So you can export and import notes into the same account as long as they are not target notes.  TOCs should import/export fine, the notes representing the links in the TOCs not so much.  Import notebook doesn't make any difference for notes containing links to another notes.  The critical bit is that the original target note is still there. 

I think this an accurate assessment of how it works.  Short answer, can't export TOC and target notes and import into a fresh account.  Works in same account if target notes hasn't been removed.

[DTLow 5,736]

22 hours ago, lisec said:

Internal Links don't survive export/import

Would shared notebooks be an alternative?
Fun fact - the note-ids are preserved for shared notebooks; internal links survive

[CalS 5,280]

44 minutes ago, DTLow said:

Would shared notebooks be an alternative?
Fun fact - the note-ids are preserved for shared notebooks; internal links survive

Can you link to a Note in a shared notebook?

[DTLow 5,736]

2 minutes ago, CalS said:

Can you link to a Note in a shared notebook?

Yes; copy link works the same

[lisec 283]

2 hours ago, DTLow said:

Would shared notebooks be an alternative?
Fun fact - the note-ids are preserved for shared notebooks; internal links survive

This wouldn't work for me. I want to export some files from my archive and just leave them on the drive to be accessed in the future if I need them. Example: I research accommodations in Toronto every year for the Toronto Film Festival. When the year is done, I want to export all that research as enex files and if I need them at some point I can just re-import. I've exported things like freezer research, Santorini accommodation, etc.  I keep a toc of the research projects and I export that as well (or I could keep that one file if it makes a difference).  

I mean one way around this particular issue is to just create a TOC on import before moving the imported files into a proper notebook. I could live with that. But in my particular case today, I imported 1,700 Woodworking files from an account I am closing, and those files were pdfs of magazines that began with a toc of articles in the magazine that were individual files. I spent SO much time on that, and now, stupid me, I see that it's all for nothing, having lost all those links. Lesson learned.  And yes, I'll keep the original account as a free one, but there are now limits on file size in free accounts and many of those files go beyond it.   I'm not tempted to recreate all those links, but if I want any of this stuff to work on Android I might have to.    Note to self: stop being so organized and just spend 10+ minutes narrowing down searches instead when looking for relevant files. (Ever try searching for mission and chair in a notebook filled with 30 years of woodworking magazines?)