Import from Apple Notes

[TTomAT 1]

I know this is an old topic and there is a solution somewhere with an Apple Mac Script to import Apple Notes into Evernote.

However, this is not working properly for me, in terms of moving ALL (or at least most) attachments like e.g. 'scanned documents' into Evernote or at least into a Mac folder structure for further manual processing.

After a year or so with Apple Notes, and still missing some of the E features, I would very much like to move back to E, as a paying user. However, without a proper importing tool, I won't be able to do that. Currently I have a little less than 1000 notes stored in Apple Notes, so exporting them note by note manually won't work for me. I'm sure there are people with way more notes who would also like to migrate from Apple to E.

I know this is a p.i.t.a., but think that developing (or officially supporting) an import tool would pay off big time for E., as it would allow many users like myself to go (back?) to Evernote.

Currently on a Macbook Pro/M1 Pro, MacOS Monterey 12.5

 

P.S. I'm not overly optimistic this will receive lots of votes ... most forum users are current Evernote users, I guess 😞 

[TTomAT 1]

I understand what you mean 🙂 

However, this is not an option for me....

Like I said, I know developing/maintaining such a tool is a p.i.t.a. 

But the script that is available here doesn't look tooooo complicated (I humbly state that, based on some basic programming skills in other (scripting) languages). Updating it in a way to name attachment folders after notes titles should not be a very big deal (the variable is there already). Reading, converting & transferring the 'scanned documents' type of attachments  might be a bigger deal though, acknowledged.

I just hoped for some of the people here who are much more skilled than me in Mac scripting to feel attracted by the challenge... 😉 

And some Evernote people to be attracted by potentially a little more revenue ... 😉 

[PinkElephant 8,115]

EN has not build specific import tools. Why ? Probably because they would have to be updating them all of the time, which is no small feat, given the number of other apps.

However, adding more content to a system that creates a lock-in is no solution neither.

If you have 1.000 notes in AN, it means worst case manually exporting 20 a day, for 50 days.

Start eating that frog every morning, and be done in 2 months. You can start adding fresh content to EN, so the froggery will eventually be over.

And when done, get a table in the best French restaurant in town. After eating so many frogs you will probably be fluent by then 😂

[Aaaaaaaaaand 1]

I also can't switch to this product because I can't import in my notes.  I went through the trouble of getting everything out of Apple notes a while back into a MD format, tried obsidian, and don't really like it. I'd prefer to use Evernote or OneNote but neither support import! If anyone actually supported it back when I was first looking, I would have done that, or at least my transition was recent, so I could copy just the changes over after importing my old notes. Now I'm just orphaned in yet another product despite a standard file type. I don't think I can justify moving to evernote if I have to copy everything manually, and the only options I have found involve installing a bunch of stuff I don't understand. I don't think Infosec would approve.

[PinkElephant 8,115]

The only option I can (theoretically) see would be to take a look at the formats EN can import. Then build an automation with Apple Script (maybe even possible with Automator or Shortcuts) to extract from Apple Notes and create an import file EN can digest.

What EN can import for sure will be ENEX.

[TTomAT 1]

I found a (well hidden) Apple feature to bulk download data from various Apple apps, including Notes. See privacy.apple.com.

After a few initial quirks (extended data protection has to be OFF), it worked beautifully. You will get a zipped file which expands into a folder structure: one folder per note, containing a TXT file with all the written notes, plus a subfolder for attached documents, images etc. Everything seems to be correct and complete.

This makes it much easier to transition from Apple Notes to Evernote:

You can bulk import all TXT files (I'm on the Mac): open the entire folder structure; mark all TXT files with CMD+click (first select 'Options-all data' to make the TXT files selectable, the default is on ENEX), then 'open'. For each TXT-file, a new Evernote note will be created, in an Import-notebook. The title will also contain creation time & date which can be modified in Evernote to reflect the actual creation date, rather than the import date.

Alas, it seems as if the attachments have to be added manually, but can be dragged & dropped quite easily from the exported Apple folder structure into the respective Evernote note. 

It's still not perfect and needs some manual work to be done, but imho easier, quicker and more accurate than exporting every single Apple Note manually into a PDF, importing the PDFs into Evernote, and also losing the original formats.

Of course, if somebody would consider to write an Apple script to automate this, to scan an entire folder and its subfolders for text files, and maybe to also move the attachments over, this would be fantastic.... 😉 unfortunately, I do not have the skills needed....!

[PinkElephant 8,115]

To really make an import, I think the better way would be to create a database from the ZIP file. Then reorganize everything to create notes, and im port them through the API instead of a client. Or build an ENEX file, and import this the usual way.

[TTomAT 1]

now all we need is someone who understands what this means and who has the skills to get it done.... 😉 

[PinkElephant 8,115]

You could create a test account and hire a freelancer on a platform. There is a lot of talent out there, and depending on their location, fees vary.

In this case I would look for somebody with python skills who already has done cloud service imports through an API.

[TTomAT 1]

hey, I'm just one person who uses notes for private and job purposes. So I'm not going to hire anyone, and if nobody makes something voluntarily, I will - maybe - migrate in the way I described above, even if it's cumbersome. I wanted to share my findings in case somebody else might still be interested.

And, I just expressed my hope that somebody might want to develop something, based on my findings, but I never seriously believed this will ever happen.

 

[PinkElephant 8,115]

I am used to put a sticker to my time as a freelancer. It’s always cheaper and more effective to let somebody do a job who knows the basics already.

But up to you how to handle it.

[TTomAT 1]

the process I described is completely free from any need for in-depth (or even basic) IT development skills. Just a little Mac OS experience will be fine.

A professionally developed solution will of course be smoother and less cumbersome.

[The Cinematic Guy 6]

yes, please implement!!