Import Apple notes, Microsoft sticky notes, Samsung notes and Microsoft OneNote

[Fgsf 3]

What's the best way to import each of these into latest Evernote with most formatting,  functionality and recognition in tact?

 

Apple notes

Microsoft sticky notes

Samsung notes

Microsoft OneNote

[gazumped 12,021]

Hi.  Evernote can 'import' (File>Import) ENEX and TXT files directly,  and through use of one or more Import Folder(s),  it can take in content in other formats like HTML, PDF and DOCX.  These various methods can display differently and may or may not allow you to transfer any special features like tags or links across from one format to the other.  Your various options will have their own export choices and you may need to experiment to determine the best.  For small numbers you'll also have copy and paste,  and HTML files displayed in a browser can be clipped.

You will also have the option to do nothing - leave your history in the older formats,  and just convert anything current to Evernote as and when you find it necessary.

Evernote has some (not very helpful) comments on this topic here - Import content from other apps into Evernote.

I'm afraid the best method depends on what you have to transfer across,  and what you want to achieve.  Some experimentation will be necessary!

[Fgsf 3]

Is there no other way to mass export/import everything into Evernote? How does one even export a Microsoft sticky note?

[agsteele 3,055]

Each of these services have their own options for export. I noticed another thread where someone has located a means of importing a Markdown file. Because ENEX is an XML format it is technically possible to create a file for import via a text message process but it would be hard work and not possible to include attachments.

So, practically, I think the answer is no unless you can export into a format that exports to ENEX. A two step process seems most likely.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,998]

19 hours ago, Fgsf said:

Is there no other way to mass export/import everything into Evernote? How does one even export a Microsoft sticky note?

Respectfully, that might be a question for a Microsoft support forum, and maybe likewise for the other formats. There isn't going to be a direct import into Evernote without an export from the other note formats first, and each of them may have its own specific procedures.

[karlos1234 16]

to import apple notes and other markdown files I wrote a tool that does this, and generates a .enex file that can be imported. first you have to export all apple notes to markdown. more details here:

 

[Fgsf 3]

23 hours ago, karlos1234 said:

to import apple notes and other markdown files I wrote a tool that does this, and generates a .enex file that can be imported. first you have to export all apple notes to markdown. more details here:

 

Awesome.

 

Do we basically need to convert things to markdown file format somehow and on our local PC then run the tool to convert it to Evernote file type and then import it to Evernote?

[karlos1234 16]

Correct. For every markdown file in the provided directory, it combines them into a  single .enex file, with file create/modified dates for each note the same as the files on disk - then you can import this file into Evernote. I linked in the post above to an exporter for OSX that preserves these date/times on the exported files. If anyone wants to help improve the tool please let me know; it doesn't support attachments now for example, and it would be nice to turn it into a docker container or even something installable by brew for example.

It turns the markdown into HTML using Pandoc, and then formats this HTML in the ENML format that Evernote wants.

Edited September 26, 2022 by karlos1234
clarified wording

[eric99 1,077]

1 hour ago, karlos1234 said:

Correct. For every markdown file in the provided directory, it generates a .enex file, with file create/modified dates for each note the same as the files on disk - then you can import this file into Evernote. I linked in the post above to an exporter for OSX that preserves these date/times on the exported files. If anyone wants to help improve the tool please let me know; it doesn't support attachments now for example, and it would be nice to turn it into a docker container or even something installable by brew for example.

It turns the markdown into HTML using Pandoc, and then formats this HTML in the ENML format that Evernote wants.

is ENML the same as ENEX?

[Fgsf 3]

This seems like such a critical and market share gaining feature that is missing. Imagine being able to easily import some or all of these into Evernote as part of the application!

[karlos1234 16]

2 hours ago, eric99 said:

is ENML the same as ENEX?

No - an ENEX file contains multiple notes - each note is in ENML (roughly). ENEX is defined here:
https://evernote.com/blog/how-evernotes-xml-export-format-works/

The note metadata is stored in ENEX, and the note contents are in ENML, which is basically a subset of XHTML.

[PinkElephant 8,695]

@Fgsf  Imagine all these apps, most of them unwilling to offer a sound export. Imagine all the dev hours invested into such a project, just to write them off because the source app changed the data format of the export. Imagine all the claims from users that something went wrong in the import - just to find out that they had no understanding that the basic structure of the source and the target app does not allow to move the information 1:1.

Such a project is a classical sinkhole, because it depends on the actions of others. It is an uphill fight, permanently. There are IMHO better uses of resources to improve the product for all users - putting the existing users into the focus, not the maybe’s today using other solutions.

[Fgsf 3]

@PinkElephant Out of curiosity, have you always basically used Evernote or have the bulk of your notes in it? 

And, what improvements and new features do you want to see in Evernote?

[PinkElephant 8,695]

Pretty sure anybody has its own priorities. My priority would be to rebuild syncing from scratch, to a „granular“ syncing architecture that only syncs the small part of a note that has really changed. This would not only allow better syncing, but improved collaboration on shared notes, outlining and other features as well.

From the hints we get I hope this is currently in the making.

[eric99 1,077]

8 hours ago, karlos1234 said:

No - an ENEX file contains multiple notes - each note is in ENML (roughly). ENEX is defined here:
https://evernote.com/blog/how-evernotes-xml-export-format-works/

The note metadata is stored in ENEX, and the note contents are in ENML, which is basically a subset of XHTML.

Can you directly import ENML into evernote, without wrapping it in ENEX ?

[gazumped 12,021]

4 hours ago, eric99 said:

Can you directly import ENML into evernote, without wrapping it in ENEX ?

I'm no expert, but I'd guess that's a yes and no answer.  Evernote notes are ENML so yes,  in theory,  properly formatted ENML will 'appear' as a note.  But without the correct headers and footers to identify it as such,  you're more likely to corrupt the database than add to it.

[eric99 1,077]

5 hours ago, gazumped said:

I'm no expert, but I'd guess that's a yes and no answer.  Evernote notes are ENML so yes,  in theory,  properly formatted ENML will 'appear' as a note.  But without the correct headers and footers to identify it as such,  you're more likely to corrupt the database than add to it.

As a windows user, I've never seen an ENML file but I think that this was the note format on Apple computers.

[Fgsf 3]

@PinkElephant I'd take that suggested improvement

As for me, priority would be on supporting handwriting to text, equations, formulas and so on similar to OneNote. So that Evernote can truly become the default native note taking app.

 

And some tools/options, even if standalone/external scripts, to allow us to import our notes from other platforms into Evernote would be my next request. Have considerable notes on the mentioned apps with no easy or real way to import all of them easily into Evernote.

 

Ability to add custom time reminders to a task would be next. Instead of just the 4 current options, a custom timed reminder option would allow more flexibility for the task as appropriate. Reminder sound effect would be nice too.

[karlos1234 16]

14 hours ago, eric99 said:

Can you directly import ENML into evernote, without wrapping it in ENEX ?

I don't think so. You could try. ENEX is a fairly simple format however.

[dplatter 3]

On 9/9/2022 at 5:14 AM, karlos1234 said:

to import apple notes and other markdown files I wrote a tool that does this, and generates a .enex file that can be imported. first you have to export all apple notes to markdown. more details here:

 

This is VERY impressive. Wow.