(Archived) questions while evaluating Evernote

[jimr67 0]

I'm just starting with Evernote and need some help with the following questions. In working with the Evernote Windows application:

* Can the app be set up to automatically sync when I close the application? I use different machines at different locations for work, and I want to be certain that notes captured at one location will be available at the other - even if I quit the application between scheduled sync times or I forget to manually sync.

* Can the app be set to pop up the "new note" window when I choose to add something to Evernote using the web clipping tool, so I can immediately add tags and comments without needing to navigate to Evernote?

* In the premiums version, if I add a Word or other Office document, how is it stored in Evernote -- as a copy, a link, as note text (without formatting?), something else? Does the Office document in Evernote link to the Office document location on my network (or can it be set to do this) so if I click on the Word doc I can edit the original directly?

* Any way to import all the entries from an existing Wordpress blog as a set of notes? I have a blog that I've used as my notebook for some time and would like to move the content into Evernote.

* Can you search for all notes that have not been given tags yet - for example if save 5 items from the web during some session then want to go into Evernote to update them with tags and notes?

Thanks for the help.

Jim

[engberg 89]

Currently, the application will synchronize periodically, or when you manually hit the sync button. There isn't currently a "sync on close" option.

There also isn't an "open in new window on clip" option, but this would be useful.

If you attach a Premium file type to a note, we store the full file itself within the note and synchronize this to the service. Then, you can double-click on that to open it in your local editor.

If you could export your blog to HTML files, you could import those HTML files, but I don't think we have a way to directly import from WordPress.

If you type this into the search box, you'll find all notes with no tags:

-tag:*

[cliftondc 0]

I second the "Change on close" feature. I am constantly adding notes on one computer and expecting it to be synced when I get to another computer. If I close down the application, it would be great if it synchronized before closing (maybe in the background).

Thanks!

[Flier 19]

* In the premiums version, if I add a Word or other Office document, how is it stored in Evernote -- as a copy, a link, as note text (without formatting?), something else? Does the Office document in Evernote link to the Office document location on my network (or can it be set to do this) so if I click on the Word doc I can edit the original directly?

I am in the same situation as the OP, trying to understand.

One thing I thought EN might be useful for is to collect documents and notes about a subject. But when I drag and drop a PDF into an EN notebook, it appears to be a first-in, never-out process. That is, I can never get the PDF back again. It is locked inside EN and can only be "exported" in idiosyncratic formats that are of no use to me.

So,

(1) Correct?

(2) Are other documents (Word, etc.) also first-in, never-out?

(3) If the source document is modified, are the changes reflected in EN?

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

One thing I thought EN might be useful for is to collect documents and notes about a subject. But when I drag and drop a PDF into an EN notebook, it appears to be a first-in, never-out process. That is, I can never get the PDF back again. It is locked inside EN and can only be "exported" in idiosyncratic formats that are of no use to me.

So,

(1) Correct?

(2) Are other documents (Word, etc.) also first-in, never-out?

(3) If the source document is modified, are the changes reflected in EN?

You can get the attachments out in various ways. IE, images, right click, picture, save as. PDF, right click, PDF, Save PDF document. Etc.

Evernote does not sync changes to the original document on your hard drive. The changes only exist on the copy in Evernote. If you change the original on your hard drive, the changes are not reflected in Evernote.

[Flier 19]

You can get the attachments out in various ways. IE, images, right click, picture, save as. PDF, right click, PDF, Save PDF document. Etc.

Thanks. That is good to know. But I cannot figure out how to do it. All I find is the "Export" --

"You can then choose what file type you would like, .enex

 (Evernote Backup), .html, .mht, or .txt." (from the manual)

Can you give me additional guidance?

Evernote does not sync changes to the original document on your hard drive. The changes only exist on the copy in Evernote. If you change the original on your hard drive, the changes are not reflected in Evernote.

So it saves a copy. That's good. It will still be there if I delete the source document then.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

You can get the attachments out in various ways. IE, images, right click, picture, save as. PDF, right click, PDF, Save PDF document. Etc.

Thanks. That is good to know. But I cannot figure out how to do it. All I find is the "Export" --

"You can then choose what file type you would like, .enex

 (Evernote Backup), .html, .mht, or .txt." (from the manual)

Can you give me additional guidance?

.

If you're using WIndows, please re-read above. (You must select the image/PDF/whatever before right clicking.) If you're using Mac, I don't know. Someone else will need to help you with Mac.

So it saves a copy. That's good. It will still be there if I delete the source document then.

This can be a double edged sword. If the document is something that's rarely changed & is in EN as a backup and/or ability to be referenced anywhere via EN, then it's nice to have the backup document on your computer. OTOH, if you change this document often, you'd probably want to not have the original on the hard drive (IE, not have two copies of the same document) so you don't get mixed up & make some changes to the copy in Evernote & some changes to the one on the hard drive. OR...if you make many changes to the copy in EN & delete it accidentally & don't have a backup of your Evernote database, then the original on the hard drive won't help much.

[Flier 19]

If you're using WIndows, please re-read above.

To the extent a communication is not understood by its recipient, that is a failure of the communicator, not of the recipient.

Probably you are trying to say that I can open an item in its native application, then save it from there. That is:

1) obvious

2) not a capability of the EN application and, hence,

3) a workaround.

It would be trivial to add a little code to the note's right-click event to allow the user to pop a file dialog and save the file directly. Probably less than ten lines including the error handing. From what I have seen the design philosophy of EN is somewhat self-centered, so that is probably why this did not occur to them.

This can be a double edged sword. ... blah, blah ...

Obviously.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

To the extent a communication is not understood by its recipient, that is a failure of the communicator, not of the recipient.

Not always. But I'm sure that's always the way a recipient would look at it if they feel the need to place blame somewhere.

Your original question regarding PDFs:

But when I drag and drop a PDF into an EN notebook, it appears to be a first-in, never-out process. That is, I can never get the PDF back again. It is locked inside EN and can only be "exported" in idiosyncratic formats that are of no use to me.

Probably you are trying to say that I can open an item in its native application, then save it from there.

Nope. IF you're using Windows, I can't think of a more explicit way to say this other than to click the image/pdf & right click. (shrug) What you described (open in native app & save as) is the way to save Word, Excel, etc documents. I'm not sure why you care if it's part of EN or a work around. Your original question regarding Word documents was:

(2) Are other documents (Word, etc.) also first-in, never-out?

And the answer is NO, they are not lost in the Evernote world for the rest of time. It is NOT done, however by using the EXPORT function.

This can be a double edged sword. ... blah, blah ...

Obviously.

Odd that you think I'm not explicit with the first item but the 2nd item, it's like an 8 y/o saying "I KNOW."

[SaraS 5]

It would be trivial to add a little code to the note's right-click event to allow the user to pop a file dialog and save the file directly. Probably less than ten lines including the error handing. From what I have seen the design philosophy of EN is somewhat self-centered, so that is probably why this did not occur to them.

This statement puzzles me since I've been using a save as command under the right-click menu to do exactly this for some time. I'm not sure why this thread is so confused, but I just double-checked in the most recent version of the Windows app...

1. Right-click on my PDF file. Big menu pops up.

2. In that big menu, go to "PDF". A little flyout menu pops up.

3. In that little flyout menu, pick "Save PDF Document"

4. A traditional Save As dialog pops up. Hit OK and my document is saved on my hard drive, no longer locked within EN.

Is this what you are trying to do, or am I somehow misunderstanding your statement?

One other comment...it is important to remember that those of us whose names don't show up in red are NOT evernote employees...just ordinary users like you who are trying to help. Volunteers in other words. Insulting people who are using their own time to help you out is...well, not really all that nice. Just saying.

[Flier 19]

Is this what you are trying to do, or am I somehow misunderstanding your statement?

Nope. That's what I wanted to do and now I see it. I was right-clicking on the note item in the list of notes, where I get the export dialog but nothing about saving the file in its native format. That is the right-click event I was talking about and where I was expecting to find a save-as dialog option. Thanks.

[SaraS 5]

One other thing I've noticed in the Windows app -- if you have a note selected, you can choose File > Save Attachments to save all the attachments in whatever location you want. I don't see this option on the Mac side, which I hope will be remedied as it is a handy thing if some of your notes have several attachments. This also works if you open up the note in its own window.

[Skilover 2]

Right Click does NOT give the choice to delete an attachment on the Mac. There are other choices, but NOT delete.

[jefito 5,589]

Right Click does NOT give the choice to delete an attachment on the Mac. There are other choices, but NOT delete.

It doesn't in the Windows client either, and it doesn't say anywhere in this thread that it does. The Windows client does say 'Cut', however, which is the same thing in this case, and you can also select an attachment and just press the Delete key, and that deletes it, too. Perhaps you can do one of those things on your Mac, too.