Improve note backup easily

[robe070 4]

Evernote desktop takes a copy of a note "several times a day". When this occurs is unclear. This is Note History

My need is to take a copy of a note at important times. Like I'm going to lunch. Or I'm about to make some major changes to this recently created note and so I'd like to ensure that I have the before and after version.

So the request is to add a manual history shortcut key. When pressed, another copy of the current note only is added to the history, if its changed, just like the automatic history. It uses the same mechanism as the current Note History. This runs on the server. So the short cut needs to sync the current note, instigate a history copy on the server and update the local note with the new history copy.

You could also help to mitigate sync failures by allowing a user to choose to have every note that is synced copied to history too. Maybe per Notebook. A user might then be able to check the history to see that at least a copy has been held locally. Given that sync may fail quietly, its good to be able to eyeball the saved history.

I note that history is kept for deleted items too. Thats cool. I didn't expect it.

[DTLow 5,736]

1 hour ago, robe070 said:

Evernote desktop takes a copy of a note "several times a day".

I think you're referring to the Note History feature.  This backup is run on the servers and is not restricted to the desktop platforms

Re: deleted notes - the Note History backup is deleted when notes are deleted, and the Trash is emptied. This is one of the reasons I maintain my own backups

An alternative is to implement your own backup process.  You can implement your own controls and timing.

 

[robe070 4]

Yes, Note History.

Thats interesting. OK, so then when does it occur and how long between the copy being taken and it being synced to the desktop?

And the request still stands. Higher level view is "I want a history copy taken now of this note if it has changed please." And preferably sync it back as part of the same sync. So then I have a local copy of it in that state.

Premium only feature given its taking extra server resources to store the extra copies. Though there may not be that many as a change will appear in history anyway. This just adds a few extra copies. If the extra data might kill this idea, then you could have an option to turn the feature on.

[DTLow 5,736]

29 minutes ago, robe070 said:

so then when does it occur and how long between the copy being taken and it being synced to the desktop?

As you said, the backup is "several times a day". We're not given any other details.

Note, there is no sync back to the desktop.  The backup data is stored on the servers and only retrieved when the Note History feature is accessed for a note

[robe070 4]

I'd like not to be ignorant of when the history copies are made. Evernote, will you tell us?

Well at least the part about having a copy locally of the changes and knowing that its synced to the server is proven by having a history item. Objective achieved.

Now just need to have the ability to make a copy on demand of the current note. That would involve a sync and a behind-the-scenes history copy. Then just View History and voila we know the job has been done. And a copy has been made of our 'important' state.

[DTLow 5,736]

A demand History Backup button is a good idea and works with the Note History feature.

I would drop the local copy and desktop items from your request.  This implies a completely different product

btw  Which desktop platform are you using, Windows or Mac.
I maintain a local Note History on my Mac using scripting.  
- This allows me to set my own parameters, such as timing
- It also solves the problem of history being lost when the note is deleted

[robe070 4]

17 hours ago, DTLow said:

I would drop the local copy and desktop items from your request.  

I've edited the idea to make it clearer that its just using the current Note History plumbing to end up with the local note having a new history copy in the Note History. This was always the intention. Where it occurred - not on the desktop but on the Server - is what this discussion has clarified.

17 hours ago, DTLow said:

btw  Which desktop platform are you using, Windows or Mac.

All of them that are in my signature. Windows, Mac and iPhone. And Windows is my main platform

[CalS 5,280]

18 hours ago, robe070 said:

 

I'd like not to be ignorant of when the history copies are made

 

Not sure this is a fact, but my experience says a history copy is made whenever you modify a note which you haven't changed "recently", maybe as quickly as an hour.  But EN does not create a history note for every change.

EDIT:  Here's a sample:

[DTLow 5,736]

6 hours ago, robe070 said:

1. 5 hours ago, robe070 said:

All of them that are in my signature. Windows, Mac and iPhone. And Windows is my main platform

Sorry, I completely overlooked your signature.

Two workarounds

1. Simply use the Duplicate Note function to create a version copy
2. Implement your own demand versioning backup.  
   Windows is less scriptable than Mac, but I'm thinking of a note export, with the time stamp appended to the title.  
   My backups are run on a Mac overnight, but I could add a demand option