Problems when duplicating (copy/paste) a PDF file + saving changes in the file

[Carlos Cadu 16]

Hi,

 

I recorded my screen (http://goo.gl/RG5DXT) showing if I select a PDF in a note, then copy/paste Evernote is creating a document with another name. Actually, this other name was a former name document had, but since I am copying a document with "name a" doesn't make sense the duplicate be named "b". I would really appreciate help to understand better:

 

a) Why is Evernote pasting using different file name? How to duplicate a PDF (I suppose other documents should be the same) the right and efficient way?  

 

I also edited the content of the document and saved it, but Evernote didin't save the change. Actually, Evernote is automatically adding a "1" at the end of the file name and the mess maybe is in it. Anyway, I was expecting just to open the document and save my changes without many problems as I am facing. Why my changes weren't saved?

 

Many thanks,

 

Cadu

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

@Cadu:

 

I'm not sure what Evernote is doing when you copy/paste an attachment from one Note to another.

Evernote has NOT published any info on this.

 

But may I ask, why would you want to do this?  A long-time, well-established data management best practice says that as soon as you have the same data in two different places, one of them will become wrong/out-of-date.

 

So, I'd suggest that if you need to refer to the PDF in multiple Notes, then put the PDF in a Note by itself, and then use Note Links in all other Notes that need to refer to that PDF.

 

But if you must duplicate the PDF, then I'd suggest that you first right-click on the PDF in the Note, and choose "Save As" and save to your local drive.  Then, drag/drog this PDF from your file system into any other Notes.  But again, I don't recommend this process.  Use the above process of having the PDF in one Note.

[Carlos Cadu 16]

But may I ask, why would you want to do this?  A long-time, well-established data management best practice says that as soon as you have the same data in two different places, one of them will become wrong/out-of-date.

 

I have I PDF saved inside evernote. I don`t have a local copy stored in my computer, just evernote.

I highlighted all this PDF.

Now I need to send the PDF to other person and because of that I duplicated the PDF inside the note. Then I opened it and tried to remove the highlights, saving a blank PDF again. I would attach this PDF to a e-mail, or even I would keep the original (without highlights) by duplicating (copy/paste) the PDF in same note, highlighting and making other edits just in the copy.

In any case I do need to have two files of the same PDF and Evernote is messing with my duplicated files!

[gazumped 11,666]

Hi.  You are over-complicating the process though..  a PDF saved into an Evernote note is a separate document from anything saved on your hard drive.  You can open that PDF for editing and highlighting,  and when you do that,  Evernote saves a copy on your hard drive so that the software doing the editing can behave normally.  Most apps wouldn't know what to do with part of an Evernote database - they need an old-fashioned xyz.PDF file to save changes.  When you close that file normally,  it is saved back to the note.  When you 'save as' there are safeguards built into Windows that automatically add a '1' (2,3,4...) after the file name if the original already exists.  So it's not Evernote adding the numbers,  it's your Windows desktop.

 

Now.  When you've edited a PDF file and need to go back to the original and remove all your changes,  I'd suggest that you first open the file from the Evernote note,  and Save As <yourfile.original.pdf> or something similar on your desktop.  Then edit that file back to the original state,  saving it to your desktop each time.  Once you're happy that it's completely repaired,  you could save a copy of that file alongside your edited version in the same note,  as well as sending the file to whoever needs it.

 

In future you might want to save an original version first as yourfile_01.PDF and attach it to your note,  then save any changed versions as _02, _03 etc versions as necessary.

[Carlos Cadu 16]

In future you might want to save an original version first as yourfile_01.PDF and attach it to your note,  then save any changed versions as _02, _03 etc versions as necessary.

 

Many thanks for tips.

 

Process a]

So for "any changed versions as _02, _03 etc" I should:

1. Open any PDF from Evernote and edit it as I wish.

2. Save the PDF to the Windows desktop (e.g. version 2).

3. Insert the PDF again into evernote. 

Is it what you mean, ways being necessary to ping-pong files between desktop-evernote? 

 

Process b]

When I first tried to handle PDFs (an any other documents) through Evernote I thought on a simpler process closed to only Evernote environment:

1. Save PDF into Evernote once forever!

2. If I need to edit a second version I would just to copy/paste the first version PDF inside same note, then renaming file since Evernote allows it. After editing I would just press save (ctrl+s).

 

So I am getting process b doesn't work.

 

Best

[gazumped 11,666]

You're almost there - the second process b would actually would work,  but Evernote also has a protection built in (to protect you,  the user...) not to hold two copies of the same file.  If you copy/ paste a file (name),  all you get is a link to the same embedded file.  It's confusing,  but sensible.  Kinda.  Safer to follow process a!

[Carlos Cadu 16]

Considering the plenty of my threads you have addressed answers, I should take this opportunity to say many many thanks. I have learned a lot from you! 

[Carlos Cadu 16]

Regarding the "process a" and "process b" discussed above, I realized Evernote Android is totally capable on handling "process b" (process closed to only Evernote environment without workarounds with the OS).

 

As illustrated in the following screenshot, when you open a PDF from the Evernote Android, edit it and then leave the editing app (e.g. Repligo, Acrobat), so Evernote asks: "Add to the note or replace the original?" (screenshot=> http://www.evernote.com/l/Aea9U8aJmhNGU6ZH9XExzXpcL8dxF6mY8ZU/)

 

If I choose "append new" Evernote will create a second PDF file storing the editing done. The output is the same note has now the first (original PDF) + the second PDF file.

 

The process is so neat and easy to handle that I am wondering if through Evernote Windows it would be possible to handle similar operation like "append new" in order to save a second PDF file (the edited one) without having to save it first to Windows and then attach it into evernote again. In short, I am just trying to stick as most as possible in operations with documents (mainly PDF, DOC, and XLS) inside only the Evernote environment. 

 

Any further reflection would be very welcomed!

[gazumped 11,666]

I don't know how complicated it would be to offer the 'replace or add' option - the Android OS may have options built into it that Windows doesn't.  If I open a PDF file (forinstance) from a note and simply save it,  then it will automatically go into that note.  If I Save As,  the file could be saved in any folder on any drive,  but (as yet) there is no option to save it back into the note from which it was opened.  It's a good feature request though.  For the moment all you need do is save the file to your desktop and drag/ drop it into the same note to add,  or save it to an Import folder to automatically create a new note with the new version.