User Notes Archive to .rtf

[Outis]

Is there a way to export/archive a (big) user notes file to a .rtf file?

 

I tried to "save as text" but it said that it couldn't handle anything over 1000 verses.

 

Any thoughts?

[Mark Allison]

You should be able to simply copy and paste into an .rft document.

[Outis]

I think I'm not giving enough information.  What if I need to archive the entire user notes file to .rtf or some other format (even .txt if I have to)?  I have *lots* of notes typed out. And I'd hate to see them go away if (God forbid) Accordance goes away.  Is there a way to archive an entire user notes file as .rtf?

[Mark Allison]

I'm still not understanding why Edit --> Select All, then copy and paste into a text document won't work.

[Fabian]

I've tried without the Edit way. Simply cmd+A, cmd+C and paste it in Word. 

 

This worked for me.

 

Greetings

 

Fabian

[Outis]

Fabian, if I try the Cmd-a, cmd-c method, I get as far as copy and the error pops up:  "No more than 500 verses (or paragraphs in a tool) can be copied at one time.  In order to export all of the selected text, use the “Save Text Selection” menu item."

 

I have a large user notes file.  So I can't figure out how to export/copy it from my user notes file.

[Fabian]

I've tried before with the Greek Audio Notes from the Accordance Exchange, and there was no restriction. Maybe the 260 chapter was not enough to bring the pop-up.

I've tried now with the Hebrew Audio Notes from the Accordance Exchange, now I've got the same restriction. This seems to be the copy right restriction. But this has for me only to be active for modules which Accordance sell and not for User Notes, Imported Bibles etc.

 

Greetings

 

Fabian

[Lester P. Bagley]

As a long time user, I'm seldom impressed by criticisms of Accordance. But Outis has pointed out an important issue that needs to be fixed.

 

This issue represents a serious flaw in Accordance. User notes should NOT be subject to any limits on export. It is a HUGE waste of time and effort to select and copy the required limited pieces in order to copy to a printable document. It seriously NEEDS to be a higher priority for correcting this flaw!

[R. Mansfield]

Agreed that this needs to be corrected. I doubt it's an intentional limitation. I'm sure this has been seen by those who need to see it, but just in case, I'll pass it on internally.

[Julia Falling]

Fabian, if I try the Cmd-a, cmd-c method, I get as far as copy and the error pops up:  "No more than 500 verses (or paragraphs in a tool) can be copied at one time.  In order to export all of the selected text, use the “Save Text Selection” menu item."

 

I have a large user notes file.  So I can't figure out how to export/copy it from my user notes file.

 

I have had the same problem.  I do a lot of backing up in Accordance, but trying to back-up to text file is really a problem.  After reading this thread, I did back up my main Notes file in Pages by copying and pasting in chunks.  Just in case anyone is interested, Pages can handle a very large file!  I did not reduce font size (kept it at 16, just like it is in Accordance Prefs).  I ended up with 999 pages.  Reducing the point size to 12 gave me 624 pages in Pages.

 

I checked to make sure I got it all as I went along.  The longer version included my last notes.  I got no warning message from Pages.  Reducing the font size did make the little beach ball show up, however.

Edited January 2, 2021 by Julia Falling

[R. Mansfield]

I'm assuming we still can't copy and paste images, right? I've been adding lots of images to my notes :-)

[Julia Falling]

Rick –

 

I've added only one image that I could find.  You're right – it didn't copy.

[Outis]

I realize that this thread is a little old. But I think it's important to re-address the issue.  I initially brought up this issue by calling Accordance Tech Support. They said I should post the issue on the forum.  So I posted the issue and received no substantive feedback from the programmers and developers.  I then called tech support again a couple of days ago. And yep, you guessed it, they suggested posting this issue to the forum.  So here I am, yet again, hoping that this issue will be heard and addressed.

 

My user notes are about 160 megs in size. That's what happens when you are encouraged by Accordance to use Accordance for your sermon preparation. And also, remember, years ago there was no way to link between tools. So you had to copy what you wanted into your user notes from other tools. And often this is still the best way to take notes still now.  So, here I am, with a user notes file that is about 160 megs big.

 

The problem with this is that, according to they guy I spoke to in tech support, the larger the user notes file is, the more susceptible it is to corruption. So his advice was to break the user notes up into separate, smaller user note files. But even these would most likely be too big to be backed up into some sort of non-Accordance format file (e.g.   .rtf)  due to its size.

 

It is discongruous to, on the one hand, say "Use Accordance to study for your sermons and papers" and then say, "But don't use it so much that your user note files get too big—because then they get corrupted easily."  It is discongruous to say, "Now use Accordance to write your papers and prepare for your sermons" but then not give any ability to back up and archive your user notes and tools to a non-Accordance format so that, if the files are corrupted or Accordance goes out of business, you still have your information.

 

I've been using Accordance for 15 years now. And up until this point, I've been very content. But now I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm being punished for doing the very thing I was invited to do years ago:  use Accordance often.  I live in fear that my bloated user notes will become corrupted and then all those years of detailed-note-taking will be lost. And, in the end, I would be the one would be blamed for this, when I was just simply following the advice I received when I first started using Accordance to use it often for all my bible-related needs.

 

So programers and developers, since I'm told I cannot contact you through tech support and here is the only way to reach you, please hear this as a strongly-worded suggestion:  Please work on two things:  (1)  The overall stability of user notes (and user tools too).  I care very little about adding extra features (e.g. paper-writing and outlining) if, when I use it extensively it become thoroughly unstable and corruptible.  (2)  Please work out an archive 'dump' feature.  What I envision is the ability to dump all your user notes (and ideally your user tools too) into a disk image with unicode text files that are not dependent on Accordance (.rtf or something else).  

 

Please, please, address this issue. For it is not a small one.  It is a fundamental, systemic problem in Accordance. And it has endured for years now without receiving the 'priority' that it needs, while, obviously other features (paper-writing and outlining) have received precedent instead.

[Fabian]

And please the other way too. 

 

To install it  as Notes again. Also other Works. Helen said here in the forums, that first other projects are more important. So I wait.

Edited November 18, 2016 by Fabian

[Helen Brown]

Most of the developers are with me at the AAR/SBL annual meetings. They have noted your post, Outis, and will take your concerns into serious consideration once we are over the hump of the release of 12 and these important meetings.

[Michel Gilbert]

Hi,

 

I know that Acc fixed some issues with the Notes with regard to text entry, Unicode, etc., and I greatly appreciate it. But I agree with Outis that this is also a fundamental issue.

 

FWIW the reported issues about Notes, especially regarding syncing and corrupted files, have made me shy away from using Acc for Notes, and therefore the entire Acc program in general. And, the fact that they are in a proprietary format that can't be backed up to a non-proprietary one has sealed the deal.

 

So, for example, when I use Acc for the syntax database, I type my notes in BW, which are saved as rtf files, easily backed up and able to be opened in other programs. I wish I could use Acc, but I don't want to risk losing my notes, even if there is a very low probability of that happening. I mean, that's why we back up our hard disks in the first place, even if the probability of losing data is very small.

 

You might think my user case is unique and doesn't represent even a small minority. But, I do tell people my honest opinion of Acc, and, I think that my concerns would be typical for many scholars considering the program. With that in mind, I also want to highlight what Outis said about Unicode export.

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Michel

[Outis]

Thanks for letting me know that you taking these issues into consideration, Helen.

 

—Steve Bauer.

[Joshua Poehls]

I've been using Accordance Lite lately and have been considering purchasing the full version. I found this post as part of my research because the portability of any User Notes I may enter is critically important to me. I'm a proponent of open formats and easy export of my content in any program I use. I'm definitely new to Accordance, but I haven't found a way to export my User Notes to an open format beyond copy/paste. Is this really still the state of things after 2 years since this thread was opened?

 

I'm hoping I just missed the button. Thanks.

[Unix]

Backing up every user's every User Note frequently in an automatised way would cause non-proportionate load on the server handling that, but I'd suggest:

1. An extra feature which users who need it would need to pay for, for automatised back-up to a server and for exporting user-created content.
2. It would also be good with options: BOTH a global one, and a note-specific one whether wanting to have the User Note or other format of content in question backed up.

Reasons I would not want everything backed-up include that not everything has any value at all, and that it would also use up internet data quota, which for me is capped and even if my quota wouldn't be limited in any way I'd still be concerned about the amount of unnecessary data traffic, especially on any servers OakTree would own or pay rent/usage for. I want to be able make less important notes with good conscience that it won't incur anyone any costs.

 

If publisher relations and copyright rules allow the feature of exporting user content should be implemented, for an added fee. I'd imagine one way would be to limit for users who have paid extra for the exporting how much of a copyrighted book it is possible to copy within the Accordance software. I would think that would prevent any undue taking advantage of the exporting features, but would still allow those with actual reasons to back-up their OWN work and notes to do so.
Which books are copyrighted and which ones are not, is something that there needs to be an awareness of anyway, both at the company level and among those users who need to utilise a book extensively, and this doesn't change frequently. Just now three days ago books from 1923 that had the 95-Year copyright rule were put into the public domain - which is a very rare occasion and I doubt there are that many Accordance modules affected right now or in the coming several Years.

 

I'm happy to purchase Accordance products knowing that any form of circumventing of copyrights is hard or impossible. And it can easily remain so.

[Rich]

Backing up every user's every User Note frequently in an automatised way would cause non-proportionate load on the server handling that, but I'd suggest:

1. An extra feature which users who need it would need to pay for, for automatised back-up to a server and for exporting user-created content.
2. It would also be good with options: BOTH a global one, and a note-specific one whether wanting to have the User Note or other format of content in question backed up.

Reasons I would not want everything backed-up include that not everything has any value at all, and that it would also use up internet data quota, which for me is capped and even if my quota wouldn't be limited in any way I'd still be concerned about the amount of unnecessary data traffic, especially on any servers OakTree would own or pay rent/usage for. I want to be able make less important notes with good conscience that it won't incur anyone any costs.

 

If publisher relations and copyright rules allow the feature of exporting user content should be implemented, for an added fee. I'd imagine one way would be to limit for users who have paid extra for the exporting how much of a copyrighted book it is possible to copy within the Accordance software. I would think that would prevent any undue taking advantage of the exporting features, but would still allow those with actual reasons to back-up their OWN work and notes to do so.

Which books are copyrighted and which ones are not, is something that there needs to be an awareness of anyway, both at the company level and among those users who need to utilise a book extensively, and this doesn't change frequently. Just now three days ago books from 1923 that had the 95-Year copyright rule were put into the public domain - which is a very rare occasion and I doubt there are that many Accordance modules affected right now or in the coming several Years.

 

I'm happy to purchase Accordance products knowing that any form of circumventing of copyrights is hard or impossible. And it can easily remain so.

 

 

I don't think exporting my comments necessarily requires any exporting of copyrighted content.  I would just want the notes — notes I created, a long with a reference (this is obviously fairly easy with notes on Bible texts, maybe less so elsewhere).   Also, any copyrighted material in my generated notes is the users responsibility, not Oaktree's.  Also, notes are stored locally and could be exported locally.  That wouldn't require any server processing — and Oaktree doesn't appear to have any server processing capability of our data now (no sync servers, etc) — they just leverage Dropbox syncing.

 

While copy/paste works for a smaller data set — and something I did often in the early years of my Accordance library, it doesn't scale to voluminous amounts of notes.  Most larger vendors have realized the need to provide flexible access to user generated content and now provide export mechanisms (Evernote, Apple, Google, etc) — although they have a lot more resources available to do so.   I actually went and looked at the local notes files in a hex editor to see if they were in a discernible format that I could write a quick export tool but they are not. 

 

Having this capability would certainly provide a level of peace of mind — particularly as the time and effort invested and notes files grow larger.  That said, I understand the balance of yet another feature request competing against others with only so many development hours available to apply. 

[Joshua Poehls]

I actually went and looked at the local notes files in a hex editor to see if they were in a discernible format that I could write a quick export tool but they are not.

 

I did the same thing... :\

[Darin Franklin]

This bug is still not fixed. I tried to copy my notes so that I can paste into a text editor.  This is what it tells me when I do Edit > Select All, Edit > Copy.

 

No more than 500 verses (or paragraphs in a tool) can be copied at one time.  In order to export all of the selected text, use the “Save Text Selection” menu item.

 

Also, there is no "Save Text Selection" in any of the menus.  There is a File > Save As Text File, but it is disabled.

 

I am able to copy in smaller sections, but it is very tedious.

 

Accordance 13.1.5

MacOS 10.15.7 "Catalina"

 

[Julia Falling]

I did this just a couple of weeks ago.  Here's how –

 

1 – Open your User File (notes or tool).

 

2 – Select All (⌘A).

 

3 - Accordance > File > Save Text Selection (choose Plain or RTF).

 

4 – From the text file produced you can use the Print menu on a Mac to save it again as a PDF file.

 

 

 

EDIT:  This works for User Files, but not for Notes.  Working on that.  I was able to use the Print menu to save my Notes file as a PDF.  Working on getting a text file of some sort.

 

I tried to copy from PDF to RTF and to Pages.  Both had very messed up formatting.  Additionally, I checked my PDF file.  It quit at 100 pages and that only included my notes thru Josh 21.  These file sizes become so huge that I think they'll have to be saved as multiple documents.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Julia Falling