Export to single .txt files (adding date-time)

[dcwul62]

Currently clips are exported to a single .txt file.

They can be imported into Excel, comma delimited.
Then again, in case of larger text clips only a small part is being transferred, viz ExcerptText only (the actual body is mostly skipped)

Would it be possible to export all text-clips in full (i.e. the complete text) to separate .txt-files, whilst adding date-time to the filenames.

These text files are then 'searchable' by desktop search tools, like X1:  the files will show up in the X1-interface.
(That said, yes..., one can do a quick search in CHS as well..)

Needcase, if users wish so, the single filenames can be joined into one large .txt file.

Or, if .. in the unbelievable scenario.. for any reason ...
someone stops using CHS and removes it, the data has gone.

Or.. the datafiles/backups  are corrupted

then it would still be nice to have the .txt files available.

For me: if the date-time is on the end of the file, I have a button in Directory Opus that will update the modified/created date/time attributes, taking the dates/times from the filenames.

I know, I have suggested this in the beta/release thread, but I feel I should submit this as a separate request.

TIA
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[mouser]

I'm not opposed to adding something like this.

However, I'd first like to make sure this is wrong:

Then again, in case of larger text clips only a small part is being transferred, viz ExcerptText only (the actual body is mostly skipped)

Because the first step should be to ensure that the current CSV style export is exporting ALL important data.  That way, it can always be parsed by a simple utility and searched and indexed, etc.

If what you say is true and it's not exporting all of the clip text, then that has to be my first priority to fix.

Can you check?

[dcwul62]

hi mouser

what is currently exported to .txt  are these details (in Excel, I have 'transposed' the data from rows to columns.

(Index, UserKeywords, ClipType, ParentId, ParentGroup, OtherGroups, Application, FullApplicationPath, WindowTitle, Title, Description, ImageIndex, ExcerptText, ClipText, CreationDateTime, ModificationDateTime, ViewDateTime, MarkDateTime, DueDateTime, IsFavorite, UserFlag, UserCheckbox, UserRating, Protected, Ordering, ClipFormatNum, DataSize, FileList, ExtendedData, FileCount, HashText)
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I am not sure about Clip Text, with me it remains empty.

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btw, with some rows, I think CHS has a small 'hick-up'  as it puts dates in the index column.
no idea why.
note that clip ID 2464  was clip that I deleted myself (likely a merged clip).
in my collection, which is small as I just started with CHS (just close to a 1000 clips only), there are 4 of such clips.
so, not a big issue.

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[mouser]

Ok looks like i need to go and check this out.
ClipText should be the full text of the clip.

One possibility is that the CSV output is not formatting items with newlines or quotes well, resulting in excel import being incomplete.

Could you check that actual txt file and see if ClipText is really blank?

[dcwul62]

I am afraid it is... at least, with me here.

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You have something in that column ?

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[mouser]

ok then I'll look into fixing this right away.

[dcwul62]

@mouser

Hi mouser

Q: Is this feature still under consideration?

Hope so...

[dcwul62]

bump

[mouser]

Yes i will try to get this fixes this week -- thanks for the reminder!

[dcwul62]

Okay, many thanks in advance.
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[mouser]

I just want to confirm that i can reproduce the problem of cliptext not being exported.  Really helpful export function isn't it? exports a million fields except the one important one.. sheesh.. 

working on it now..

[dcwul62]

Thanks.
Reason for asking to export clipboard text to single files (with date-time) is that I like the text to be indexed.
I use X1 as desktop indexing tool.
Clipmate can export text to single files, the filename are of limited length.

Example a exported filename like:
AMD HD 7950_ MSI R7950 Twin Frozr Boost Edition 3GD5_OC De M.txt

You cud take the headername as well (if there are things like \t \n in the title, then replace those with with a space)
but, add date-time to the name, like
AMD HD 7950_ MSI R7950 Twin Frozr Boost Edition 3GD5_OC De M-18112013 171615.txt

This to be a -new- option.

The date-time will:
a. show the actual date-time of capture, which is, of course, different from the created/modified date when exporting
b. will avoid overwriting - if you have 2 almost identical files, the title will be the same, but the date-time stamp are different
so
AMD HD 7950_ MSI R7950 Twin Frozr Boost Edition 3GD5_OC De M-18112013 171615.txt
AMD HD 7950_ MSI R7950 Twin Frozr Boost Edition 3GD5_OC De M-18112013 171725.txt

Of course the .csv option remains in place.

Pros of single files:
-single .txt files can be launched much faster
(csv: requires Excel to be launched, takes more time, also because over years the file gets bigger and bigger to load)
-Plain text, can be copied directly into another application)
(csv-Excel : you need CHS to strip the formatting)
- can be attached to mail or whatever
(csv: you need to select only the part you wish to forward, clipboard copy into an editor, save that,etc)

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[mouser]

Now that I have been forced to write my own export procedure, this request will not be too hard to implement.
Let me first make sure the single file csv export works well, then we can revisit.

Though it would help me sleep well at night if there were one more person on planet earth who wanted this function

[mouser]

For csv file export fix, please try the new beta with completely rewritten CSV export.
Also, see the Backup/Maintenance tab in options for some new csv export options.

http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=1514.0