Note URL -- Is this working for you?

Agents, Actions and Automation
1

I had hoped that placing a note URL into another application’s document would give me a link that will take me back to the TBX note. This does not seem to be the case. Clicking on a note URL in DevonThink seems to have no effect. Clicking on a note URL in Word, Aeon Timeline, TextEdit, and others opens Tinderbox, but does not take me to the note.

Pasting the note URL into Safari’s address bar opens both TBX and the note, which is what I’d like to do from other applications.

Are others having better luck? Any guidance would be appreciated.

2

As per v6.3.1 release notes (in app Help), the status quo is that:

The protocol handler for tinderbox:// urls will now automatically open documents in the Recent Files list as well as documents that are already open.

So the only requirement that might ned verification is that the host TBX of the target document is open or is in the apps’s MRU (most recently used) file list, i.e. File ▸ Open Recent menu

Testing in v9.7.2, using a tinderbox:// protocol URL in a TextEdit or Word document for a note in a TBX in the Tinderbox app’s MRU list does open the app, the TBX and show the target note.

So whilst you doubtless see what you report, some other factor must be at play (i.e. beyond the feature simply not working) otherwise the tests above would fail.

Do you have small test document that, when used as the target of the URL, shows the problem you describe? Having a common test target might help align further testing.

3

Thanks Mark, glad to hear that it should work.

Here’s a test doc. Like all other .tbx docs I’ve tried, note links open the Tinderbox app but do not open the note. (Except in Safari.)

FWIW, links to documents within DevonThink do take me to the individual linked document.

Demo.tbx (141.3 KB)

4

Thanks. Most useful. Here, it does work but, sometimes it takes two clicks of the URL. I noticed that:

  • if the app was closed the first URL call only opens the Tinderbox app but not the TBX.
  • if the app was open with no TBX open (or with TBX other than your test doc) the test doc was opened and the target note selected.
  • if Tinderbox is already open with the target doc, but a different note selected, the target note is selected.

In the first case, if the URL is clicked a second time, the target document opened and note selected. I don’t recall that yesterday but I didn’t keep notes—I may not have properly tested case #1 above.

I can now reliably reproduce the above. Why that should be, I’m unsure. But for now if the document doesn’t open on clicking the link, only the app, try clicking the calling link a second time.

5

Thanks Mark, glad to know it works for you. In trying that file again, making sure I’d clicked twice, I stumbled on to some cases where it does work.

  1. In outline view, at level //Demo, if I use Parent’s display triangle to show its contents, and copy the link for Child 4 from there, I get:

  • tinderbox://Demo/?view=outline+select=1707226282

  • “Parent” is not in this path.

  • This link will only show the note if Tinderbox is in the same state it was when I copied the note, i.e., in outline view with Parent’s display triangle toggled on. If that Parent is toggled off, the item will not display.

  • If the Parent container is open (viewing //Demo/Parent, with display triangle on), The link will open a tab showing the top level of my outline, but with Parent not expanded, and the note not displayed. Same thing if I am viewing as a map.

  1. If I copy the note URL while in outline, viewing //Demo/Parent with parent expanded, I get this link:

  • tinderbox://Demo/Parent%201?view=outline+select=1707226282

  • Now Parent is in the path name.

  • If I am in outine view at the top level with all containers collapsed (display triangle closed), and I click the link, the note will not display.

  • If I expand Parent, and then use the link, the note will display.

  • If I’m in outline at //Demo/Parent with Parent collapsed, the link will expand Parent and display the note.

  • If I’m anywhere in map view, the link will open a new tab and display //Demo/Parent with Parent expanded and the note displayed.

But in my real-world case I’m exporting note URLs from an agent container, and all of the URLs are like #1 above–they have no path. So if I’m in a different part of the outline, say down a different branch, and click the link, the note does not display. The case is a lot more complex than the demo I sent, so I haven’t exhausted all scenarios. But success seems dependent on Tinderbox being in a particular state when I click the link. I just can’t always tell what state is required.

Hopefully there’s a fix?

6

I’m investigating.

One issue is that I’m not sure opening an alias inside an agent is going to select the alias, as the ID of an alias may change whenever the agent runs. Agents are free to delete and recreate aliases as they like.

7

Gotcha. I guess what I’ll have to do is construct for export a URL that includes the path to the original and the original’s ID.

8

I’d forgotten about this topic, but if anyone is following along, I’m using this workaround:

url = "tinderbox:/" + $Path(original).replace("/" + $Name, "").replace(" ", "%20") + "?view=chart+select=" + $ID(original);

This is for getting the original’s URL if the stamp is performed on an alias. If performing on the original, “(original)” can be removed.

The URL includes “view=chart” because I’m almost never in chart view. Specifing a view that is not open seems to force Tinderbox to open a new tab and seems to solve the issues I was having before.

Could be problems if you move the note, i.e., this is probably not a permalink.