Importing html with images creates note folders, uploading or pasting images does not

[maphew]

Web pages saved with Chrome or Firefox are as Foobar.html and any referenced images, css, js, ... are saved in Foobar_files sub-folder. When such a page is wrapped in a zip and imported into Trilium the result is a Note, a Note-folder, and the contents of the _files sub-folder as attachments to Note-folder:

If the same note is created interactively in Trilium and using the Insert Image or attachment features the images and attachments are hidden from the Table of Contents view, only the Note is shown.

From a navigation and node management point of view the interactive result is much preferred -- we only have one item to see and manipulate. It's much less cluttered.

Is there a reason import does not create the same result? Speculation: yes, because any files in the ..._files folder that are not referred to in the text will be deleted when the automatic database cleanup routines run, we don't want to risk information loss.

Initially this post was going to be a feature request to change import so it replicates the interactive result: a single note with images and attachments hidden from view until you go to Note >> 3-dot >> Attachments menu. However I realised the current Import result has a side effect that is potentially very useful: Since the parent Note-folder owns and references the assets, the clean-up janitor leaves them alone, which allows re-use of images and other attachments without duplication.

Each note exclusively owns its attachments, meaning attachments cannot be shared or linked from one note to another. If an attachment link is copied to a different note, the attachment itself is duplicated, and the copies are managed independently thereafter.

Attachments, especially image files, are the recommended method for embedding visuals in notes. It is important to link image attachments within the text of the owning note; otherwise, they will be automatically deleted after a configurable timeout period if not referenced.

https://triliumnext.github.io/Docs/Wiki/attachments.html

So is there a way to have the best of both worlds: a clean and unclutted Table of Contents, and a folder of assets that can be re-used in multiple notes without duplication?

I think so: after import automatically move *_files note-folders into a root level Assets or Media branch (name configurable), perhaps in the 'Hidden Notes' subtree.

Maybe there are other, smarter approaches though? What do others think?

[perfectra1n]

@maphew how are you performing "Web pages saved with Chrome or Firefox"? Is this using the web-clipper or something else? This is most likely an artifact of when Trilium didn't hide pictures or related media to the user (when pictures were their own note).

Would you also be able to just quickly document the steps needed to reproduce what you're seeing? Would help the sanity quite a bit 🤣

[maphew]

Looks like archive.org might still be having some troubles, I haven't been able to completely download an installer for Evernote Legacy yet. Maybe on the next attempt.

re: Evernote imports, there are many items in the Zadam thread that didn't make to the docs 😉

[maphew]

Looks like archive.org might still be having some troubles, I haven't been able to completely download an installer for Evernote Legacy yet. Maybe on the next attempt.

hah, Cunningham's Law in action. No sooner claimed than proved wrong! I have downloaded and installed v6.5. It won't start though - complains with "No connection to server. You need to be online to register or sync to server." with the only option being to quit or try again. I am online, so maybe they've cut old version access.

...going back to self-mangling folders. Perhaps a good excuse to extend my slowly growing trilium-py skills. :)

[meichthys]

re: Evernote imports, there are many items in the Zadam thread that didn't make to the docs 😉

See here: https://triliumnext.github.io/Docs/Wiki/onenote.html

Looks like archive.org might still be having some troubles, I haven't been able to completely download an installer for Evernote Legacy yet. Maybe on the next attempt.

Were you using the download from here? https://web.archive.org/web/20230327110646/https://help.evernote.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052560314
I never had to sign in or sync afaik. Perhaps you could create a temp account and then just disconnect your internet connection while doing the import/export. I'm pretty sure I didn't need to do that though.

[maphew]

Thanks, I see those extra bits on the Onenote page now.

And yes, I'm using the web archive download. There's no option given to create an account. The application doesn't appear at all. On launch there's the server connection error, of which the only options are Try Again and Quit. Try again just repeats the window, and quit, well, it quits. :)

[perfectra1n]

Even when disabling the network interfaces on your machine? That’s a bummer

[maphew]

...after import automatically move *_files note-folders into a root level Assets or Media branch (name configurable), perhaps in the 'Hidden Notes' subtree.

This works, but raises challenges for notes that will be shared: if the Assets/Media branch is not shared then the referenced media files will not display. So for this method to work there needs to be 2 Media notes: 1 for private, the default, and one for public. The operator needs to be aware and move media from one to the other -- and back if un-sharing.

So while it's possible I wouldn't recommend. Over the course of time a person will forget to manage the media files and make files unreachable, or worse, public when they're meant to be private.

The better solution is to change html import so it embeds assets as if they were pasted in instead of referencing them.