TW as a Document Management System

[Iggy]

Hi everybody,

I am really happy I found this group. My first question it was quickly
and very productively! Thanks again!

I have a new question/idea for all of you: Has anybody developed a TW,
plugin or script, to be used to manage documents in different files
that have been previously stored in a tree (hiearchical) structure?
I'll put an example:

- I have a folder tree structure, with folders and subfolders, each
folder relating to a certain matter, and each subfolder, relating to
matters withing the matter corresponding to the folder on top of such
subfolder).

- Stored inside the folders and subfolders, there are files in
different formats (basically, PDF files, WORD/RTF, and JPG).

- It would be great if I could generate within my TW (automatically,
using a plugin) as many tiddlers as in this tree structure in my
folders and subfolders. The plugin would instantly create tiddlers for
each folder (let's call them FolderTids), tiddlers for the subfolders
(lets call them SubFolderTids) and tiddlers for each and every file or
document within the Subfolders (DocTids). Once reached the tiddler
relating to a certain documents, you could click on a link within the
tiddler, to open that document.

I know this sounds a little like the Windows tree structure (or any
other OS). But the good thing here that I see useful it is that, I
understand, per the operative of TW, the user would be able, apart
from looking for a certain documents, to:

1. add comments to each tiddlers (whether FolderTids, SubFolderTids or
DocTids). E.g. add certain comments within DocTid, describing the
content of such document.
2. search within the comments in all the tiddlers, to find a certain
document. I don't know if it would be even possible to search within
the content documents (such as the Windows search tool does for Word
documents).

Well, that's it. This is just an idea and maybe it can be considered a
big piece of work with very few utility. I just wanted to ask about
it, in case somebody had came accross the same idea and is or has
developed something like this

Thanks for reading. All the best,

[Eric Shulman]

> I have a new question/idea for all of you: Has anybody developed a TW,
> plugin or script, to be used to manage documents in different files
> that have been previously stored in a tree (hiearchical) structure?

http://www.TiddlyTools.com/#ShowLocalDirectory

allows you to view and navigate up and down the directory structure of
your filesystem. Files are listed as external links that open the
corresponding app when you click them (assuming your browser/OS knows
which app to launch for a given type of file).

It should be possible re-use some of the code from that tiddler to
automatically create tiddlers from the files and folders.

enjoy,
-e
Eric Shulman
TiddlyTools / ELS Design Studios

[wolfgang]

> It should be possible re-use some of the code from that tiddler to
> automatically create tiddlers from the files and folders.
>

..in a hurry to send this post before Eric has rewritten
ShowLocalDirectory.. ;-)

http://scphillips.com/tiddly.html#FileLinkDropHandler

.. basically already does what you would want (though don't know if it
still works with the current TW version):

This plugin is a handler for Bradley Meck's FileDropPlugin. It's
purpose is to enable users to keep notes about files in their
TiddlyWiki. When installed, if you drop a file onto the TiddlyWiki you
will be prompted for a name of a tiddler. If the tiddler does not
already exist then it will be created with a tag of "file" and the
location of the file (along with the time and user) will be stored in
the tiddler's extended fields. A link to the file (and the time and
user) is displayed when you view the tiddler. You can then use the
tiddler in the normal way to make notes about the file and click on
the link to open the file. If you use the name of a tiddler that
already exists, then that tiddler's extended fields will be
overwritten with the new information and it will be tagged as "file"
to make the extended field view/edit work. In this way, you can update
the location of a file if it moves on your filesytem while still
keeping your notes, or add a file link to an existing tiddler.

Regards..

[Måns]

Hi Iggi

Eric Shulman has made this plugin:
http://www.tiddlytools.com/#ShowLocalDirectory

It more or less does what you are asking for...

Personally I use TWs online, therefore I can't use this plugin.
Instead I create my own foldersystems in the TW and open
onlinedocuments via iframes in tiddlers.
Its easy to serve pdf's to the net with getDropbox...
If you want to write notes included in a tiddler with an iframe - I
will recomend TiddlerNotesPlugin http://tw.lewcid.org/#TiddlerNotesPlugin
.

However I think Dave Giffords NoteStorm - does a terrific job with
treeviews and easy administration of sub- and MasterNotes...

If you want to be able to search within text throughout the TW - then
why not copy/paste the text into a tiddler? - You'll get all the power
of TWs searchengines - I prefer this to Windows internal searchengine
- because you can tag your documents(tiddlers) to make your own
systems..

Regards Måns Mårtensson

[Iggy]

Wow, thanks! you are so fast!

@Eric: the ShowLocalDirectory tiddler at Tiddlytools does not work, it
says "error reading \\www.tiddlytools.com\" . I tried to search for it
as well, but it keeps giving the same result.
@Wolfgang: Thanks! 1. is it possible to drop entire folders and
subfolders with this plugin?

Best to both.

[Måns]

@Eric: the ShowLocalDirectory tiddler at Tiddlytools does not work,
it
says "error reading \\www.tiddlytools.com\" . I tried to search for it
as well, but it keeps giving the same result.

The ShowLocalTiddlersPlugin *must* show an error when you are looking
at it online.
You don't have the priviliges needed to explore Erics server at file
niveau, when you are online.
Therefore -
You'll have to install it to a local copy of a TW to make it work... -
It works on your local filesystem.

Regards Måns Mårtensson

[wolfgang]

> @Wolfgang: Thanks! 1. is it possible to drop entire folders and
> subfolders with this plugin?
>

Haven't used it for a long time but I don't think so, since its
description only talks of droping one file and thereby giving it a
'file' tag.

To create a file hierarchy I would use tagging, for example as
TagglyTagging does:

http://mptw.tiddlyspot.com/

[Anthony Muscio]

Iggy,

I know exactly what you are asking for and think that the suggestions below don't go quite far enough to do what you are asking (though I am open to see otherwise).

An example of where this almost exists in in the great freeware Freemind, use the file/import/folder structure. you can then edit a folder node and add metadata but retain the link to the folder/file. Freemind has good export capabilities you could then bring into TiddlyWiki but not in the way you ask.

The main issue is linking updates to the file system back to the meta data that in this case TiddlyWiki would support. How do you detect and reflect changes between them ?.

This would more than likely become an OS specific solution or one for each.

I have had exactly the same ideas as you and think this would put the file system on steroids and tiddlywiki for that matter, as you gain an abstraction layer from which you can use tiddlywiki's great tag handling and develop alkinds of views and processes.

I actually think this idea could have great utility. I would almost never leave my tiddlywiki with this tool.

Like you perhaps, I need to learn allot before I can do this, lets hope a developer can discover the passion and possibilities.

Tony

TonyM

If you have not found an easy way to do it with TiddlyWiki, you have missed something.
www.tiddlywiki.com

[Anthony Muscio]

I just noticed Freemind can export as a Twiki, perhaps an export as tiddlers/tiddlywiki could be created to leverage the freemind code. Though this still does not have a 2 way sync.

TonyM

If you have not found an easy way to do it with TiddlyWiki, you have missed something.
www.tiddlywiki.com

[Steve T]

>>http://scphillips.com/tiddly.html#FileLinkDropHandler

>>basically already does what you would want (though don't know if it
>>still works with the current TW version):

I'd love to be able to do this. Just had a try but made a complete
mess

It would be great if some wrote some step by step non geek notes for
some of this stuff - I mean what's a "handler"

[Eric Shulman]

> >>http://scphillips.com/tiddly.html#FileLinkDropHandler
> >>basically already does what you would want (though don't know if it
> >>still works with the current TW version):
> I'd love to be able to do this. Just had a try but made a complete
> mess

Try this:
http://www.TiddlyTools.com/#FileDropPluginConfig

With this plugin installed, if you drop a folder onto your TW, it will
give you the choice of either creating tiddlers for each file in the
folder OR generating a 'directory listing' of that folder, which
includes **external links to the all listed files**

enjoy,
-e

[Iggy]

Thanks everybody. Those all look great contributions! When I have the
chance I will try them.

@Anthony Muscio: yes, you are right, you got my exact point... maybe I
was asking for a TWos!

In any case, what I am specifically looking for is this: I have a
folder with hundreds of PDF files, containing resolutions from a
Spanish Public Body. I thought that, now that I manage to download
them all from their website (which doesn't work very well) it would be
great to (automatically, e.g., by dragging the entire folder) create
tiddlers into a TW for each PDF document, then classify them, tag them
by topic, order them by date, add comments to each document, etc. and
in general manage all those files. Such as to have a portable DB.

It seems that the last plugin mentioned by Eric does that. I have to
try it.

Also, I have been playing a little bit with NoteStorm, and it looks
interesting.

All those lack something, the possibility to search within the PDF
text, like a database (does Filemaker or similar look within the
content when searching? I don't remember now)... But I guess for that
I have to go for a database software itself.

Thanks all. I

[Måns]

Hi Eric

Man - you're so fast that your answers can't catch up on your own
updates ;-)

2009.08.19 2.0.0 ELS fixed event listener registration for FireFox
3.5+. Also, merged with FileDropPluginConfig, with code cleanup/
reduction.

Therefore "Try this: http://www.TiddlyTools.com/#FileDropPluginConfig
"
Should be: Try this: http://www.TiddlyTools.com/#FileDropPlugin

Regards Måns Mårtensson

[Eric Shulman]

> Man - you're so fast that your answers can't catch up on your own
> updates ;-)
> 2009.08.19 2.0.0 ELS fixed event listener registration for FireFox
> 3.5+. Also, merged with FileDropPluginConfig, with code cleanup/
> reduction.

Actually, I just forgot that I had done that, and didn't check the URL
before posting. Thanks for reminding me.

-e

[Eric Weir]

On Sep 27, 2009, at 12:20 PM, wolfgang wrote:

> http://scphillips.com/tiddly.html#FileLinkDropHandler
>
> .. basically already does what you would want (though don't know if it
> still works with the current TW version):

The repository for this indicates dependency on MPTW. Does anyone know if that is in fact the case?

It also requires FileDropPlugin to be installed. FileDropPlugin indicates the only browsers supported are Mozilla. Anyone know if that's the case?

I use FF for web browsing, but Safari to run my TWs. If this will not run in a TW running in Safari, anyone know of a plugin providing similar functionality -- i.e., the ability to link to and comment on files outside the TW?

Thanks,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Weir
Decatur, GA USA
eew...@bellsouth.net