zim-wiki team mailing list archive

[Gordon <gordon.zano@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jaap

You wrote: "I would be interested to know [how] Notesy deals with the
file layout in the folder - is it compatible with the way zim stores
text files in the folder, or different?"
Notesy basically mirrored the folder structure of Zim, and it even
displays the zim files with it's markdown preview, but of course does
not interpret the formatting correctly.  Though viewing the Zim files as
just plain text works fine for referencing notes remotely.

But for me Notesy is out of the running as a good Zim file sync and
search tool for reasons outlined here...

In order to be sure of having all my Zim files on my ipad, I thought
Notesy (plaint text editor with Mark Down support) with it's excellent
search capability of files and content was what I was looking for.  But
unfortunately the reviews I read that mentioned "full Dropbox sync" were
misleading.  Notesy as it currently stands, does not do full offline
sync like we are used to with Linux/Windows Dropbox syncing, where full
offline sync means exactly that.  Notesy only syncs dropbox files
offline if you *browse* the dropbox folders that you want to sync, and
as it will not sync recursively!?  So you would need to browse all the
sub-folders of your Zim folder structure!!  Furthermore, after
originally being drawn to it's search capabilities, I found that it only
searched the files that it has synced too, even if you are online and
connected to your Dropbox!  So Notesy is off the list for me.  but as a
pure mark down editor it works well, and would suit Zim users who have
simple shallow folder structures.

But there are other options, after further searching, here is what I
found, listed in order of best to worst for supporting full offline sync
and search capabilities:

Documents (Free!!) by Readdle:  Primarily a file sync and viewer app

        SYNC: full Dropbox sync! :-).  
        SEARCHING: File names = yes. Text in files = yes Text while
        editing = yes .  *Has an option of enabling a search index too -
        so would be suited to huge Zim setups
        EDITOR: Basic plain text, but has font size, text find, bookmark
        capability


GoodReader:  Primarily a file sync and viewer app

        SYNCING: Will do a complete one or two way sync of your entire
        Dropbox or selected folders.
        SEARCHING: File names = yes. Text in files = no. Text while
        editing = yes  
        EDITOR - Basic plain text editor


Byword - a very reputable plaintext editor with mark down support, and
preview.  Works with just plain text files.  

        SYNC: Full Dropbox sync, 
        SEARCHING:File names = yes. Text in files = yes. Text while
        editing = ? 
        DEAL BREAKER:  search only looks in your current folder context,
        IT DOES NOT RECURSE!!  Yet their app feature set states: "search
        for text inside all your documents" - now that is economical
        with the truth!
        EDITOR:  Very good.  MD preview.  Includes some mark down keys
        (header #, link, image, list, emphasis *, undo) 


PlainText 2

        SYNC: Does full off line sync.
        SEARCHING:  Filename search only in the context you are in, ie
        won't search subfolders! No search in docs either!!
        EDITOR: Did not test.


So in the end in order to have full sync and the best search
capabilities of your Zim files on IOS, Documents is the way to go.
Byword like Notesy have their strength in Markdown capability, but are
let down by their sync and/or search capability.


I found an interesting Zim clone in the app store, called "Trunk Notes
Personal Wiki", which supports Markdown formatting.  So if Zim support
Markdown formatting then may this app could read Zim files natively!?

Surely there must by other IOS users in the Zim world.  Feel free to
chip in with how you read your Zim files on IOS.

Cheers, Gordon


On Wed, 2014-04-30 at 13:02 +0200, Jaap Karssenberg wrote:
> Hi Gordon,
> 
> Thanks for sharing our setup. Sounds like Notesy is a useful app here,
> but afraid I can't test it myself since I don't have an i* device.
> Looking for similar Android apps myself.
> 
> 
> 
> I am planning adding markdown support to zim, so that might make your
> setup even more useful. I would be interested to know Notesy deals
> with the file layout in the folder - is it compatible with the way zim
> stores text files in the folder, or different?
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jaap
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, Apr 25, 2014 at 4:48 PM, Gordon <gordon.zano@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>         Hi all I currently use Zim on Suse Linux 11 (SLED) and Windows
>         7 and it works we'll, especially with Dropbox.   The
>         interlinking and search ability is brilliant. Zim kills my old
>         method of standalone pure text files, mixed with web pages
>         saved as .mht files. 
>         I now have an iPad and trying to work out the best way to view
>         and optionally edit  my Zim data.  My requirements are: - have
>         all my Zim files available off-line, for speedy access, and
>         for when there is no internet connection (such as when on a
>         plane or in a remote region) - file name search - file content
>         text search (the only way I can find that shred of info I
>         need) 
>         Here are my findings.... 
>         DROPBOX is the key for syncing, and there are many suggestions
>         about simply opening the Zim file with a text editor on the
>         iPad. ISSUES:  - Interestingly the IOS version of Dropbox only
>         downloads files as you try to open them, unless you select the
>         file as a Favourite.  Selecting folder is not supported! -
>         There are plenty of great plain text editors too on the iPad,
>         but they do not all make a complete local sync of the dropbox
>         folder either, often you must select individual files to
>         open/sync, which becomes unworkable.  Or they did no offer
>         good search capabilities. 
>         GOODREADER almost did it for me, as you can synchronise a
>         complete Dropbox folder locally, using a one way or two way
>         sync.  But it has a basic text editor and it can't do full
>         text search over a file system, only file name search. 
>         After countless hours of research, the best I can come up with
>         is NOTESY, which features: - full off-line sync of my Dropbox
>         files, just like Dropbox does on linux or Windows - fantastic
>         search capabilities, of files or content - mark down support 
>         Before I commit to NOTESY, I was wondering how others are
>         reading or editing Zim files on ther iPad, is there a better
>         way? 
>         I also tested exporting to HTML, and it's good for browsing
>         (using GoodReader), but I couldn't search it.
>         
>         WIKI *VIEWER* FOR ZIM After searching for Wiki viewers in the
>         App Store, there were dozens available to view Wikipedia.  I
>         couldn't help but think how useful it would be to have a
>         generic wiki (Zim) reader with search - does such a thing
>         exist? 
>         --  Gordon 
>         
>         
>         
>         
>         
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