Taking Smart Notes with DEVONthink

Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Introduction
	On DEVONthink
	On Taking Notes
	On The Personal Nature of Notes
Slip-Box Basics
	On the Slip-Box
	Tools & Resources
	Summary of the Slip-Box Process
		Developing Ideas
		Delivering Ideas
Preparations
	Overview
	Installing DEVONthink
	An Approach
	Creating and Preparing a Database
	Setting Up the Same Views
	Removing Smart Groups
		Intro to Creating a Group
		Deleting and Emptying Trash
	A Note on Key Commands
	Setting up Keyboard Maestro (Optional)
		Preparations
First Notes & File Types
	Beginning With a Single Note
		A First Note
	Fleeting Note Best Practices
	Practice: A Parallel Process
	Choice of Files
	Rich Text
	Markdown Text
	Other Thoughts on the RTF-Markdown Debate
	Editing Files with DEVONthink or Other Programs
	Converting Files
	Creating a Key Command for Markdown Notes
		Key Command for a New Markdown File
		Customizing key commands with MacOS
		Customizing Key Commands Keyboard Maestro
Linking
	Beyond the First Note
	Beginning With Links
	Using Item Links
	A Keyboard Maestro Macro for Item Links (Optional)
	Using WikiLinks
	Using Aliases
	Cautions with WikiLinks
	Linking to URLs
		Optional Keyboard Maestro Integration
	Creating a Keyboard Maestro Palette (Optional)
	(Optional) Triggering a Palette with BetterTouchTool
	An Exercise
	Practice: Linking
Appearances & The Generic Inspector
	The Generic Inspector in Detail
	Appearances
	Styling CSS
		Styling CSS for a Single Note
		Styling CSS for All Markdown Notes
Creating Series of Notes
	Linking in a Series
	Creating a Sequence in Text
	Using The Inspector's Custom Data Preferences
		Using the Custom Inspector to link notes
		Considerations
	Other Custom Options
	Practice: Create a Series
Types of Notes and Favoriting
	Types of Notes
	Using a Table of Contents
		Using a Table of Contents for a Journal
	Marking a Favorite File
Using Tags to Create an Index
	Using Tags as Entry Points
	Creating Tags
		Using the Tag Bar
		Creating a Tag
		Tags in the Inspector
		By Script
	Using the Tag Library
		Viewing Tagged Items
	Bringing Tags Into the Main View
	Cautions with Tags
	Practice: Create an Index
Gathering Notes
	Overview
	Using Smart Groups
		Smart Groups
	Creating A Smart Group - Today
	Using Flags
	Sorting and Grouping Flags
	Creating A Smart Group - Index Cards
	Other Useful Tags
	Cleaning Up With Standard Groups
	Column Options
		Example of Column Use - 1
		Example of Column Use - 2
		Example of Column Use - 3
		Example of Column Use - 4
Creating a Reference System
	On References
	Directly Adding a File
	Useful Reference Practices
		Adding a Summary
		Making It Easy to Reference
		Linking Externally
		Using Groups
	Creating Footnotes with Markdown
	Creating Replicants
	Clip to DEVONthink From Browser
	Adding URLs Directly
	Converting Sites to PDFs
	Adding Website Content
	Additional Systems
		Using the Inspector
	Using the PDF tools
		Editing
		The Concordance Tools
		Search Function
	Reading Lists
	Practice: Create a System of References
Finding Return Links - AppleScripts and Smart Rules
	Power in Scripts and Rules
	Simple Method
	Using an AppleScript
	Using Keyboard Maestro to Find Incoming Links (Optional)
		In Use
		Create a Find Incoming Item Links Macro
	Adding Incoming Links to a Note
		In Use
	Adding Incoming Links to All Notes Metadata
		Drawback
	Including Incoming Links In Full Screen
		Optional Keyboard Maestro Integration
Adding Files, The Inbox, and Processing
	Getting Information Into DEVONthink
	Processing a Note
	Considering an Inbox
	Using an Inbox
	Getting Information into the Inbox
	The Sorter and New Notes
		The Sorter
	Quick Link to a New Note
		Optional Keyboard Maestro Integration
	A Note and Its Links
	The Sorter Additional Functions
	DEVONthink to Go
	Scanning into DEVONthink
	Importing and Indexing
	Best Practices for the Inbox
	Practice: The Inbox
Using See Also, Classify, & Exclusions
	See Also
		Case Example
	Search
	Classify
	Exclusions
Working with Views, Workspaces, & Databases
	Different Views
	Building a Workspace
	Closing and Opening Databases
	Marking Favorite Databases
	Setting Up the Inbox
	Saving and Editing Workspaces
	Setting up Additional Windows
		Arranging and Updating
	Project Specific Workspace - Example 1
	Project Specific Workspace - Example 2
	Practice: Set up Workspaces
Developing the System
	Following Up
	DEVONthink Reminders
	Links and an External Task System
		Optional Keyboard Maestro Integration
	Using a Tag and Apple Reminders
	Establishing a Reading System
	Using a Task Manager for Establishing an Inbox Habit
	Connecting to a Task System
		As a Link File
Using Templates and Placeholders
	Using Templates and Placeholders
		Example with Groups
		Example with Smart Groups
		Example with Search
		Additional Scripts and Templates
	Creating New Templates from Existing Ones
	Creating New Templates from Scratch
Developing a Project
	Developing Papers
	Concordance View
	Gathering Notes with Search
	Gathering Notes with Tagging
	Creating Duplicates and Replicants
		Duplicates
		Replicants
		Finding Duplicates and Replicants
	Transferring Notes to a New Database
	Split and Merge
	Transferring Notes Outside of DEVONthink
	Organizing Tags
	An Example Workflow
	Multiple Paths
	Practice: A Project
Syncing and DEVONthink to Go
	Setting up Sync
		Bonjour Option
		Dropbox Option
	DEVONthink To Go - Installation
	DEVONthink to Go - General Preferences and Sync
	DEVONthink to Go - Database Preferences
	Setting up Dictation
Final Thoughts
	Transition to Indexed Set of Cards
	Integrating External Apps
		Ulysses
		IA Writer
		nvALT
	Thank you!
	Why Care?
	Books and Courses to Consider