printing question

[quant]

Originally posted by ashwken
Maybe Kinook can answer this, is there a field length or character limit when exporting to CSV?

CSV is good for attributes, but cannot be considered as an export solution of even plain text, there are many problems with characters like " ' ; , \tab and escaping them in a consistent way ...

[kinook]

Originally posted by janrif
OK so print works for a single record & Export RTF works for selected items

Multiple selection print also works (focus the Data Explorer pane before print/preview).

notes are not included. Is that going to change?

Item Notes can also be printed (separately) for multiple selection. Enhanced support for printing of notes is on the list.

So let's say user wants to export/import to another program, I guess user would export in CSV -- still w/o notes? IOW, there is no way to export all data in some form. Is that right?

XML is the most comprehensive export format (can include hierarchy, attributes, stored document, detail / notes RTF, keywords, etc.).
http://www.kinook.com/UR/Manual/xmlexport.htm

[janrif]

Originally posted by kinook
Multiple selection print also works (focus the Data Explorer pane before print/preview).[snip]XML is the most comprehensive export format (can include hierarchy, attributes, stored document, detail / notes RTF, keywords, etc.).
http://www.kinook.com/UR/Manual/xmlexport.htm

OK, I guess I have to learn about XML. I don't understand/know how to work w it at this time.

[ashwken]

Originally posted by kinook
XML is the most comprehensive export format (can include hierarchy, attributes, stored document, detail / notes RTF, keywords, etc.).
http://www.kinook.com/UR/Manual/xmlexport.htm

OK, so you do the export to xml, and you've got control over what is exported, and you can save your export settings, then what....

You've got this xml file that is essentially a copy of the UR database (or a portion of), except in a different format - xml is a data exchange medium (actually just text, open with Notepad).

What tools are available to control the presentation of this xml data?

Anybody have experience with this next step...

[kevina]

What type of output are you looking for?

Typically one uses an xslt transformation on an xml file to produce the desired output, two different transforms (to html) are described here (from the FAQ):
-> Exporting UR data to an HTML outline
-> Exporting UR data to HTML

These transforms can be simple or complex (there is a learning curve to writing xslt). If you are looking for a specific type of output which might be of interest to a significant number of UR customers, we might be able to assist (note: we are also considering a way to better integrate the use of these transforms).

[ashwken]

Originally posted by kevina
What type of output are you looking for?

Typically one uses an xslt transformation on an xml file to produce the desired output, two different transforms (to html) are described here (from the FAQ):
-> Exporting UR data to an HTML outline
-> Exporting UR data to HTML

OK, I've put some time into working with the (4) zipfiles attached to these (2) Forum Threads:

http://kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2054

Allows for presentation of data.

1 - 09-13-2006 - export.zip

2 - 09-22-2006 - export2.zip


http://kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2104

Allows for presentation of an outline.

1 - 10-17-2006 - export.zip (internal date of 09-22-2006)

2 - 11-10-2006 - omltohtmltree.zip


It should be noted that the (2) files named export.zip are distinctly different and care should be taken when downloading not to overwrite.

The Instructions contained in each forum message is duplicated as Commented Text at the top of each *.xslt (open with Notepad).

For testing purposes you might want to create an Export SubFolder under your data location for each zipfile, then run the same UR Export to OML/XML for each of these SubFolders. Be sure to name the exported file - export.xml.

For testing purposes select to export ALL Attributes and recurse.

It should be noted that the insertion of the code snippet (into the export.xml) described in Step-4 of both messages is only required for the first export.zip file, the subsequent zipfiles all contain a Transform vbs file that references the existing .xslt during the transform.

The convert.xslt introduced in the zipfiles of the first message allows for the hiding (no, default) or showing (yes) of Attributes, this yes/no value is changed in the thrid line of the xml style description which begins after the end of the Commented Text (Instructions), as described in Step-6 of the first message.

If Attributes were selected to be part of the export.xml they will be present in the toc.html created by the transform found in export2.zip, you simply have the choice of hiding (default) or showing.

The process available in export2.zip offers a means to distribute data in html format. If you were to create a series of Export SubFolders under your data location, then unzip export2.zip to each of these and set the show/hide Attribute parameter (in convert.xslt) as desired, each subfolder could then contain a unqiue UR export.xml - only the transform vbs would need to be run to create the toc.html (index.html and toc.html comprise your data presentation).

Open index.html and you have a 2-pane frameset with the outline tree in the LH-pane, and the contents of the Detail Pane in the RH-pane - if the Detail Pane contains rtf. If the Detail Pane contains a Form, then the RH-pane will show the contents of the current folder. Attributes are shown as a child of the Item in the LH-pane; and you get Attributes for everything, both Folders and Items.

For the export.zip presented in the second thread (threadid=2104), it introduces a new xml style sheet outline.xslt that allows for outline numbering in the LH-pane, but does not allows for the display of Attributes.

It should be noted that a typo occurs in Step-5 of the first message, the second code snippet should read name="numbering", this typo is also found in the Commented Text of outline.xslt.

The third code snippet of Step-5, controls numbering format, can be found about halfway into the outline.xslt file - underneath a section describing the different format values.

For the zipfile omltohtmltree.zip - a .cmd file is introduced (these used to be called batch files, .bat, it's just text), here are its contents:


REM the 3 arguments are:
REM #1 (export.oml) = the source oml file (exported from Ultra Recall)
REM #2 (outlineTree.xslt) = the transforming xslt file
REM #3 (exportTree.html) = the output html file (will be overwritten if already exists)

start TransformExportTree.vbs export.oml outlineTree.xslt exportTree.html


The first three lines are REMarks, the last line is the command that executes.

This file, TransformExportTree.cmd, could be copied to the export subfolders created in conjunction with export2.zip. The new command line would look like this:

start TransformExport.vbs export.xml convert.xslt toc.html

Maybe this will help others.

Originally posted by kevina

These transforms can be simple or complex (there is a learning curve to writing xslt). If you are looking for a specific type of output which might be of interest to a significant number of UR customers, we might be able to assist (note: we are also considering a way to better integrate the use of these transforms).

I'd like more control over the "Page" presented for the Detail and Child items.

By way of example I would point to WebIdeaTree (http://www.webideatree.com). Granted, they are dealing with CSS and HTML, but they've broken the Page down into a series of Structured Elements that parrallel what's available in UR:

Title, Text (body), Image List, Links to Child Ideas, Local Docs, Idea Associations, External Links, Bibliography, Customs Fields, Keywords, Hierarchical Position

Each of these Elements has an associated Style (format), and you have control over the positioning of the Elements on the Page.

Anyway, just my take on it.

===================

Updated: 2007-04-27

Please see the following thread for further discussion and insights:

http://www.kinook.com/Forum/showthre...&threadid=2553