I now interrupt the regularly scheduled posts comparing DEVONthink and Roam Research to bring you breaking news…
Backlinks are now native to DEVONthink!
In Taking Smart Notes with DEVONthink, I wrote about how to implement a well-designed method of creating backlinks using one forum-goers intrepid excursions into combining AppleScripting and Smart Rules.
But DEVONtech has been on the ball and made it native to the app. It improves the previous setup by ease of use, presentation, a freed up system clipboard, and it updates in real-time.
To see the incoming and outgoing links of a file:
- Select the file
- Select Tools > Inspectors > Links
or
- Type Control-7
That’s it.
Example of a note with incoming an outgoing links
At the top, you get outgoing links. At the bottom, you get incoming links. These links include Item links, WikiLinks, aliases or otherwise.
In addition, you can add an Item link from these lists to your note. To do so:
- Drag and drop the link into your note while holding Option-Command
The new update includes a ton of new additions, integrating several wishlist items I had. For example, you can now:
* Jump to any file quickly with a key command (Control-Command-o)
* Close all databases except the current open one (File > Close > All Except)
* Split PDF documents into individual files based on their chapters (Tools > Split PDF into Chapters)
* Create a neat journal entry that automatically includes today’s top headlines
* Create a table of contents of files as a rich text or markdown document
* move a file, for example back to the Inbox for more processing, while it’s open (Data > Move To)
and a whole lot more.
Over the weekend, customers of Taking Smart Notes with DEVONthink received a minor update noting the above as well as a repaired Keyboard Maestro macro courtesy of pete31 over at the DEVONthink forums.
The battle between Roam Research and DEVONthink continues next week, barring any further unforeseen awesomeness.
