This is a formal feature request to allow users to choose whether to move attachment files to the files subdirectory within a note collection instead of copying them. The option can be placed along with the others on the Collection Preferences menu.
Personal use case
I use Hook to attach notes to certain documents kept in a Resources directory. When I feel that a document has particular value to my work, I’d like to make an entry in my Bibliography subdirectory that is within my Commonplace Book w/ lookups collection and attach the document in question to this entry.
When Notenik copies the document into the files subdirectory I gain a duplicate of the document but lose the associated Hook links that help provide context to it.
By allowing for users such as myself to choose to have attachment source files moved instead of copied, two things can be achieved:
Retain contextual data/links derived from applications such as Hook.
Maintain disk space in the long-term.
I’m aware that some can argue that copying retains an equal amount of context associated to a file, if not more, depending on the circumstance. The choice to be able to move files, however, benefits users who not only use Hook but also work in more iterative manner, where documents may be stored, commented, assessed and repurposed in a way that its location in the file system is mutable.
I hope this proves useful to other Notenik users. Thank you as always @hbowie for a terrific app.
One follow-up question: do you really think this needs to be a Collection pref, or would it make more sense s a general application pref?
I guess I’m asking this for several reasons:
It seems to be the sort of option where each individual user user will tend to prefer one way or the other for all of their Collections;
If you prefer the Move option, then it could be annoying and confusing to have to specify this for each different Collection;
Going back and forth between moving and copying for a particular user could be confusing and potentially destructive: in other words, if you move a file, when you thought you were copying it, and then later delete the file, thinking you still have the original someplace else, then you could lose the file altogether.
I guess another option would be to allow the user to specify which option they want for each particular file attachment operation, and then have Notenik just remember the last selected option and use that as a default for the next one. Now that this has occurred to me, I’m wondering if this might be best.
Pardon me, I completely forgot about the general preferences menu. I instinctively press Command-; whenever I want to make a change within Notenik.
I guess another option would be to allow the user to specify which option they want for each particular file attachment operation, and then have Notenik just remember the last selected option and use that as a default for the next one.
I think that this is perfect. I could imagine that an option under general preferences can be offered as well to accommodate users who may change their mind in the future.
Version 10.4.0 is out now, and it offers an option, for each file attachment, to move the existing file rather than make a copy of it. Notenik will remember the user’s choice and make that the default for the next file attachment, so the user only needs to click something if they want to change the option they’ve been using. Let me know how this works out!