Feature request: Note export

[NamesMark]

As notes are stored in the DB, the user might want to extract them and move elsewhere, like into Obsidian. Having this flexibility might help with adoption - the user doesn't feel "locked in" dataans, and feels that their notes are safe.

So it might be useful to export(/import?) the notes as .md files (with spaces as directories?).

[TheBestTvarynka]

I agree with you. The user should not be "locked in". We should investigate other note-taking apps, write down what import formats they support, and implement the most common one (or a few ones)

[TheBestTvarynka]

We should investigate other note-taking apps

@NamesMark , Would you like to do that?

[NamesMark]

Exporting as markdown seems to be the most useful option.

Below: import/export by different app

App	.md	.txt	HTML	PDF	CSV	JSON	Other
Obsidian	✅/✅	✅/✅	❌/✅*	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌
Notion	✅/✅	✅/✅	✅/✅	✅/✅	✅/✅	❌/❌	DOCX, ENEX*
Evernote	✅*/❌	✅/❌	✅/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌	ENEX (Evernote Export XML)
Telegram	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌	manual entry
OneNote	🤷‍♂️?/❌*?	❌/❌	❌/❌	✅/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	OneNote Format (.one)
Google Keep	❌/❌*?	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/✅	❌/✅	manual entry, Google Takeout
Apple Notes	✅*/❌	✅/❌	✅/❌	❌/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	ENEX, RTF, RTFD
Simplenote	✅/✅	✅/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌
Standard Notes	✅/✅	✅/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌
Notable	✅/✅	✅/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌
Zettlr	✅/✅	✅/✅	❌/✅	✅/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	Org Mode (.org)
logseq	✅/✅	❌/✅*	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌	✅*/✅	Org Mode (.org)
Typora	✅/✅	✅/✅	✅/✅	✅/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌
The Archive	✅/✅	✅/✅	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌	❌/❌
Joplin	✅/✅	✅/✅	✅/✅	✅/❌	❌/❌	❌/✅*	ENEX

The only question is whether to export as

1. Space as a directory, notes as files, or
2. Space as a file, notes sequential (maybe even support both, might depend on how people are using dataans)

Tangential note: if we were to also consider importing into dataans, then

• .md again first priority, covers most of the common apps
• plain text (txt), imho, can be treated 100% the same as .md if an app only exports txt
• HTML (from telegram or Evernote) might require some research (I'll need to test this) or a custom script to convert from HTML to md + make sure pictures or other files are preserved
• JSON might need a specific script for each app support, which should be rather easy to implement, but as it's custom and not general - low priority

[TheBestTvarynka]

Wow, massive work!

Exporting as markdown seems to be the most useful option.

Yes, I agree with you. 👍

The only question is whether to export as

Let's make it configurable. Sometimes users may want to export one space as one page. But in other situations, the user may want to import only some notes to another app. So, as you said, I think we should support both.

if we were to also consider importing into dataans

It would be a great improvement. I don't plan to implement it in the near future, but if you consider implementing it, then let's discuss it in a separate issue. We'll agree on the main design points and you will be ready to start.

• .md again first priority, covers most of the common apps
• plain text (txt), imho, can be treated 100% the same as .md if an app only exports txt
• HTML (from telegram or Evernote) might require some research (I'll need to test this) or a custom script to convert from HTML to md + make sure pictures or other files are preserved
• JSON might need a specific script for each app support, which should be rather easy to implement, but as it's custom and not general - low priority

👍