Best way to create new notes from within a larger note

DuncanMKZ

When I'm writing, I usually start typing in a "scratchpad" document, then, as groupings become more obvious, I add headings, and then, as a section gets longer, I move a block of text to a new document, leaving only the heading and a link in the parent document.

I'm sure this is a very common way of working, and surely how TheArchive is designed to work.

But what's the best way to take a group of paragraphs and a heading, and replace them with concise link?

Right now, I follow these steps.
(1) add a timestamp before the heading
(2) make a second copy of the timestamp+heading
(3) Put double brackets around the heading to create a link
(4) Select and Cut the lower heading and the paragraphs that follow
(5) Click on the link to follow it
(6) Hit Enter to create the new document
(7) Hit Paste to put the text in.

It works, but I'm wondering if there's a faster approach built into TheArchive, and what methods work to streamline the creation of child documents. Mine seems to take more steps than I would expect, and the Cut operation makes it a bit precarious. A lot of the time, I miss step 7 and paste the text into the search bar. I also worry that I might make a second Copy operation and lose my cut text.

Is there a way to click on a link and force the creation of a new document, rather than having to search for a nonexistent document then hit Enter to create it?

Is there a safer way to move a block of text into a new document, rather than cut, change documents, paste?

Will

@DuncanMKZ, I use this same process when reading a book or article. I'll often put all my notes in one long zettel then bust it apart. I don't think The Archive has a built-in method for note creation other than the one you describe. I use Keyboard Maestro to extend the functionality of The Archive to make note creation magical.

One method that works is
1. Cut the text destined for a new note.
2. Where you cut the text press ⌘U to get the UID and then type the title.
3. Press ⇧⌘Left Arrow to highlight the text
4. Double-tap the "[" key which will wrap the highlighted text with "[[]]"
5. Move the cursor into the link with the mouse or with the keyboard pressing ⌃⌘Return
6. This puts the new file name in the Omni Bar where another Return creates the note.
7. Then paste the clipboard buffer into the note.

The same number of steps as your process and not much different. I guess I'm no help. Maybe @ctietze and @Sascha have some secret sauce that might be speedier.

This is a short demo of how I do this with Keyboard Maestro. Keyboard Maestro has many other advantages within and beyond The Archive.

ctietze

We've planned new features like this forever but I have to finish the stuff on our Roadmap first Manual extraction is the way to go until then.

DuncanMKZ

@Will - Great thoughts once again! I was interested to see (in your video) that you name files Name+UUID. I guess that means that your links only bring up search results, rather than opening the new document. Or is there a way to click on a link that doesn't start a filename and force it to open?

I have played with the Command-U feature, but the fact that the timestamp it generates only goes to the minute is frustrating. It means that when I am cutting up a larger document, and add UUIDs to the headings, they're not unique at all – I'll get a series of identical UUIDs until the next minute rolls over.

I do use Keyboard Maestro – mostly for time and date stamps to the second (2022-02-05 144014). It does the job, but it is sluggish. (I have a few datestamped files where I've typed my datestamped shortcut and a space, and it has put the space inside the datestamp.) This is one of the rare cases where I miss Windows – its equivalent to Keyboard Maestro, AutoHotKey, is not only free, but very flexible and lightning fast.

I used to have difficulty selecting menu items in Keyboard Maestro. (The default behaviour is to record X,Y mouse movements, which is very fragile.) I only today discovered that I can navigate menus using Control (^) F2 and then the cursor keys. This hopefully will provide a more efficient way of recording Keyboard Maestro macros that use menu commands.

Will

@DuncanMKZ said:
I used to have difficulty selecting menu items in Keyboard Maestro. (The default behaviour is to record X,Y mouse movements, which is very fragile.) I only today discovered that I can navigate menus using Control (^) F2 and then the cursor keys. This hopefully will provide a more efficient way of recording Keyboard Maestro macros that use menu commands.

No! Use this Keyboard Maestro action instead!It accurately selects the current menu action every time.

If you're already using Keyboard Maestro why not let Keyboard Maestro help with new note creation. Easy peasy and speedy, flexible UUID and can follow templating.

DuncanMKZ

@Will - AHHH! Thanks so much, Will. I have gone through the documentation on a number of occasions, and could never find how to do this.

Sascha

I have a KM-Macro for extraction/refactoring. However, I am faster by hand and it even feels more intuitive.