How to get the path to the archive

amahabal

Hi, I am still seeking a clean way to get the path to my note, as requested here https://forum.zettelkasten.de/discussion/1401/request-some-way-of-getting-note-file-path#latest

To repeat my ask: apart from the current menu entry "Edit > Copy Link To Note", I request a "Edit > Copy Path to Note", which will give me enough information, and which will hopefully will be trivial for you to write.

Or, if the path to the archive is stored, perhaps somewhere in ~/Library, I can read from there...

Also, much less critical so feel free to ignore, is there yet a way to programmatically change the current folder?

Many thanks,
Abhijit

amahabal

I see a path in "Group\ Containers/FRMDA3XRGC.de.zettelkasten.TheArchive.prefs/Library/Preferences/FRMDA3XRGC.de.zettelkasten.TheArchive.prefs.plist"

Is that the right location

Will

Abhijit, I use a two-step method when I want the full path of a note.

/Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/Cosmic Pastoral 202305170541.md

I uploaded a gif showing how I do it. I'm not sure this is what you are asking. Do you want a note's full path or just the path to The Archive directory? I have a Python function for determining the full path to the active archive directory, but it doesn't return a specific path to a particular note.

Right-click on the note in the note list, selecting "Reveal in finder," or use the shortcut. Then in Finder, "Copy the Pathname," which is available by pressing down the Option Key while right-clicking on the target file.

The full pathname will be in the system clipboard.

If you use Keyboard Maestro or Alfred, you set up a keyboard macro for this if you find yourself doing it a lot.

The GIF turned out big and will take a minute to fully load, then it will run smoothly.

amahabal

Thanks, Will.

I do want both, and I figured it out now. The crucial thing is that this should happen via a program and fast (okay to use both Keyboard Maestro and Alfred). Now I get the Archive path by reading from that file (which is a plist), and I get the path from there to the note using Edit > Copy Link To Note.

--Abhijit

ctietze

@amahabal "Programmatic" inspection and modification is on my to-do list (via AppleScript) but not yet implemented.

There's an undocumented trick, though

Paste this into Script Editor:

tell application "The Archive"
  «event TmngGpat»
end tell

This uses global system events to report the full path to the current note. That makes time tracking with Timing very accurate.

amahabal

Thanks, @ctietze! That is good to know. Do you have a document with other such "undocumented" tricks? That would be worth bookmarking...

ctietze

If I had, that would be documenting them

Some tips are on the help pages:
https://zettelkasten.de/the-archive/help/

Maybe I could add this one in case someone else looks for a way to ask The Archive for the currently open path (until AppleScript introspection works)

Will

In consultation with my ZK, I found a method/function that programmatically works with Python to find the currently active folder path to The Archive, using the plist. Special shout-out to @pryley for the insight. This may give you ideas for adaptation to the language you use.

---
UUID:      ›[[202208021213]] 
cdate:     08-02-2022 12:13 PM
tags:      #code-snippet #python 
---
# Get a Path from a Plist

- Python [[202110091918]]

from @pryley and works great in older versions of Python for finding the directory of The Archive.


#!/usr/bin/env python3
#encoding: utf-8

from __future__ import absolute_import
from Foundation import NSData
from Foundation import NSPropertyListMutableContainers
from Foundation import NSPropertyListSerialization
import os
import sys
from urllib.parse import unquote


class FoundationPlistException(Exception):
    """Basic exception for plist errors"""
    pass


class NSPropertyListSerializationException(FoundationPlistException):
    """Read/parse error for plists"""
    pass


class TheArchive:
    @staticmethod
    def path():
        archive_url = TheArchive.setting('archiveURL')
        path = unquote(archive_url[len("file://"):])
        return path

    @staticmethod
    def plist():
        bundle_id = "de.zettelkasten.TheArchive"
        team_id = "FRMDA3XRGC"
        filepath = os.path.expanduser(
            "~/Library/Group Containers/{0}.{1}.prefs/Library/Preferences/{0}.{1}.prefs.plist".format(team_id, bundle_id))
        if os.path.exists(filepath):
            plistData = NSData.dataWithContentsOfFile_(filepath)
            data, dummy_plistFormat, error = (
                NSPropertyListSerialization.propertyListFromData_mutabilityOption_format_errorDescription_(
                    plistData, NSPropertyListMutableContainers, None, None
                )
            )
            if data is None:
                if error:
                    error = error.encode('ascii', 'ignore')
                else:
                    error = "Unknown error"
                raise NSPropertyListSerializationException(
                    "{0} in file {1}".format(error, filepath))
            else:
                return data
        else:
            raise Exception("Error: Cannot find The Archive plist.")

    @staticmethod
    def setting(key):
        data = TheArchive.plist()
        try:
            return data[key]
        except KeyError:
            raise Exception(
                u"Warning: Cannot get The Archive setting: {0}".format(key))


path = TheArchive.path()
sys.stdout.write(path)

These are my modifications, and this is the function I currently use.

####
# Function for finding the path to The Archive
#####
def TheArchivePath():
#  Variables that ultimately revel The Archive's plist file.
    bundle_id = "de.zettelkasten.TheArchive"
    team_id = "FRMDA3XRGC"
    fileName = os.path.expanduser(
        "~/Library/Group Containers/{0}.{1}.prefs/Library/Preferences/{0}.{1}.prefs.plist".format(team_id, bundle_id))
    with open(fileName, 'rb') as fp:
        pl = load(fp) # load is a special function for use with a plist
        path = urlparse(pl['archiveURL']) # 'archiveURL' is the key that pairs with the zk path
    return (path.path) # path is the part of the path that is formatted for use as a path.

if __name__ == "__main__":
    zettelkasten = pathlib.Path(TheArchivePath())
    print(f'The Current ZK Directory. {zettelkasten}')
    print(f'## {len(os.listdir(zettelkasten))} notes in the archive.')   
    subfolders = [ f.path for f in os.scandir(zettelkasten) if f.is_dir() ]
    for i in subfolders:
        print(f'## {len(os.listdir(i))} files in {i}.')
        print(f'## {sizeof_fmt(getFolderSize(i))} in {i}.')
        print('-'*40) 

Output

The Current ZK Directory. /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten
## 3360 notes in the archive.
## 3 files in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/link-previews.
## 774.7 Kilobytes in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/link-previews.
----------------------------------------
## 15 files in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/icons.
## 241.6 Kilobytes in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/icons.
----------------------------------------
## 3 files in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/export.
## 25.1 Kilobytes in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/export.
----------------------------------------
## 8 files in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/Writing.
## 7.1 Megabytes in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/Writing.
----------------------------------------
## 600 files in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/media.
## 1022.5 Megabytes in /Users/will/Dropbox/zettelkasten/media.
----------------------------------------

amahabal

Hi @Will,

I notice that in that code you are processing the plist with the NSData business. However, there is a standard plistlib module you could instead use. My code:

import os
import plistlib
import sys

def get_archive_directory():
    filenname = os.path.expanduser(
        "~/Library/Group Containers/FRMDA3XRGC.de.zettelkasten.TheArchive.prefs/"
        "Library/Preferences/FRMDA3XRGC.de.zettelkasten.TheArchive.prefs.plist")
    with open(filenname, 'rb') as fp:
        pl = plistlib.load(fp)
        return pl['archiveURL'] 

Will

Hi @amahabal, the NSData business is from the Python 2.7 days. The function currently used is below. Mine returns the path as a path rather than a dictionary. I practiced adding some error handling in another version.

Thanks for a look into your code, your function is a bit crisper.

My code:

from urllib.parse import urlparse
import os, pathlib
from plistlib import load

def TheArchivePath():
#  Variables that ultimately revel The Archive's plist file.
    bundle_id = "de.zettelkasten.TheArchive"
    team_id = "FRMDA3XRGC"
    #`fileName` is the path to the plist file that contains the path to the ZK.
    fileName = os.path.expanduser(
        "~/Library/Group Containers/{0}.{1}.prefs/Library/Preferences/{0}.{1}.prefs.plist".format(team_id, bundle_id))
    with open(fileName, 'rb') as fp:
        # load is a special function for use with a plist
        pl = load(fp) 
        # 'archiveURL' is the key that pairs with the zk path
        path = urlparse(pl['archiveURL']) 
    # path is the part of the path that is formatted for use as a path.
    return (path.path) 

if __name__ == "__main__":
    zettelkasten = pathlib.Path(TheArchivePath())
    print(f'The Current ZK Directory. {zettelkasten}')