I am using the relative path option for attaching PDFs to references. When trying to copy my library and associated .DATA folder to another computer I received path length errors. My PDF filenames are a bit long and I intend to work out a shorter naming standard; however, I found that EndNote isn’t helping my path length issue.
I discovered that EndNote appears to create a subfolder under the .DATA\PDF folder for each file I attach to a reference. The subfolder name is the same as the attached filename plus a 10-digit number.
Is this subfolder structure normal?
Is there an EndNote setting that would make EndNote not create the subfolders and just store the PDF attachments directly in the .DATA\PDF folder?
Here is the syntax of what I am describing as happening when I attach a file using a relative path:
As far is i know Endnote shortens the folder- and pdf-name so that you dont get over the maximum pathlength. (An exception is if you have your endnote-library on a network harddrive)
So at least for creating the necessary files for the endnote library there shoudnt be a path-length-error. (And you didnt get one if i read your text right)
You will get an error only when you try to copy that structure in a subfolder and the combination will exciede the maximum pathlengh.
So you can copy your folders, but have to make sure you dont put them in a folder that has a longer path-lengh than where youre endnote library was.
I think that is easier than relinking all your pdfs after shortening their name.
I dont think there is an option to store pdfs directly in your library/pdf-folder.
(i use X2, so could be that X3 behaves a bit different)
The main questions are around why EndNote X3 creates a subdirectory under the .DATA\PDF path for each resource attachment. Is there a way to prevent the creation of the subdirectories? If not, is there a way to have EndNote not use the full .pdf filename for the subdirectory name?
As to why it creates a subdirectory i have no idea.
Only way i see to not have subdirectories is to use absolute links.
In X2 Endnote doesnt use the full filename for the subdirectory if the length of the pdf-name is to long and would break the max-path-length in combination with the pdf-file in the subdirectory (but the pdf-name-length is maintained).
You could shorten all your pdf-names (but that would mean you need to reattach them) or you could put your library-dircetory in a deeper file-directory, so Endnote creates shorter directory-names (but if your pdf-names are realy long you will not gain that much).
If you dont have that much pdf-files i would rename them.
Can you move your library and folders to a higher folder level, just off your root, with a 1 letter name? Stay away friom putting it on the desktop, which adds a long additional path, even it is invisible to your. Also you could shorten your library name to one or two letters, which would decrease the .DATA folder name too. Perhaps you would gain enough to work with your current attachments, but in the long run, I would stick with short names for new PDFs, given the substructure the developers have chosen to use.