absolute pdf links

Hi,

is there any possibility to transfer absolute links to pdf files (currently stored in the URL field) to the file attachment field?

I have many of such links and want not to do it by hand for each reference with several clicks…

Thanks

Guenter

Yes. In EndNote X3, from the “References” menu, choose “File Attachments” > “Convert to Relative Links”

Jason Rollins, the EndNote team

Actually, I just mis-spoke. The instructions above are for converting absolute to relative links within the File Attachments field. There is not an automated way to achieve what you are asking.

Hi,

I would suggest not to convert (tranfer) the link to attachment field. I have approx. 5000 records that have links to PDF files (stored locally), but the link information are all stored in URL field. The reason I store them in URL field is, URL field is “batch editable” by “Change text” and “Change/Move Fields” functions.

My problem of using attachment field is, once I have an attachment (from the file stored locally), I can’t move the location of the PDF files, or change the name of the directory. I don’t use relative link, because it makes the the “Data” folder so big. Due to these reasons, I use “absolute link” and store the information in URL field. I guess you are using similar method. Until developer adds “batch editing” feature to attachment field (which I requested in the Suggestion board), I would keep them as they are.

The way we handle PDF files and attachment are much like personal preference, so this is just my opinion.

I had inaccurate information in my post above. I checked EN X3 Change Text function, and it actually has File Attachment in the pull down menu. So, batch editing file attachment path IS possible. However, I’m not sure that batch editing actually link the PDF file or not. I’ll see what I can do, and report back.

Hello,

I totally agree with You concerning absolute versus relative addresses. We have a large library woth more than 10000 pdf linked via the URL field to an absolute address (pdf stored on a server). This works perfect. Even the pdf could be moved causing only a change in the address via Edit>Change text for all of them. Another reason for choosing the URL field was its access via short cut Ctr-G which allow to open a pdf from the main reference window (BTW, is there also such a short cut for opening attachment files?).

But for some reason I would like to copy (not to move!!) this absolute link from URL field to the file attachment field.

At this moment I only see the possibility to do it by hand - drag and drop each pdf to the attachment file field of the respective reference. The advantage of this is, that I remain my entries in the URL field. But for more than 10000 pdf it would make me crazy…

Dear Myoshigi,

yes, I also saw it in Change text. But the problem remains - how to add all the individual pdf names automatically…

I had also some inaccurate informations in my former answer. Just drag and drop of pdf will only create a relative link and store the pdf in the PDF folder of the .data Folder. And there seems no way to convert a relative link into an absolute link. Or did I not see that way?

To create an absolute link it seems necessary to go via Reference>File Attachments>Attach file…(need 3 clicks with the mouse!!!), than you have also every time (!) to remove the icon for creation of a relative link and to select the respective pdf file from the folder.

Hello GuenterJ,

I was trying to batch edit the path link stored in Attachment filed, such that we (yes, we are using the same method for PDF link) can copy the path link from URL field. I attached several PDFs in attachments field using a small sample library. When you use “Show All Fields” as the output style, you can actually see the path link in the attachment field. So, I edited those path links using Change Text function. Then, I change the name of the directory of the PDF files. Obviously link was lost and couldn’t open PDFs. Then, edited the path links in the attachment field again using Change Text. Then, link was recovered.

So far so good…but the problem was, I couldn’t find a method to “create” path links in the attachment field with bath processing. Change/Move field function doens’t have Attachment field, which makes me impossible to enter some dummy file path in 100s and 1000s of records, to begin with.

I’m stuck right there…I’ll explore more possibility, but unless I export the entire library, manupilate the field data with another  software, and re-import, I don’t think I can do this within Endnote.

Dear myoshigi,

many thanks for Your attempts! I tried it in a similar way. I exported the references using Endnote Export filter into a rtf-file. This I choose because to keep all formattings. Than I created a tag for the file attachment field. Within this I copied by hand the file address from the URL field. This way would be still quite time consuming, but much faster than do it within Endnote. But!! But I failed to import the modified rtf-file. I have no idea at the moment why. I even created a new import file with tags, but no success at all.

Any suggestion…

Well, I replied to your another thread, but rtf export is meant to create formatted bibliography. Rtf retains information such as pagination, fonts, margins, etc. However, it seems that Attachment field uses some special algorithm to make the link active. It’s not simple text export/import job.

Also, I don’t think it’s worth spending time to do the copy and paste job (manually) for 10,000 lines of URL path link for your PDF files. If I were you, I’ll write a small code that does the job, and I can make such small utility program very quickly (of course shared as a free software). It’s relatively simple. Find a line that has a tag of URL field, copy that line, instert carriage return after the line, and paste the URL field data with Attachement tag. Such a small code will take care the manual copy&paste job within a blink, even the file contains 10,000 lines.

However, it is really dependent on the success of import job. If we can’t import link to Attachment field, there is no meaning to work on the external file. Also, very important thing to know…when you export and re-import records, it changes record numbers. So, it will screw up bibliography of all the previous documents. Of course, you can re-link them, but if that’s “un-funded grant” or “un-finished manuscript”, then that could be a big problem.

Dear myoshigi,

I totally agree with You. It seems that there is no way to export all format information already included in an endnote reference like italic words or subscript numbers into a file which could be edited by a word processing program and reimported with the format information later on. I could create absolute links in the attachment field, but lost all the format information. I would loose too much going this way with the whole library. So I will stick to my old, stable and editable URL links to the pdf.

BTW, I always force people not to use the large library for their publications. They should copy all references needed (and some more) in a new library for each publication to make sure not to run in problems with reference numbers.

That is also the reason, why absolute links to the pdf are much more preferable than relative ones, which would only cause a waste of hard disks.

@guenterj wrote:

 

BTW, I always force people not to use the large library for their publications. They should copy all references needed (and some more) in a new library for each publication to make sure not to run in problems with reference numbers.

That is also the reason, why absolute links to the pdf are much more preferable than relative ones, which would only cause a waste of hard disks.

I totally disagree and force my people to use the same library and it has to be the one I use.  Otherwise, I need to find their library to fix errors, have that travelling library to contend with, can’t unformat/reformat without access to their library to make changes and  finally, links to absolute locations which might reside on their computer and not on mine (or on a mapped drive which has a different letter on my workstation).  Thus we have one location, relative links and a year or two later when they using parts of the manuscript for their thesis, they don’t have to find/use multiple libraries or find the one with the same record numbers.  … I find that  this is far better for our workflow.

I guess that is why there are options which include absolute vs relative locations.  – and If you don’t use relative locations you can’t take advantage of the “find full text” feature!

I can’t find a way to batch edit within Endnote (X7). I relocated and consolidated the pdf directories and need to batch edit them to point to the new directory as an absolute link. I am trying to do this by 1) a “Show All Fields” export, 2) find and replace the directory links in a text editor, and 3) importing back into a new Endnote library. Nothing happened when I imported using the “Endnote Import” filter.

How can I go about this? Thanks for any help or suggestions.

@nman1011 wrote:

… I am trying to do this by 1) a “Show All Fields” export, 2) find and replace the directory links in a text editor, and 3) importing back into a new Endnote library. Nothing happened when I imported using the “Endnote Import” filter.

 

Refer to response to your other posting: http://community.thomsonreuters.com/t5/EndNote-How-To/How-to-import-references-from-all-field-export-in-Endnote/m-p/131058#M23792

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