Take Control of Getting Started with DEVONthink 2, 3rd Edition

Take Control of Getting Started with DEVONthink 2, 3rd Edition

by Joe Kissell
Released November 2016
Publisher(s): Take Control Books
ISBN: 9781615424801

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Book description

Take control of all your information with DEVONthink and Joe Kissell's advice!

With the information-management program DEVONthink 2, you no longer have to swim in a sea of Web bookmarks, email receipts, RSS feeds, scanned memos, and downloaded bank statements. DEVONthink stores your digital documents and clippings, helps you scan and store paper documents, and serves as home base for organizing and viewing all your information. But mastering all that power can take effort, and this book--created in partnership with DEVONtechnologies--has the real-world advice you need to understand how DEVONthink can bring order to your information.

You'll also learn how to extend your DEVONthink experience beyond your main Mac with Joe's detailed explanation of the many ways you can sync DEVONthink databases to your other Apple devices and his lucid look at the DEVONthink To Go iOS app.

"This book got me around some suboptimal usage patterns that were holding up my profitable use of this excellent software. I'd recommend this book to any level of DEVONthink user." --Scott McGrath

After covering essential DEVONthink vocabulary and concepts, Joe helps you start using DEVONthink effectively. You'll learn how to:

  • Get around in the interface
  • Decide how many databases you need and set them up
  • Determine whether to input or index data
  • Configure where incoming data will go
  • Import data from many different apps
  • Import data from a scanner, including OCR options
  • Use grouping and tagging to organize data
  • Use simple (and sophisticated) techniques for searching
  • Create smart groups that automatically gather newly imported data
  • Create documents in plain text, HTML, Markdown, and more
  • Edit documents in DEVONthink (or externally)
  • Find the best way to sync DEVONthink data with other devices
  • Get tips for working effectively in the DEVONthink To Go iOS app
  • Share DEVONthink documents with other people
  • Export documents from DEVONthink
  • Back up and maintain healthy databases

Questions answered in the book include:

  • What is DEVONthink good for, and what should be left to other programs?
  • What kinds of data can I import? (Short answer: Nearly everything!)
  • Which of DEVONthink's many views should I use?
  • When I import documents from different sources, where do they end up, and why?
  • Is it better to sort imported documents right away, or leave them for later?
  • Should I group my data, tag it, or both?
  • What are duplicates and replicants, and how can I tell them apart?
  • Which types of data can be created or edited within DEVONthink?
  • How do I make my DEVONthink database accessible via the Web?
  • How do I move documents out of DEVONthink using the Share feature?
  • How do I use DEVONthink To Go on my iOS device?
  • Are there Automator or AppleScript options for DEVONthink? (Hint: Yes!)

Publisher resources

View/Submit Errata

Table of contents

  1. Read Me First
    1. Updates and More
    2. Basics
    3. What’s New in the Third Edition
  2. Introduction
  3. DEVONthink Quick Start
  4. Quicker Start for Second Edition Readers
  5. Understand DEVONthink Basics
    1. What Exactly Is DEVONthink?
    2. DEVONthink Editions
    3. Words You Should Know
    4. Importing vs. Indexing
    5. Organizing Features
    6. What DEVONthink Is Not Good For
  6. Explore DEVONthink’s Interface
    1. Support Assistant
    2. Main Window
    3. Panels
    4. Drawers
    5. Document Windows
    6. Inboxes
    7. Workspaces
  7. Set Up DEVONthink Databases
    1. Create a New Database
    2. Configure Database Properties
  8. Get Information into DEVONthink
    1. What Can I Put in DEVONthink?
    2. Decide Where Your Documents Will Go
    3. Create Documents in DEVONthink
    4. Use the Import or Index Command
    5. Use Drag and Drop
    6. Use the System-wide Global Inbox
    7. Use the Services Menu
    8. Use the Sorter
    9. Use the Share Extension
    10. Add Web Content
    11. Add Email Messages
    12. Use the PDF Menu
    13. Scan Documents
    14. Use the Built-in Web Browser
    15. Read RSS Feeds
    16. Joe’s Recommendations for Getting Stuff into DEVONthink
  9. Organize Your Information
    1. Understand Groups and Tags
    2. Create and Use Groups
    3. Tag Documents
    4. Work with Links and WikiLinks
    5. Move Data between Databases
    6. Split and Merge Documents
  10. Find Your Information
    1. Perform a Simple Search
    2. Refine a Search with Search Options
    3. Use the Search Window
    4. Use Smart Groups
    5. Search Using the Concordance
  11. Work with Your Information
    1. Edit Documents in DEVONthink
    2. Convert Document Formats
    3. Navigate PDFs
    4. Annotate PDFs
    5. Edit Documents in External Applications
  12. Sync Your DEVONthink Databases
    1. Understand Sync Basics
    2. Configure Syncing
  13. Use DEVONthink To Go
    1. Get to Know DEVONthink To Go
    2. Configure and Sync DEVONthink To Go
    3. Find Your Way Around
    4. Add Items to DEVONthink To Go
    5. Manage Documents
    6. Configure DEVONthink To Go Settings
  14. Get Information Out of DEVONthink
    1. Use DEVONthink’s Web Server
    2. Share Data
    3. Export Data
  15. Dig Deeper
    1. Maintain Your Databases
    2. Use AppleScript and Automator with DEVONthink
    3. Link DEVONthink Documents to Other Applications
  16. Appendix A: Keyboard Shortcuts
    1. Keyboard-and-Mouse Combinations
    2. Other Shortcuts
  17. Learn More
  18. About This Book
    1. Ebook Extras
    2. About the Author
    3. About the Publisher
  19. Copyright and Fine Print

Product information

  • Title: Take Control of Getting Started with DEVONthink 2, 3rd Edition
  • Author(s): Joe Kissell
  • Release date: November 2016
  • Publisher(s): Take Control Books
  • ISBN: 9781615424801