SUL2Text is a small programme to extract the text from a KnowledgeBase and dump it into a text file. It requires the .Net2.0 libraries.

It started life over here as a proof of concept.

New in version 1.3.1:
+ Added $Level=<number>$ Variable
~ Minor GUI changes

New in version 1.2.2:
! Fixed the sort bug. Folders and Articles should now export in the same treeform as they are in SuL.
+ Added more extract variables (SeeAlso, Comments, etc)
+ Added quick-pick variable insert
~ Shortened variables (to make it easier to edit: Note: variables are case-sensitive)
+ Added output Template files (saves/loads folder/node output definitions)
+ Added Level variable: $Level=<string>$ will repeat the <string> n times dependant on the level of the Folder/Node.
+ Added ToolTips

New in version 1.1:
+ A lot more error checking and stripping of elements in the SuL File. Error report is available at Step 2.
+ Ability to define how Articles are output (it's pretty simple at the moment).
+ Ability to select a starting Node

The Article output can be adjusted with TextVariables and real text:
{NL}: outputs a new line
$TL$: outputs the title of the Folder/Article (not for simple notes though)
$BD$: outputs text text part, Notes for Folders, Text for Browser, etc.
Any Free Text: outputs as entered.

So for example:
{NL}$TL$:{NL}$BD${NL}----
Produces:
Appreciate feedback...

Regs,
Perry

Attached Files

	SuL2Text v1.1.zip (17.6 KB, 3 views)
	SuL2Text v1.2.2.zip (20.3 KB, 3 views)
	SuL2Text v1.3.1.zip (20.7 KB, 23 views)

Perry, Thanks for all your work on this. And Jai etc. for helping drive it. It is great to see you guys working out the requirements and putting together a solution. It should form a great basis for incorporating into SUL down the track.

__________________
Neville Franks,
Author of ED for Windows and Surfulater

I've just popped up version 1.2.2

Jak, I'm pretty sure this should fix your structure problems in the output? I'd like to know if it does, as it does here

New in version 1.2.2:
! Fixed the sort bug. Folders and Articles should now export in the same treeform as they are in SuL.
+ Added more extract variables (SeeAlso, Comments, etc)
+ Added quick-pick variable insert
~ Shortened variables (to make it easier to edit: Note: variables are case-sensitive)
+ Added output Template files (saves/loads folder/node output definitions)
+ Added Level variable: $Level=<string>$ will repeat the <string> n times dependant on the level of the Folder/Node.
+ Added ToolTips

Appreciate comments....

hi perry - i replied in our preview thread elsewhere... basically I was a little confused about using the quick-pick variables... i'll play with it a little more this week and will post back.
Also I think I did find a couple more sorting issues, but let me double check and i'll post back here. thanks!

Export Templates were added in Version 1.1 and expanded in 1.2.2

The Basics
Currently there are two templates that can be created:

1. The Folder template and
2. The Article template.

Each template is defined using a text string, which can contain variables that will be replaced during the export process with other values.

If the text string is empty, then nothing will be exported.

If the text string does not contain any variables then the export will not contain any text from the SuL file.

The Variables
$TL$: Is replaced with the text from the Title in SuL
$BD$: Is replaced with the text from the Body, this is the Text section in IE, Clipboard, SimpleNote and Bookmark Articles, Implementation in CodeSnippet, Notes in Folders, Details in ToDo.
$SA$: Is replaced with the text from the SeeAlso section.
$AT$: Is replaced with the text from the Attachments section.
$RF$: Is replaced with the text from the Reference section.
$CM$: Is replaced with the text from the Comments section.
{NL}: Is replaced with a new line sequence.
{TAB}: Is repleced with a tab character.
$Level=<string>$: <string> is duplicated by the depth within the tree and replaces the whole variable.
$Level=<number>$: <number> is multiplied by the depth within the tree and replaces the whole variable.

Saving and Loading
Export templates can be saved and loaded later by using the appropriate buttons. Templates are stored where SuL2Text.exe is located.

Examples
The following examples use a simple SuL KnowledgeBase with one article (Titled 'HARD SURFACE TYPE GRADIENT/ SLOPE') which is in a subFolder (Titled 'Design Requirements') of the KnowledgeBase.

Example 1

Folder:="$Level=+ $Title: $TL${NL}Body: $BD${NL}"
Article:="$Level=> $Article: $TL${NL}Body:{NL}$BD${NL}"

Note:

1. The $Level variable is different for Folders and Articles. Folders="+ " and Articles = "> "
2. Note the use of {NL} to seperate different sections
   
   

Will produce: Example 2
Folder:=""
Article:="--{NL}$BD${NL}---{NL}"

Note:

1. Folder="", i.e. an empty string, which means that nothing will be exported for folders.
2. The Article body is wrapped in a "--" "---" pair.
   

Will Produce:Example 3
Folder:="This is a folder (Depth=$Level=1$){NL}"
Article:="This is an Article, the textual contents being:{NL}$BD${NL}---{NL}"

Note:

1. Folder will only export constant text plus the level the depth of the folder.
2. The KnowledgeBase folder has a depth of 0, therefore no +'s will be exported.
   

Will Produce:

I've just popped up verions 1.3.1, which has an added variable and a few GUI changes:

1. Removed the confusing "Node" and replaced it with "Article"
2. Renamed Step 3 to "Set Export Options"
3. Added Text to the Export Template Import & Save button

I wrote a few words about the Export Template format and variables here.

hi - finally had a chance to test SUL2TEXT v1.3.1. WOrked marvelously. This is really extremely helpful and handy. Virtually everything I put into SUL eventually comes out in order to go into Microsoft Word, and this makes that transition very easy. Now I can just readin a text file (which i'd reformat over again in Word anyway, since the text file out of SUL for me usually only contains "raw" data or snippets).

Thanks much for this. Everything seems to be working as far as I can tell. I've got a grip on the variables now as well.

Not to press my luck, but of course, SUL2WORD would rock (folder titles going in as MS WOrd "outline headings"; articles going in as lowest level outline). As I understand it, Word now uses XML files...

And of course, SUL2HTML (where an informational look-up tree can be exported directly to an html file or a set of html files, in the style of .chm files except accessible on a website instead of the desktop

Thanks for SUL2TEXT, totally rocks

That's great to hear!!

I'd hoped that the variable thing wasn't too difficult, they're really just place holders.
OK, no dramas, next time I sit down to do some SuL work I'll start it... you're right, it won't be too difficult.

The only issue is that it'll be limited to text output, as any graphics will be in the database. But that being said, it'd do most of what you need by the sounds of it.
Did you give HTMLview a go? It's not really what you want, but it'd serve as a basis for export.

Perry

Hi perry - as long as you're having fun with the project, perhaps at some point you could also create a small 'example file' that your script immediately auto-processes whenever the variables are changed -- so as to show the user a *visual* representation of the output text's formatting? That would be fun and very user friendly
I'll check that out next I think I looked at it once before but I need to refresh my memory...

(incidentally, I had a terrible case of dataloss, which is partly why I took so long to try out the script and respond... it appears that at some point I accidentally copied/overwrote my SUL database with an older version while I was moving some files around. It took me almost 3 weeks to rebuild it from memory. May this be a lesson to us all about keeping automatic backups with versioning. I have such a backup system but it had been temporarily set on manual. Tragedy was the result. Never ceases to amaze me how incredibly fragile computer data is.)