Re: [Skim-app-users] Skim-app-users Digest, Vol 18, Issue 17

[J. A. W. <wi...@oh...>]

On 26 Sep 2008, at 09:56 AM, ski...@li... 
  wrote:

>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:00:08 -0400
> From: Bill Mohler <wm...@ne...>
> Subject: Re: [Skim-app-users] Automatically read notes from .skim file
> 	when opening a pdf?
> To: For general discussion about using Skim
> 	<ski...@li...>
> Message-ID: <a06240802c5028d153bb7@[155.37.78.229]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
>
> OK. Any way to script the behavror I'm looking for?
..............

Actually, Bill, there is a way to get the functionality you're looking  
for, but it involves overriding the default behavior of skim. You will  
need keyboard macro software. I use Keyboard Maestro ($36 US) a tool  
that has changed my life.

Here's what you do:

	0. Enbable the Skim hidden preference  
(SKReadMissingNotesFromSkimFileOption)

	1. Set up a macro (using Keyboard Maestro in my case) to intercept  
the Command-S (default "Save") behavior in Skim

	2. Tie this macro to execute an AppleScript that saves the skim notes  
ONLY.

	3. When you close the PDF and are asked "Do you want to save the  
changes you made in the document [Name of Document]" choose "Don't  
Save" with Command-D or a mouse click.

This way, when you open up your PDF in Skim, the notes will be read in  
automatically.

Given that you're using a network space to store your PDFs, your files  
may be well-organized in which case the solution outlined above has a  
few advantages, one of which is the fact that your PDFs are untouched  
by Skim. The other advantage is that OS bugs in saving EAs across the  
network are neutralized.

At the end of this email, you will find the AppleScript I invoke with  
Command-S (step 2) to save skim notes. Note that the "repeat 2 times"  
chunk is used to flash the screen to provide feedback that the notes  
were in fact saved.

hth,

JW

=================
try
	tell application "Skim"
		set filepath to path of front document
	end tell
	set filepath to POSIX file filepath
	set filepath to Unicode text 1 thru -5 of (filepath as Unicode text)  
& ".skim"
	tell application "Skim"
		save document 1 in filepath as "Skim Notes"
	end tell
	tell application "System Events"
		repeat 2 times
			key code 28 using {command down, control down, option down}
		end repeat
	end tell
	--display alert "notes saved" giving up after 1
on error
	display dialog "Could not save Skim Notes"
end try
====================