How to get text filenames into Apple Notes?

[dbwain]

I have 2000 plain text notes I have kept in a dropbox folder (accessed by nvALT on the mac and 1writer on iOS. I'm trying to transition to Apple Notes, but i lose all my note titles on import of text files. (Plus I lose all markdown formatting - but I can live with that.)

Is there a script -- or any way -- that I can import my text files without losing the note titles (i.e. the filenames)?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

The design of the Notes app is to use the first line of the note as the title. I don't know of any way to change that. It is more of a basic notes app than some third-party products, as it was designed to sync via iCloud with Macs and iOS devices.

It does look like nvALT 2.2.8 (a fork of Notational Velocity) has recently been updated to work through High Sierra. Maybe the updated version will allow you to continue using it?

C

 

[dbwain]

Hi, thanks for your response.

The reason I wanted to try switching to Notes.app was that I wanted to hopefully simplify things, keeping all notes in one place Up until now I've kept shared notes in Google Docs, and notes that require images or more formatting than markdown allows in Evernote. But I dislike Evernote for many reasons, and don't want three places where information is kept.

I checked out other 3rd party notes apps and found the all lacking for different reasons. Apple Notes has its limitations and frustrations too, and may not be the final solution, but I do like having a simple app that's integrated with Mac & iOS, that most everyone I know also has.

Anyway I did find a work-around solution for how to get text files into Notes:

1. Run this script on a folder containing text files - it imports them all into Evernote, preserving dates & titles (!)

2. Export from Evernote

3. Import to Notes.app
​

PS - I have high hopes for BitWriter, the upcoming notes app from nvALT creator Brett Terpstra. But there's no release date for this.