Export / Drag-and-drop, to make folders and files

Previous: History list

(Go to:Topicscape Pro User Guide - contents list)

Drag and drop

You can drag a topic to Windows and it will make a folder containing a copy of all the files linked to occurrences in that topic. If that topic had sub-topics, sub-sub-topics and so in, these would all be converted to folders and their occurrences to files (with the exception of fileless occurrences).

HINT: It is better to use the export function for this, because fileless occurrences (see Glossary) will not be converted to files by a drag, but will be if export is used.

Drag-and-drop is best used for a few occurrences, or a strict hierarchical topic structure.

Group export to folders (& files)

Export is best used for hierarchies of topics where one or more topics have multiple parents, or circular relationships or for occurrences that include fileless occurrences.

Right-click on the topic you want to export. From the menu that appears, highlight the scope of the export "Export this topic only..." or "Export this topic & descendants...".

Finally choose where it is to go. If the selected topic has occurrences, it will copy the files to the chosen destination.

The export process will make folders that replicate the topic structure exported. Windows folders cannot show multi-parent topic structures so shortcut files are used to build an approximation to these. Fileless occurrences are exported as a special type of file that, if re-imported to Topicscape will be recognized and converted back to a fileless occurrence. The description and other metadata will be preserved, provided that you do not modify the file.

This, too, is largely a two-way process. It allows a "round trip" where an exported folder structure and its special shortcut files will make the original structure when re-imported to a Topicscape.

Your topics and occurrences in Topicscape will remain unchanged by either a drag and drop or an export operation.

Export an entire Topicscape to folders (& files)

Everything in the Topicscape, including loose associations, and branches that originate at a parent and reach a dead end through, say a grandparent and a great-grandparent will be exported. Group export, covered above, only works downward, exporting children, grand-children and so on only, not off-hierarchy parents, loose associations or island topics.

Where necessary -- for example with multiple parents or loose associations -- this export function generates shortcuts.

For information on another form of occurrence/file export (move to Topicscape Box), please refer to For permanent export from Topicscape.

The Out Tray also supports exporting topics and occurrences.

---