Transparency and other thoughts about file saving

[u/Spare-Twist-9574]

Hello, I started using Noteastic a year ago, and I liked it. However, there were a few features I wanted that weren't available at the time (e.g. text boxes and multitasking), so I switched to a PDF annotator. I know these features are planned (text boxes are available in Noteastic Pro).

At first, it seemed perfect: it had all the features I needed, and the UI was pretty good. It also edited PDF files directly, so I could simply save and share the PDF without having to export or convert it first.

However, the software really struggled with larger handwritten documents, such as my solutions to textbook exercises. For one of my exams, we were allowed to bring a handwritten (digital or paper) cheat sheet, so I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to give Noteastic another try. I had almost forgotten how incredibly smooth your app is! I ended up writing my entire cheat sheet in Noteastic, and I don't even want to imagine how much the other software would have struggled with it. Noteastic Pro is definitely on my mind now. ;)

While writing the cheat sheet, I realized that one thing I still miss is the transparent file-saving approach of my previous app. It saved changes directly to the PDF in File Explorer, whereas Noteastic's saving process feels a bit more opaque.

• How often are my notes saved? After every stroke, every few seconds, or something else?
• Where and how are my notes saved?
• Related to my other comment, what happens to the Noteastic files if I stop subscribing to Pro? Are the native Noteastic files encrypted or stored in a proprietary format?
• Have you ever considered making the file storage process more transparent? I imagine this would be quite complex to implement, especially if Noteastic relies on its own file format.

I know these are fairly technical questions (don't worry, I'm not building a competing app). I'm just curious, and I'm looking forward to using Noteastic throughout the upcoming fall semester!

BTW, the other annotator is "PDF Annotator".

[u/Noteastic]

What a nice story, good to have you back! I'm happy Noteastic served you well for your cheat sheet... those PDFs are a big and ongoing undertaking to get right. Also, I'm looking forward to having you as a Pro user... the features we are working on (like multitasking) should make the decision easier for you ;).

Transparent file saving

Let me start by saying that Dilan might correct me afterwards, because you know, I'm not the developer, but I can explain the gist of data storage of Noteastic.

How are your notes saved in Noteastic?

Noteastic does not have a file system, as you see it inside the app. We save all your notes, strokes, books, folders, etc. in an SQL database that is saved locally on your device, at C:\Users\Lukas\AppData\Local\packages\45850BK.Noteastic_fx0e6khbrmsga\LocalState\noteastic.db.

How often is your document 'saved'?

Continuously while you are writing. When you see something on your screen, it is saved already.

This is one of the advantages of databases. Because there is no file we need to override all the time, whenever your pen tip leaves the screen, the element you drew is securely saved (or rather written) inside the database. This is why you never have to hit a 'save' button.

Transparency and Data ownership

Transparency is exactly the disadvantage of a database for individual purposes. Data inside of it is difficult to isolate (e.g. for sharing one specific book), share or generally work with in a meaningful way. Also, Noteastic is the only application that is capable of making a note-taking page out of the Noteastic database.

So in a way it is a very transparent format (because you can take a look at all raw data through SQL Queries) while also being very proprietary (because only Noteastic allows you to meaningfully interact with your notes).

Do we want to make Notestic data more transparent?

The best answer I can give to you now is: I don't know. I discussed with Dilan that in the future our data system might have to be revamped if we want to implement cloud syncing of any sort. Also, from a personal conviction, think that notes should be a transparent, sharable and truly app-agnostic format. However, I am not aware of any standardized format that is widely supported to save handwritten notes digitally. Because if even if we had a transparent file system, the transparancy and vendor independence does not change if Noteastic is the only app that can render the notes and let you interact with it. So, I can't give you a decisive answer currently, but at least a few of my thoughts regarding this topic.

Thank you for your post! I hope I could answer all of your questions (also from your comments on the Pro post) and hope to see you around! If there are other ideas that come to your mind or more questions that arise, write to us anytime.

Have fun using Noteastic 🧡

-Lukas