Highlights and annotations data

I have a question for the developers...Is there a way to save/export/retain my highlights and annotations. I would like to use this app as my "production" version of the scriptures, but each time I upgrade this app, this data disappears. I have searched the SD Card, and I cannot find any such file in Gospel Library where it stores this info. Am I correct in assuming that every time a user upgrades versions, they lose all their notes and highlights?

I work in IT and would be happy to help contribute to a solution, but would like more info first. Also, I recently compiled all my scriptures coming from Yanceyware after 9 years, and put them in a .csv file. I feel that we need some way of transferring this type of info from one digital scripture to another (a standard, if you will).

Please let me know your thoughts and anything I can do to help.

Thank you,
John

simzz wrote:Also, I recently compiled all my scriptures coming from Yanceyware after 9 years, and put them in a .csv file.

One of the "competitors" to Gospel Library is Reveal which runs on Yanceyware documents. You may want to give it a try.

Yes, I use Reveal as well. I have even spoken to developer.
But it does not carry forward highlights and annotations from Yanceyware.

The bigger issue is that any scripture reader should in my opinion have some way of storing this valuable data. It gets to the point where I am reading and I think "This is a great scripture, I think I'll highlight it---oh, wait, if I flash to a new ROM next week, I'll lose that highlight or annotation forever...why bother?"

Like I said, I would be happy to help out. Does anyone know where on the storage card this data is stored?

Does anyone know where/how annotations are stored? I have looked in the folder on the SD card and cannot figure it out.
There must be a way to find this out.
Anyone?

simzz wrote:Does anyone know where/how annotations are stored? I have looked in the folder on the SD card and cannot figure it out.
There must be a way to find this out.
Anyone?

Can you add an annotation and then look to see which files have changed in the last few minutes?

Are you sure it's on the SD card? It could be in the phone's memory.

OK, thanks for the suggestions.
Here is what I have come up with so far...

There is a .db file located in the onboard storage (not the SD card) at the following path: /data/data/org.lds.ldssa/databases/ldssa.db

The good news: I successfully added a row to this sqlite db database file manually and was able to see the verse with a blue highlight and an annotation!

The bad news: Even though I have all my highlight/annotations data saved in Excel/csv, it will be a pain and a half to manually add them one by one to a sqlite database with my limited knowledge of sqlite. I can do it, but it will not really benefit the community. I would like to find a smooth process to help others eventually migrate and retain this valuable data.

Does anyone know of a way to bulk load rows into a sqlite database (.db) file?

Additional note: I would strongly encourage the developers to save the ldssa.db file to the card rather than onboard storage (or at least give the user the option. Or maybe cloud-sync or something like that). This would enable to upgrade every time a new version comes out -- or flash a new rom, or get a new phone-- without losing all their data. I am going to save a backup of my new ldssa.db file and treat it like gold.

simzz wrote: The bad news: Even though I have all my highlight/annotations data saved in Excel/csv, it will be a pain and a half to manually add them one by one to a sqlite database with my limited knowledge of sqlite. I can do it, but it will not really benefit the community. I would like to find a smooth process to help others eventually migrate and retain this valuable data.

Does anyone know of a way to bulk load rows into a sqlite database (.db) file?

One thing I have done when I have a Excel file of the data is to write a formula that builds insert sql statements for each row. Then I can copy them into my sql editor and bulk run those statements.

simzz wrote:There is a .db file located in the onboard storage (not the SD card) at the following path: /data/data/org.lds.ldssa/databases/ldssa.db

The good news: I successfully added a row to this sqlite db database file manually and was able to see the verse with a blue highlight and an annotation!

Sounds like you have a rooted phone so the security is bypassed. I don't believe this folder is available to users directly on non-modified Androids, except through the apps themselves.

I must be missing something. The only function I see in this app is "Bookmarks". Where is the annotations and highlighting? Or is that just in a beta version not in "Market"?

When you touch the verse number on the upper left of the verse you are reading, a popup appears allowing you to highlight or leave a note.

Ahhh. Thanks. I found it. But I'm unable to browse to that folder using the ES File Explorer app on my non-rooted phone.

Unfortunately, it seems the highlighting is whole verse only. The scheme I'm more likely to adopt involve parts of a verse.

Wow! Well after many hours of trying to find a solution I have successfully ported all of my highlights/annotations from my Windows Mobile phone (which contain 9 years worth of data) to Android on my Evo!

Thanks to some of the ideas I got on this forum, I was able to figure out how to do this. I will be glad to post steps to the method I used if anyone is interested. I will even post the Excel document with the formulas which provide the sql insert code.

Anyway, thanks to those who provided helpful thoughts.

Simzz

simzz wrote:Wow! Well after many hours of trying to find a solution I have successfully ported all of my highlights/annotations from my Windows Mobile phone (which contain 9 years worth of data) to Android on my Evo!

Thanks to some of the ideas I got on this forum, I was able to figure out how to do this. I will be glad to post steps to the method I used if anyone is interested. I will even post the Excel document with the formulas which provide the sql insert code.

Anyway, thanks to those who provided helpful thoughts.

Simzz

I hope you'll save your SQLite database in case something unfortunate should happen to it.

The Church has a web-based annotation service that we'll be linking with in the future. It will be controlled by your LDS account, and it will sync with other apps/services that use that same account. Not sure when the feature will be ready, but it's in the development roadmap.

Thanks! I didn't know that was in the works. That will be a great tool when it is rolled out.

Anyway, I thought I would detail how I got my data migrated over to the Gospel Library...

Steps: 1. Enter your highlights and annotations from Yanceyware (or other source) into Excel. Follow the format in the attached file. If the verse is highlighted, put the following color code -3342388 in the Highlite column and the Annotation text in the Annotation column. (This is the manual step -- you can find .ano and .an1 files in your Yanceyware folder to help get started here).

2. Then you need to have a rooted android phone and use a file explorer like Root Explorer to access the following file: /data/data/org.lds.ldssa/databases/ldssa.db.

3. Then, using a sqlite tool (such as SQLite DB Browser) perform bulk sql insert statements. These are the statements in column G of the Excel file. You should be able to perform these inserts in bulk, and they will then exist in your ldssa.db file. (Note: Make sure you do not have any single quotes ' in your annotations. If you do, the insert statement will not work).

4. Once you have performed the above steps, all you need to do is copy the ldssa.db file back into your /data/data/org.lds.ldssa/databases/ldssa.db folder. Then open up Gospel Library and your highlights and annotations will be there!

I know this is somewhat of a complex way, but it was the only way I could find that would work.

Good luck.

Thanks for the great guide... my question is surrounding the .ano and .an1 files... I mean how can i open these up on my PC as i cannot see to find any way at all!!