OK, so no-one has ideas as per my question in elog:67088.

Looking at the issue from another angle.

If you attach a pdf file (for example), two files are added to the logbook:

../logbooks/hidden/110705_235520_whatthis-0.png
../logbooks/hidden/110705_235520_whatthis.pdf

Is there any way that you can select an attachent, but only the thumbnail (.png in this case) is stored (and
subsequently viewed)?  Options for ability to select an attachment, or how the thumbnail is manipulated/viewed
exist, but nothing about the storage or otherwise of the original document that I can find.

I've tried manually deleting the .pdf file (after going through the automatic routine to make an attachment),
and elog doesn't seem upset at the lack of the .pdf file at all.  The only time anything happens is if one
clicks on the image - and then you get a 'file not found' message from the browser - I could live with that.

In my case the original .pdf file is elsewhere, I've no need to have duplicates scatted in various logbooks, and
while ideally that would also be true of the thumbnail, it is fair enough for this to be stored in each logbook
where it is required.  This removes the issue of how to have an attachment in a different logbook (other than by
links, which would get rather tiresome to have to keep making).

Anyone any ideas?

Hi Andreas,

>Of course the attachment has to be in the public logbook and the link in the hidden one.

The issue I have is that the attachment is in the hidden logbook, the link would have to be in the 
public one...

I'll also look again at putting in the links in the text (normally I use plain encoding, rather than html).

I wondered if there had been some flag for the config file whereby the original file for attachment was
processed by ImageMagick, but not stored, only the .png file(s) stored - or rather, some other way that achieved
the same end. as there is no such flag at present.

For now, anyway, I can attach the documents/pics I want, then go in and delete the 'originals' as saved in the
logbook, leaving just the .png files.  But maybe something for the wishlist?

Hi Stefan,

>Sure, but that works only from a hidden logbook into a public one, not the other way, but I think this is what
>David wants. Since the hidden attachment is not accessible from the public logbook, there is no way around that
>other than physically copy the message, then strip maybe the text. 

(as per my reply to Andreas)

>He is concerned about having the same attachment twice on disk, which I cannot fully understand. Even large
>attachments are maybe 10 or 20 MB, otherwise they take forever to go through your browser. With a modern 1 TB
>disk these are 50.000 attachments

I've not mentioned it, but the entire logbook directory and subdirectories have to squeeze into a memory stick,
along with other data not at issue here.   Soon be too much for an 8GB stick, so that a factor of 100 down on
the available memory space.

But I can work with the solution I gave in the reply to Andreas.

> > I wondered if there had been some flag for the config file whereby the original file for attachment was
> > processed by ImageMagick, but not stored, only the .png file(s) stored - or rather, some other way that achieved
> > the same end. as there is no such flag at present.
> > 
> > For now, anyway, I can attach the documents/pics I want, then go in and delete the 'originals' as saved in the
> > logbook, leaving just the .png files. But maybe something for the wishlist?
> 
> At least I now understood your problem :-)
> 
> You can have a script in your hidden logbook, that processes your attachments with "execute new", create thumbnails
> of them (using ImageMagicks "convert") and submit those thumbnails as one additional entry to your public logbook.
> 
> But then you would get thumbnails of all attachments of the hidden logbook in the public one, maybe you don't want
> that either? If you want them all, this method is more automated. If you just want some, do it as you suggested it.
> 
> In my opinion this is a rather exotic feature request :-)
> I wonder if there is a second person in the world who could use it?

Hi Andreas,

True, as a feature explained here, it may not be the most frequently used ;-)

And you are right, I would not want *all* attachements in the hidden directory to appear in the public.  But I've got
quite used to playing around in the logbook subdirectories now.

In my case, the ever-expanding use I make of ELOG - and the fact that I use it with the logbook directory stored on a
memory stick (to move from location to location and use local computers, and that's partly to ensure the hidden
directory stays hidden!) - does mean I sometimes run into issues that some hyper-networked system with ZB of storage
don't even notice. 

 In order to copy (or move) files from one logbook to another, you first need to ensure that  the
appropriate commands are in the section of elogd.cfg of the logbook the files move *from* (called 'current')

 - made up elogd.cfg to show this, and obviously only the pertinant lines

[Global]

Group = current, Y2011, Y2010, Y2009...

...

 [current]
...
Menu commands = New, ... Copy to, ...
...
Copy to = Y2011, Y2010, Y2009 ...
...
 - end of made up example.
 
So to solve your problem, the <logbook list> is simply the list of logbooks in
this part of elogd.cfg after the 'Copy to =' line in the elogd.cfg file (Y2011, Y2010, Y2009...)  

You also need to ensure that the directory to which the entries are to be copied to exists!

('Move to' would be faster if you are going to delete the entries in 'current' afterwards, but as always, it depends on

your perception of risk.)

For the user, the logbook list is the set of logbooks that appear in the
drop-down menu by the side of "Copy to" in the menu bar, and it allows you to
move that entry (or thread of entries if more than one) to the selected destination.

---

My reason for answering this is because I have actually done this operation 'in
anger' some time ago and regularly since, and would have answered before if Stafan had not beaten me
to it.  I used what was Stefan's second method, which, for those who are
reasonably confident with file manipulation, is far faster, and, dare I say,
less prone to 'unexpected' issues - some here will know what I'm
getting at.

So I say, "Back up your files and take the plunge", I would have put something
else but this is a family friendly forum.

But you must bear in mind my views are those seen through the filter of a
regular Elog ab-user, which may be why Stefan worked so hard to answer before
me ;-)

Anyway, Stefan <i>et al</i> have got CERN's faster-than-light particle problem to deal with this morning.

 Well done Mike!

One result is that I've also learnt things, realised that there are some known unknowns and perhaps some unknown unknowns in my

understanding of Elog.

 Does this occur if you are adding an attachment?  As I am blessed with forever using ancient systems, I've seen fields and indeed text  being cleared  because they were entered between clicking on 'Upload' for an attachment and the .png files being generated and displayed.  Answer here is patience - I use all too much of mine up in this exercise, sadly.

 Hi there,

I'm not sure where it appears in the documentation, but question 9 of the FAQs shows that 'Bottom text' has to be in html - and so does 'top text'

The get-it-done-now way to do it would be

Top Text = <img src=Logo.png>

(and ensure Logo.png is in the same directory as the config file - otherwise you'd best put the path of where it is in).

Of course you can do all sorts of things with this, such as centering, have it so that if you click on the logo you get taken to some other home page, but for

all that sort of thing check up with a guide to html.