There's a part of one of my websites that I would like to move out of my traditional web creation software and into a more content-orientated environment which would allow me to output that data to the web in a structured manner. The data is several thousand web links. I'd like to pick this forum's members' brains to hear any ideas on which software to use.

I've done this in the past, using:

- TheBrain version 6 (later versions have dropped the ability to output to the web and I'm not holding my breath that version 11 will reverse this). I want to avoid using software which isn't being actively updated.

- ConnectText - this works well and I have a number of sites produced with it (e.g. https://www.grcdi.nl/gsb/global sourcebook.html and https://www.pidm.net but again, without active development, I want to avoid investing too much time into it.

- DocxManager - this is a new software, following up on WritingOutliner, so at least I know it's being actively developed, but I haven't had a chance yet to test it fully and the output possibilities are currently somewhat limited. As most of you agree, I think it's wiser to use software according to what it can do now rather than what it might be able to do in the future.

Does anybody have any other ideas? Must be Windows, preferably not cloud based.

Thanks in advance!

Graham

Would something like a self-hosted instance of WordPress (or similar CMS) be useful?

Paul Korm wrote:

Would something like a self-hosted instance of WordPress (or similar
CMS) be useful?

Thanks Paul. I've always skirted around WordPress, probably because it's an (online only?) website creation system, whereas I already use offline website creation software (Xara Designer Pro). I'm really want the emphasis on the information management part of the process - i.e. software with which to manage information which will output to structured html - rather than the website creation part of the process. So, emphasising content above design.

Maybe I'm wrong about WordPress and need to look at it again ....

Graham Rhind wrote:

Maybe I'm wrong about WordPress and need to look at it again ....

No, you're not. Wordpress is for design and publishing, no for content management.

Would an information management system like NotecasePro (www.notecasepro.com) or Infoqube fit the bill?

Franz Grieser wrote:

Would an information management system like NotecasePro
(www.notecasepro.com) or Infoqube fit the bill?

Thanks and noted, Franz - does this just output individual notes to html or can you output a whole file (and automatically create menus, links etc.)? And that also reminds me - I've used WhizFolders in the past, to which NotecasePro may be similar - Whizfolders is not being actively developed at the moment, but it's good to add it to the options list!

Graham Rhind wrote:

Thanks and noted, Franz - does this just output individual notes to html
or can you output a whole file (and automatically create menus, links
etc.)?

You can export the entire document to HTML and have Notecase automatically create a TOC and links.

With regard to links, this is what the online documentation says:

----- quote -----
Each NoteCase Pro note can contain an arbitrary number of hyperlinks, that refer to some target data. Also, each note title can be a hyperlink.

Target data can be:

– Another note in the same NoteCase Pro document
– An inline link target in another note in the same document.
– A note or inline link target in another NoteCase Pro document
– A web URL
– An email address ("mailto:" link)
– A Lua script file (this is a very special purpose kind of link: When double-clicking such a link, the linked Lua script file is executed. This makes it possible to launch some NoteCase Pro automation from within the document content by double-clicking a script link)
– A Lua script embedded in a document note or plugin (will have same effect as executing a Lua script file).
----- quote end -----

Some other options:

MediaWiki (what powers Wikipedia)

Dynalist (can format links with Markdown and make outlines accessible via the web)

Pinboard.in (can import lists of links, tag them, and share them online with or without notes)

I've found MyInfo's HTML export suitable for such web presentation of structured content. It creates a two-pane outlined which can be put online via FTP and even embedded in an existing website in an iFrame.

In another price league, MindManager also produces very good-looking web output.

I have recently been doing similar research. For me, the following are still in the running:

- MyInfo - as noted earlier in the thread the HTML output is decent
- Zim - A bit basic
- Wikidpad - A step up from Zim, but I need more time to investigate as the learning curve is non-trivial

I use some of the ones others have posted here for exporting to HTML and they all work good.

The best one I've found is RightNote, it also exports the HTML with a Search feature automatically to search the entire database. Nice to export if you're using an offline HTML reader.

Thanks to everybody for their suggestions. I'll check them all out.

Ideally: Static Website generators. I use about 6 systems, with my own instructions/samples for diff purposes. BUT even many coders have difficulty with them though.

So for most people I would also recommend the 1-click export in RightNote file menu to (web + mobile) "WebBooks". I have used this feature myself in previous years. An old demo file online for the mobile export:

https://www.bauerapps.com/webbooks/mobile.html

It's a shame Devonthink's web server option is so expensive. I don't have enough of a need for it to justify the cost, so I don't spend the money.

If it were lower cost, it seems like they would snag OCD types such as myself who have casual needs for such a thing.

You could always experiment with AquaMinds NoteTaker 4 ;-)

Yes, it does generate complete websites; it even appears to include a search function. I haven’t had a chance to experiment with this yet (unfortunately it’s refusing to work with the simple web server I’ve got on my MacBook, which is irritating), but I’m intending to give it some serious attention.

MadaboutDana wrote:

You could always experiment with AquaMinds NoteTaker 4 ;-)

Graham wrote: Must be Windows :-D

Oh yeah, Windows only… sorry!

FYI, DoxManager is currently featured on Bits d Jour:
https://www.bitsdujour.com/software/docxmanager-document-organizer-and-site-builder-for-word


Graham Rhind wrote:

- DocxManager - this is a new software, following up on WritingOutliner,
so at least I know it's being actively developed, but I haven't had a
chance yet to test it fully and the output possibilities are currently
somewhat limited. As most of you agree, I think it's wiser to use
software according to what it can do now rather than what it might be
able to do in the future.