Exporting Draft Logs to Text File

[+cyberrat]

Hi Geocaching HD,

Did you have in you plan to add export Log 'like field note' with the Geocaching App. It's more easy to log a bunch of cache and create funny log (with date / time / weather)...

[+noncentric]

Hi Geocaching HD,

Did you have in you plan to add export Log 'like field note' with the Geocaching App. It's more easy to log a bunch of cache and create funny log (with date / time / weather)...

Are you asking about creating "Field Notes" in the app? If so, then that is already available in the app, although they are now called "Drafts" instead of "Field Notes".

 

You can read about it in the March 9th Release Notes thread.

[+cyberrat]

Hi Geocaching HD,

Did you have in you plan to add export Log 'like field note' with the Geocaching App. It's more easy to log a bunch of cache and create funny log (with date / time / weather)...

Are you asking about creating "Field Notes" in the app? If so, then that is already available in the app, although they are now called "Drafts" instead of "Field Notes".

 

You can read about it in the March 9th Release Notes thread.

 

Hi Geocaching HQ,

 

I already know this option I talk about a way to export "Drafts" like in my GPS receiver called "FieldNote.txt". is really more easy to log multi caches and standardise the log. This option is essentiel for me.

I understand the way to use "Draft" but for many geocachers the able to Export into txt file is more easy for us. I hope you dev team have this feature in the next release.

 

Regards,

[+niraD]

I already know this option I talk about a way to export "Drafts" like in my GPS receiver called "FieldNote.txt". is really more easy to log multi caches and standardise the log. This option is essentiel for me.

I understand the way to use "Draft" but for many geocachers the able to Export into txt file is more easy for us. I hope you dev team have this feature in the next release.

So are you looking for a way to export your "drafts" to a file, rather than only being able to export your "drafts" to the geocaching.com web site?

[+The A-Team]

I talk about a way to export "Drafts" like in my GPS receiver called "FieldNote.txt". is really more easy to log multi caches and standardise the log. This option is essentiel for me.

I understand the way to use "Draft" but for many geocachers the able to Export into txt file is more easy for us.

I don't understand how this would be more useful. Wouldn't that just be adding a couple of steps where you'd export the text file and then upload it to the Drafts/Field notes page? Why not just send them straight from the app to the same place?

[+noncentric]

Hi Geocaching HD,

Did you have in you plan to add export Log 'like field note' with the Geocaching App. It's more easy to log a bunch of cache and create funny log (with date / time / weather)...

Are you asking about creating "Field Notes" in the app? If so, then that is already available in the app, although they are now called "Drafts" instead of "Field Notes".

 

You can read about it in the March 9th Release Notes thread.

 

Hi Geocaching HQ,

 

I already know this option I talk about a way to export "Drafts" like in my GPS receiver called "FieldNote.txt". is really more easy to log multi caches and standardise the log. This option is essentiel for me.

I understand the way to use "Draft" but for many geocachers the able to Export into txt file is more easy for us. I hope you dev team have this feature in the next release.

 

Regards,

Just to clarify, I am not Geocaching HQ. Neither is niraD or The A-Team that have also replied to you.

 

Can you explain how you would use the Draft if it is in a text file? Do you add more text around what you have saved in the app/GPSr? If so, then couldn't you type your logs in any text file on your computer - it doesn't have to be the fieldnote.txt file. You could open the Draft on the website or app to look at it while typing your log in a separate text file.

[+thomfre]

My guess is that he use GSAK or similar. He's probably using templates etc. If that's the case, his request makes perfect sense.

[+IceColdUK]

On 4/5/2017 at 10:49 AM, thomfre said:

My guess is that he use GSAK or similar. He's probably using templates etc. If that's the case, his request makes perfect sense.

I arrived on this page for just this scenario.  I was hoping it was possible to import GC.com Drafts into GSAK.  (Export of Drafts to "FieldNote.txt" say, and import from there would be fine).  If logging Drafts from a smartphone, it would be great to be able to process them through GSAK's Publish Logs in a similar way to the field notes you make on a GPSr.

[+IceColdUK]

Thought I'd 'bump' this thread just to make it clearer what problem I'm trying to solve, and to see if GS have any plans...

 

I use GSAK for planning trips.  I also add a 'Log Section' Note for solved puzzles, so that I can recall my 'puzzle-solving experience' by the time I find the cache (which could be months or even years later).

 

I cache using a combination of GPSr and phone, but typically use the phone to add draft logs whilst in the field.  I could use the GPSr, but (i) it's much easier on the phone, and (ii) because the logs are written back to the website there's less chance of losing them.

 

Back home I complete my logging using GSAK:
1. Move my planned caches into the Publish Logs tool.
2. Compare the list to my Drafts on the website: change the Log Type (Found, DNF, Note) and Date on those that were attempted, and remove any that weren't.
3. Apply templates e.g. to include that 'Log Section' for the solved puzzles, my 'signature', and maybe a little boilerplate to say who I was caching with, etc.
4. For each cache, cut and paste the details from the Draft log (on the website) into GSAK, then rewrite as necessary, to describe my 'cache-finding experience'.
5. Add TB visits and drops, and photos to appropriate logs.
6. Publish all logs. :-)

 

It would be really useful, to be able to extract the Drafts from the website, for import into the GSAK Publish Logs tool to simplify step 2 and 4.  (Admittedly, there may be an issue of the draft notes being overwritten by the templates at step 3, but I'm sure those clever people at GSAK would be able to come up with something...)

 

I really can't see myself moving away from GSAK Publish Logs tool, but does anybody have a better way of streamlining their logging?

 

Thanks.

[+rotlicht]

Well written, IceColdUK, but unfortunately without any response :-(

This scenario is basically what I need / would like to do. Du to several reasons, I have 121 drafts at the moment, most of them are from maybe 6 or 7 big geocaching tours.

In order to publish my logs, I can now do a lot of copy and paste while opening each draft separately - or I find a possibility to export the drafts from geocaching.com to GSAK where it would be much easier.

 

[+IceColdUK]

This is now possible thanks to HHL's FetchFromDrafts macro. 

 

Edit: Thanks too to Groundspeak for making the change to the API that enabled this functionality.

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by IceColdUK
Credit where credit's due!