Notes for Groups (sharing to other users)

[cradermacher]

Hi,

is it possible to use Notes with Groups?
All notes should be visible and editable for the Group

Regards
Christian

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[stefan-niedermann]

The notes are all stored as files in the Notes-Folder. You should at least be able to share single files, though i do not know if one can place a shared file in his/her own Notes-folder so it can be used with the Notes-App.... ❓

[cradermacher]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I have testet the following. I have a shared Folder for the Group. In this folder i make e new Subfolder "Notes". Edit in the Settings of the Notes App the folder to this Shared Subfolder. Now I can use Notes with the Group. It ist necessary, that that every User Edit his Settings to this Folder. Is it possible to set a default Folder for Notes? Regards Christian

[korelstar]

No, the default folder is always Notes. Another way would be to share a folder inside the notes folder to your group and let every user move that shared folder from their root directory to their notes folder. That's the way I'm using notes in order to have both: a shared folder and my own notes.

However, a valid enhancement of the app is to make this more easy. I thought we had already an issue for that, but I can't find it.

[TruputiGalvotas]

I would be willing to take on this issue with some mentoring/guidance from nextcloud team.

[korelstar]

Yay, that would be so great! I think we have two cases that should be realized: sharing a single note and sharing a category (i.e. a folder). Therefore, we have the following steps to be done:

Backend

• add new attributes to lib/Db/Note.php which determine if the note is shared by the current user (and to which users) or if it is shared by another user (and by whom)
• fill these attributes using the share API: https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/stable/developer_manual/api/OCP/Share/index.html
• create and implement lib/Service/ShareService.php with methods for sharing/unsharing files or directories to other users (and, after sharing, move these to the other user's notes directory) using the share API
• extend lib/Controller/NotesController.php with methods for sharing/unsharing notes using ShareService
• create lib/Controller/CategoryController.php with methods for listing all categories and respective share info as well as sharing/unsharing categories using ShareService

Frontend

• add new action for sharing/unsharing of notes and categories in app navigation
• provide frontend for selecting users or groups (maybe there is a common design element that can be used, e.g. app sidebar).

Contribute

Please note that we are moving the frontend from AngularJS to VueJS (see #290). Therefore, please use the branch vue as base for development and create pull requests for that branch.

You can start with small steps and concentrate on a single step from the above list only, e.g. the changes in lib/Db/Note.php.

[korelstar]

Please note also this related issue: #135 (Deletion of single shared note is not possible). That should be fixed by implementing the steps above.

We have also another issue about sharing, but there is the focus on making a note public available: #38. I think we should keep this independently.

[cryptoquick]

This feature would be nice, because Nextcloud Text isn't letting users I share notes with edit the note in an editor or viewer, it just wants them to download the note.

[kirmaha]

Interrested in this feature too, with read-only option on group sharing for whole categorie and sub-categories.

[kojid0]

Since nextcloud deck has the option to share decks with other users, can't this part of code be included into nextcloud notes?

[korelstar]

@kojid0 : I don't think so, because deck has a database backend and notes uses files. Therefore, sharing a note should be equivalent to sharing this file.

[robna]

...one year later...
may I ask: is this being implemented? Would make the Notes app much more useful if applied in a team context.
IMO, the criteria listed by @korelstar are still adequate for the purpose

[d4nyl0]

Currently when you share a note or Notes folder (category), it goes to other users' Root.

I think it should be easier to move that object (single note or folder) directly under "Notes" of all other users.
When only one note is shared, if it belongs to a category, I'm not sure if it's cleaner to create that category for all other users or ignore it.

[juliushaertl]

Sharing has been implemmented through file shares changing the target to the notes folder with #1146