Skip to content

Add PDF versioning for repeated exports of the same note #53

Description

@Dev-Ray-Hunt

Goal

When the user exports the same note more than once, instead of silently overwriting the previous PDF, implement a versioning system so previous exports are preserved.

Problem

Currently exporting `My Note.md` always writes `My Note.pdf`, overwriting any prior export with no warning. Users lose previous versions with no way to recover them.

Options to Research & Evaluate

Option A — Timestamp suffix

`My Note.pdf` → `My Note_2026-03-25_143200.pdf`

  • Simple, always preserves history
  • Vault fills up fast if user exports frequently

Option B — Numbered suffix

`My Note.pdf` → `My Note_v1.pdf`, `My Note_v2.pdf`, …

  • Clean and human-readable
  • Requires scanning the output folder to find the next version number

Option C — Overwrite with backup

Always write `My Note.pdf`, but move the previous version to `My Note_prev.pdf` (keep only 1 backup)

  • Keeps the vault tidy
  • Only one undo step available

Option D — Setting-controlled behaviour

Let the user choose in Settings: Overwrite / Timestamp / Numbered

Acceptance Criteria

  • Research complete — decision made on versioning strategy
  • Setting added (if Option D chosen)
  • Export correctly versions files per chosen strategy
  • Output folder doesn't silently grow unbounded (retention policy if needed)

Notes

  • Research whether PDF metadata (author, creation date, version) is a better place to store version info than the filename
  • Consider how versioning interacts with the output folder setting

Workflow

  • Research & decide on strategy
  • Code written by Claude
  • Claude explains the new code to Brandon
  • Brandon tests per checklist
  • Approved — close issue

Metadata

Metadata

Assignees

No one assigned

    Labels

    featNew feature

    Projects

    No projects

    Relationships

    None yet

    Development

    No branches or pull requests

    Issue actions