`notes-app` - A Notes.app CLI

A command line interface for Notes.app on macOS 10.14 Mojave and earlier. Notes.app access is apparently broken in 10.15 Calatina.

Add and edit notes in a text editor with command line support like Vim, Emacs, VS Code, Sublime Text, etc. Create, list, view, update, and delete notes using simple terminal commands. Export your notes to text files.

Quirks and Limitations

Requires macOS 10.14 Mojave and earlier (broken in 10.15 Calatina).
Notes.app must be open. notes-app will open it in background if it's not already open.
Attachments are not supported. Apple doesn't provide easy access to attachments syned with iCloud. Editing a note that contains an attachment results in the attachment being removed. In order to avoid data loss, notes-app does not allow editing or updating notes that have attachments.
The formatting of the first line in a note is not preserved. Notes.app treats the first line of a note as the "name" of the note and does not allow formatting of this line through AppleScript, while the "body" of the note is formatted with HTML. When the note has a blank "name" line, the first line of the "body" is treated as the name, making any formatting on that line inaccessible to notes-app.
If a new note is created without a "name" specified, Notes.app sets the first line to "New Note".

Overall warning: Notes.app data is not fully accessible and some things get lost in translation. notes-app makes an effort to provide access to the raw data from Notes.app and has a few checks to avoid data issues, but Notes.app still does processing on its end (e.g., adding HTML tags), so expect some weirdness when updating and editing existing notes that have a lot of formatting.

Installation

Homebrew

Install with Homebrew:

brew tap xwmx/taps
brew install notes-app

Manual

To install manually, simply download the notes-app script:

# download with curl
curl -LO https://raw.github.com/xwmx/notes-app-cli/master/notes-app && chmod +x notes-app

# download with wget
wget https://raw.github.com/xwmx/notes-app-cli/master/notes-app && chmod +x notes-app

Then run notes-app with:

./notes-app

Usage

Help

Notes.app CLI

A command line interface for Notes.app on macOS.

Usage:
  notes-app accounts [show <account>] [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]
  notes-app add [<name>] [--account <account>] [--body <body>] [--folder <folder>]
  notes-app attachments <note> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
                        [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]
  notes-app commands
  notes-app count [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
  notes-app delete <note> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
  notes-app edit <note> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
  notes-app export <path> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
                   [--note <note>]

  notes-app folders [show <folder>] [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
                    [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]
  notes-app list [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
                 [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]
  notes-app show <note> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>] [--open]
                 [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]
  notes-app update <note> (--body <body> | --name <name>) [--account <account>]
                   [--folder <folder>]
  notes-app -h | --help | help [<subcommand>] [-l | --long]
  notes-app --version | version

Help:
  notes-app help [<subcommand>]

More Information:
  https://github.com/xwmx/notes-app-cli

Subcommands

`accounts`

Usage:
  notes-app accounts [show <account>] [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]

Options:
  --properties <prop1>,<prop2>  A comma-separated list of property names to
                                include in the output. Set to 'all' to include
                                all properties.

Identifiers:
  <account> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Available Properties:
  all
  id
  name

Subcommands:
  (default)  List all accounts.
  show       Show properties of <account>.

Description:
  List accounts or show an account.

Examples:
  # list accounts by name
  notes-app accounts

  # list accounts with ids and names
  notes-app accounts --properties id,name

  # print the id and name of the iCloud account
  notes-app accounts show "iCloud"

`add`

Usage:
  notes-app add [<name>] [--account <account>] [--body <body>] [--folder <folder>]

Options:
  --account <account>  The account containing the new note.
  --body    <body>     Plain text or HTML body content.
  --folder  <folder>   The folder containing the new note.

Identifiers:
  <account> and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Description:
  Add a new note. When no arguments are specified, a new blank note file is
  opened in the terminal editor, as set in the `$EDITOR` environment
  variable.

  When <name> is specified, the editor is not opened and a new note is created
  containing the specified <name> as the first line of the note.

Note Format:
  The format of each note provided by Notes.app consists of:
    Line  1:     An unformatted string representing the "Name" property.
    Lines 2-end: An HTML formatted body.
  Within Notes.app the first line can be formatted, but this formatting is not
  preserved when the note is retrieved or set via AppleScript, so any
  formatting in this line will likely be lost or inconsistent with what's
  displayed in Notes.app.


Examples:
  # Open a new note in the editor.
  notes-app add

  # Create a new note named "Example name." without opening editor.
  notes-app add "Example name."

 # Create a new note with a name and body without opening editor.
  notes-app add "Example name." --body "Example body."

`attachments`

Usage:
  notes-app attachments <note> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
                        [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]

Options:
  --account    <account>        The account containing the note.
  --folder     <folder>         The folder containing the note.
  --properties <prop1>,<prop2>  A comma-separated list of property names to
                                include in the output. Set to 'all' to include
                                all properties.

Identifiers:
  <note>, <account>, and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Available Properties:
  all
  id
  name
  container
  contentIdentifier

Description:
  List attachments of <note> idenitied by <id>, <name>, or <number>.

Examples:
  # List attachments of note number 1.
  notes-app attachments 1

  # List attachment ids of note number 1.
  notes-app attachments 1 --properties id

`count`

Usage:
  notes-app count [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]

Description:
  Print the number of notes in <folder>.

`delete`

Usage:
  notes-app delete <note> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]

Options:
  --account <account>  The account containing the note.
  --folder  <folder>   The folder containing the note.

Identifiers:
  <note>, <account>, and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Description:
  Delete <note>.

`edit`

Usage:
  notes-app edit <note> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]

Options:
  --account    <account>  The account containing the note.
  --folder     <folder>   The folder containing the note.


Identifiers:
  <note>, <account>, and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Description:
  Edit a note idenitied by <id>, <name>, or <number> in your terminal editor,
  as set in the `$EDITOR` environment variable.

Note Format:
  The format of each note provided by Notes.app consists of:
    Line  1:     An unformatted string representing the "Name" property.
    Lines 2-end: An HTML formatted body.
  Within Notes.app the first line can be formatted, but this formatting is not
  preserved when the note is retrieved or set via AppleScript, so any
  formatting in this line will likely be lost or inconsistent with what's
  displayed in Notes.app.

Examples:
  # Open note number 1 in the editor.
  notes-app edit 1

  # Open note named "Todos" in the editor.
  notes-app edit Todos

`export`

Usage:
  notes-app export <path> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
                   [--note <note>]

Options:
  --account    <account>  The account containing the note.
  --folder     <folder>   The folder containing the note.
  --note       <note>     A note to export.

Identifiers:
  <note>, <account>, and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Description:
  Export notes and save in directory at <path>. By default, all notes in the
  default account (iCloud) are exported. Use --account,
  --folder, and --note flags to reduce the scope.

  Attachments are not included in exports. Apple does not provide easy access
  to attachments synced with iCloud.

Note Format:
  The format of each note provided by Notes.app consists of:
    Line  1:     An unformatted string representing the "Name" property.
    Lines 2-end: An HTML formatted body.
  Within Notes.app the first line can be formatted, but this formatting is not
  preserved when the note is retrieved or set via AppleScript, so any
  formatting in this line will likely be lost or inconsistent with what's
  displayed in Notes.app.

Examples:
  # Export all notes in the defualt account.
  notes-app export ~/Documents/Example

  # Export all notes in the folder named "Example Folder"
  notes-app export ~/Documents/Example --folder "Example Folder"

`folders`

Usage:
  notes-app folders [show <folder>] [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
                    [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]

Options:
  --account    <account>        The account containing the folder.
  --folder     <folder>         The parent folder, if any.
  --properties <prop1>,<prop2>  A comma-separated list of property names to
                                include in the output. Set to 'all' to include
                                all properties.

Identifiers:
  <account> and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Available Properties:
  all
  id
  container
  name

Subcommands:
  (default)  List folders in the current account or folder.
  show       Show properties of <folder>.

Description:
  List folders in an account.

Examples:
  # List all folders in the current account.
  notes-app folders

  # List all ids of folders in the "Example" account.
  notes-app folders --account Example --properties id

  # Show folder number 1.
  notes-app folders show 1

`list`

Usage:
  notes-app list [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>]
                 [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]

Options:
  --account <account>           The account containing the note.
  --folder  <folder>            The folder containing the note.
  --properties <prop1>,<prop2>  A comma-separated list of property names to
                                include in the output. Set to 'all' to include
                                all properties.

Identifiers:
  <account> and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Available Properties:
  all
  counter
  id
  container
  passwordProtected
  creationDate
  modificationDate
  name
  body

Description:
  List notes

Examples:
  # List all notes in the default account.
  notes-app list

  # List all notes in the account named "Example"
  notes-app list --account Example

  # List all ids of notes in the folder named "Sample"
  notes-app list --folder Sample --properties id

`show`

Usage:
  notes-app show <note> [--account <account>] [--folder <folder>] [--open]
                 [--properties <prop1>,<prop2>]

Options:
  --account    <account>        The account containing the note.
  --folder     <folder>         The folder containing the note.
  --open                        Open the note in Notes.app.
  --properties <prop1>,<prop2>  A comma-separated list of property names to
                                include in the output. Set to 'all' to include
                                all properties.

Identifiers:
  <note>, <account>, and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Available Properties:
  all
  id
  container
  passwordProtected
  creationDate
  modificationDate
  name
  body

Description:
  Show a note idenitied by <id>, <name>, or <number>.

Examples:
  # Print all properties for the note named "Shopping List"
  notes-app show "Shopping List"

  # Print the creationDate of note number 1.
  notes-app show 1 --properties creationDate

`update`

Usage:
  notes-app update <note> (--body <body> | --name <name>) [--account <account>]
                   [--folder <folder>]

Options:
  --account <account>  The account containing the note.
  --body    <body>     The new value for the note body.
  --folder  <folder>   The folder containing the note.
  --name    <name>     The new value for the note name.

Identifiers:
  <note>, <account>, and <folder> can be identified with one of the following:
    id      The Notes.app core data id (starts with 'x-coredata://').
    name    The name property.
    number  The current sequence number.

Description:
  Update a note.

Examples:
  # Set the name of note number 1 to "Example Name".
  notes-app update 1 --name "Example Name"

Tests

To run the test suite, install Bats and run bats test in the project root.

github.com/xwmx/notes-app-cli

xwmx/notes-app-cli

notes-app - A Notes.app CLI

Quirks and Limitations

Installation

Homebrew

Manual

Usage

Help

Subcommands

accounts

add

attachments

count

delete

edit

export

folders

list

show

update