I am a beginner and wondering how experienced users update and manage notes.
Specifically, is it practical to use Anki as a fairly detailed resource for working directly in or to people tend to keep info in spreadsheets and then import / export?
Nice to see that since I last used Anki a few years back it is easy to export from Numbers using the Unicode 8 format…
The possibility to import content from tables or csv files is helpful in cases like: You have previously maintained a vocabulary list and now want to have it in Anki. You want to create an overview of a topic (such as keyboard shortcuts for a program) and not lose track of it. You want to create a deck with similar content that only differs in terms of individual terms (I once did this with bird pictures, where only the picture and name differed …).
The import option is less useful for more extensive cards that rely on formatting, or for cards whose creation process is closely related to the learning process. Most users I know who create their own cards maintain and revise them directly in Anki.
I keep my originals in (LibreOffice) spreadsheets. That enables me to update en masse in the case, e.g. where I misspelt a word that occurs several times.
Whenever I have updated the spreadsheet, I reimport it (ensuring that the first column remains the same). This allows me to have up-to-date information in Anki without losing any of the learning and review data.
I find using the first field as a Note ID allows me to ensure that that column remains the same. I found that requirement, when I corrected a sentence that was the Front field of a card. Importing that spreadsheet left me with two cards: one incorrect and one correct, because upon import the newly corrected Front field did not match anything already present and thus was added as a new card.
Keyboard shortcuts - great Anki idea
Useful thanks. Got to figure out note id’s.
That enables me to update en masse in the case, e.g. where I misspelt a word that occurs several times.
Just so there is no misunderstanding among new users: Anki has a built-in search and replace system that lets you do just that.