Apple Notes Parser

A powerful tool for parsing and converting Apple Notes data into other formats. This project allows you to extract your Apple Notes content and convert it into a more accessible format.

Note: This tool is currently only supported on macOS systems, as it directly accesses the Apple Notes database which is only available on macOS.

Features

• Parse Apple Notes database files
• Convert notes to Markdown format
• Handle attachments and media files
• Support for multiple accounts
• Preserve note formatting and structure
• Export to customizable output formats

Prerequisites

• macOS operating system
• Bun (JavaScript runtime)
• TypeScript 5.0 or later
• Node.js dependencies (for file system operations)

Installation

Option 1: Download Pre-built Binary (Recommended)

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download the macOS binary
3. Make the binary executable:

   chmod +x notes-parser

Option 2: Build from Source

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/notes-parser.git
cd notes-parser

2. Install dependencies:

bun install

3. Build the binary:

bun run build:binary

Usage

Run the parser:

./notes-parser

The tool will automatically:

• Locate your Apple Notes database
• Parse the content
• Convert notes to Markdown
• Save the output to your Documents folder

Important Notes

1. macOS Only: This tool is designed to work exclusively on macOS systems.

2. Full Disk Access Required: The tool needs access to your Apple Notes database, which requires Full Disk Access permission. If you encounter an error like:

   Data import failed. Cannot access Apple Notes data folder at: /Users/username/~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes
   

   You need to grant Full Disk Access permission to the terminal application you're using:

   1. Open System Settings (System Preferences)
   2. Go to Privacy & Security
   3. Select Full Disk Access
   4. Click the + button
   5. Navigate to /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app (or your preferred terminal app)
   6. Click Open

   If you're using a different terminal application (like iTerm2), make sure to add that application instead.

   After granting the permission, restart your terminal application and try running the command again.

3. Data Safety: The tool only reads your Apple Notes data and does not modify the original database. However, it's always recommended to have a backup of your important data before using any data conversion tools.

Project Structure

notes-parser/
├── src/
│   ├── converters/     # Note format converters
│   ├── importer/       # Apple Notes import logic
│   ├── proto/          # Protocol Buffer definitions
│   ├── utils/          # Utility functions
│   └── main.ts         # Entry point
├── package.json        # Project configuration
└── tsconfig.json       # TypeScript configuration

Development

Building

To build the project:

bun run build:binary

Dependencies

• @zip.js/zip.js: For handling ZIP files
• protobufjs: For Protocol Buffer parsing
• plain-tag: For template string processing
• static-params: For parameter handling

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Release Process

New releases are automatically created when a new tag is pushed to the repository. The release process:

1. Create and push a new tag:

   git tag v1.0.0
   git push origin v1.0.0

2. GitHub Actions will automatically:

   • Build binary for macOS
   • Create a new release
   • Upload the binary as a release asset

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Apple Notes for providing the data format
• All contributors who have helped improve this project