Confusion about what the AC.00's are and where the JDex lives

J.D Concepts 11 Core concepts
1

I had been under the impression the JDex had to exist in the file system and I was trying to figure out where. (The JDex is a collection of markdown files after all, and files have to exist in some kind of file system.) Then I saw Johnny note that Bear imports them into some kind of proprietary database though, so they don’t really exist in the traditional file system. This concept seems weird to me, as markdown files are basically just text files and the file system seems a fine spot for them, but I’m sure Bear and other similar apps have their reasons. I’m tentatively planning to have my markdown files live in the file system though (even though the JDex != the file system, it can live there, right?)

Backing up a bit, I guess I’m wondering two things: 1. What is index 10.00 and index 11.00 (for example), and 2. If I store my files in the file system, where should they be stored?

I did purchase the Life Admin System, and this is where my confusion began. For my first question, I’d expected index 10.00, “10.00 JDex for area 10-19”, to contain the JDex for area 10-19. When I download the “Flat” template, that folder is empty though. The “Partial Nest” has a separate folder system for the JDex, and that system only goes down to 10, and that 10 folder holds the JDex. The “Deep” template has the JDex for 10.00 in the 10.00 folder, but the rest of the JDex for area 10-19 is in other areas—for example, the JDex for 11.11 is in folder 11.11 (not folder 11.00, which is named “11.00 JDex for category 11”). So none of the three work how I’d expected. Maybe the folders 10.00 and 11.00 in the file system are supposed to always be empty. If that’s the case though, why do we have them in the file system? 11.05 The JDex • Johnny.Decimal notes that 15.54 doesn’t get a folder because it has no file system files. I infer then that since the folders 10.00 and 11.00 exist in the file system, they ought to possibly contain files. With that context here’s my real question: what files should I consider putting in the folders 10.00 and 11.00 in the file system, or should everyone be deleting those folders? The JDex says “If you need to, this reserved ID is where you store [area/category]-specific JDex data.” I thought the only “data” for a JDex were the markdown files, what other data could go here though?

For my second question, I like to keep things simple/flexible and I plan to keep my markdown files on the file system. I tentatively plan to use Zettlr to view/edit the markdown files. It has no problem opening a folder of markdown files, or a folder of folders of markdown files, or a folder of folders of folders of…you get the point. If I download the “flat” that is for “other apps”, the lack of nesting bothers me. I could tell the system I’m using Obsidian and then I’m allowed to download “partially nested”, and that seems nice. I guess I’d have to manually move the contents of JDex folder 10 to file system folder 10.00, JDex folder 11 to file system folder 11.00, etc. though. Or I guess I could copy the whole JDex folder structure and dump it in 00.00 and have my whole JDex there, but partially nested. If the JDex lives in the file system, should the whole thing live in 00.00 (whether or not it’s nested)? On Discord I think Johnny confirmed the whole thing should live at 00.00 if it’s flat, but I think I’m definitely going to want some kind of nesting.

I’m sorry this post was so long, feel free to just focus on the bolded questions.

2

In a word: cloud synchronisation. Okay two words.

Bear totally controls the notes that are your JDex, and that enables synchronisation between your Mac and iOS devices. Oh and their new Bear Web feature.

This is a lot harder for, say, Obsidian to do. Because it just points at a bunch of Markdown files on disk. Which is great … until the idiot user goes in there and futzes around with them. Whoops. Now your sync is broken and other unpredictable effects.

You’re doing the files-on-disk method

Which as you’ve noted means that the files need to be on the disk, somewhere. Where better than in the system they describe?

Because these files describe the system itself, I think of them as being the very ‘first’ thing. If you didn’t know where to look, where would you look? At the very start. And that’s 00.00 JDex for the Life Admin System. So that’s where they exist.

Why aren’t they at 10.00?

They could be! But your system should have a single JDex. And while Life Admin comes with a single area, 10-19 Life Admin, you might (should) expand it in the future. 20-29 is your woodworking hobby, 30-39 your astronomy studies, 40-49 where you manage the fact that you’re a local football referee, and so on.

These things don’t need their own JDex. You just add to the existing JDex. So that’s why it’s at 00.00.

So what does go at 10.00?

Not much, to be honest. But there is one use-case: describing the area.

Let’s say you do in fact set up 40-49 Local football refereeing. If you were at all unsure what went in there, or just wanted to leave some notes about the area’s setup, that’s what I’d put at 40.00 JDex for area 40-49.

That’s confusing

The zeros can be. We continue to evolve them – but they’re definitely one of those things that are there for those who do want them, and are safe to ignore/delete if you don’t.

I don’t know this app, but if it does nesting and that feels/works nicer than a flat structure, then just shuffle the Markdown files around into whatever folder pattern feels best. Every app will be different, and there are literally hundreds that you might choose from, which is why there’s a bunch of download options available.

3

I deleted those folders. I didn’t have a use for them.

I have everything in ‘10-19 Life admin’.

4

Wow. Today I learned.

5

Thanks for the help everyone! I think this mostly makes sense. I guess the answer is to just dive in and see what feels right. I’ll probably start with the Obsidian “Partially Nested” download and move the JDex to 00.00.

So let’s say I’ve moved my JDex in my file system to “root/00-009 System-management area/00 System-management category/00.00 JDex for the Life Admin System”. I then establish “root/40-49 Local football refereeing” as you say, and I need to leave notes about the area’s setup. I wouldn’t actually put them at “root/40-49 Local football refereeing/40 Management of area 40-49/40.00 JDex for area 40-49”, would I? My JDex isn’t there, so it seems like I’d put the notes at something like “root/00-009 System-management area/00 System-management category/00.00 JDex for the Life Admin System/40-49 Local football refereeing/40 Management of area 40-49/40.00 JDex for area 40-49.md” and there would never be any reason to put anything in “root/40-49 Local football refereeing/40 Management of area 40-49/”.

I’m probably just focusing too much on the little things do procrastinate from the real moving in though :face_with_spiral_eyes: I’ll focus less on the particulars of the JDex and start moving in. I think I’ll have at least one question once I start moving in, but that’s what the forum’s for :slight_smile: (That will probably be another post in the next day or two.)

6

Once you’ve got your JDex set up, it’s better to not really think about exactly where those files on disk are. It doesn’t matter so much. You’re (ideally) not navigating to those files, you’re navigating to the note in an app like Obsidian.

So when I say “blah blah at the JDex entry 40.00” what I mean is that regardless of where that file is stored, find the JDex entry 40.00 and type some stuff in it.

Again, this is why I generally prefer (and recommend to beginners) apps like Bear. All of this where is the file is abstracted away. There is no file, there is only the blue pill. But really, that’s it: in Bear there really is no file. There’s only a JDex entry. This is how you should be conceptualising it.