(zettel (meta (back "00001003300000 00001006020000 00001012054400 00001012054600 00001012080500") (backward "00001003300000 00001004010000 00001006020000 00001012054400 00001012054600 00001012080500") (box-number "1") (created "00010101000000") (forward "00001004010000 00001004011400 00001004011600 00001004050000 00001005090000") (modified "20220307121547") (published "20220307121547") (role "manual") (syntax "zmk") (tags "#configuration #manual #zettelstore") (title "Zettelstore boxes")) (rights 4) (encoding "") (content "A Zettelstore must store its zettel somehow and somewhere.\nIn most cases you want to store your zettel as files in a directory.\nUnder certain circumstances you may want to store your zettel elsewhere.\n\nAn example are the [[predefined zettel|00001005090000]] that come with a Zettelstore.\nThey are stored within the software itself.\nIn another situation you may want to store your zettel volatile, e.g. if you want to provide a sandbox for experimenting.\n\nTo cope with these (and more) situations, you configure Zettelstore to use one or more __boxes__.\nThis is done via the ''box-uri-X'' keys of the [[startup configuration|00001004010000#box-uri-X]] (X is a number).\nBoxes are specified using special [[URIs|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Resource_Identifier]], somehow similar to web addresses.\n\nThe following box URIs are supported:\n\n; [!dir|''dir://DIR'']\n: Specifies a directory where zettel files are stored.\n  ''DIR'' is the file path.\n  Although it is possible to use relative file paths, such as ''./zettel'' (→ URI is ''dir://.zettel''), it is preferable to use absolute file paths, e.g. ''/home/user/zettel''.\n\n  The directory must exist before starting the Zettelstore[^There is one exception: when Zettelstore is [[started without any parameter|00001004050000]], e.g. via double-clicking its icon, an directory called ''./zettel'' will be created.].\n\n  It is possible to [[configure|00001004011400]] a directory box.\n; [!file|''file:FILE.zip'' or ''file:///path/to/file.zip'']\n: Specifies a ZIP file which contains files that store zettel.\n  You can create such a ZIP file, if you zip a directory full of zettel files.\n\n  This box is always read-only.\n; [!mem|''mem:'']\n: Stores all its zettel in volatile memory.\n  If you stop the Zettelstore, all changes are lost.\n  To limit usage of volatile memory, you should [[configure|00001004011600]] this type of box, although the default values might be valid for your use case.\n\nAll boxes that you configure via the ''box-uri-X'' keys form a chain of boxes.\nIf a zettel should be retrieved, a search starts in the box specified with the ''box-uri-2'' key, then ''box-uri-3'' and so on.\nIf a zettel is created or changed, it is always stored in the box specified with the ''box-uri-1'' key.\nThis allows to overwrite zettel from other boxes, e.g. the predefined zettel.\n\nIf you use the ''mem:'' box, where zettel are stored in volatile memory, it makes only sense if you configure it as ''box-uri-1''.\nSuch a box will be empty when Zettelstore starts and only the first box will receive updates.\nYou must make sure that your computer has enough RAM to store all zettel."))