I’ve “finished” a Python script that takes a DayOne JSON export and converts to individual .md files for use in an Obsidian Vault.
It meets my needs and is unlikely to be modified much further but I’m sharing it as I think it’s useful and others can modify to their own tastes.
So are the photos properly attached into note or no?
The sentence: "We fix this by renaming all files to match the identifier in the text entry. This rename only occurs if required." sound very mysterious.
Anyway perfect script. Is there a chance to reverse the script? - to produce Day One import file from .md files?
Yes. They are included. Understand the description may be odd. I’ll fix the. It’s odd on the original export file so I’ll explain better.
Let’s say the text as exported refers to file ABC. The actual filename might be xyz so the script renames file to ABC.
This is a one way script. DayOne does have and import from text files. It wouldn’t be too hard to take the md and process of you needed to.
Maybe you dont need to explain 
Just do it in the script.
It will be nice if you copy all videos and images in folder where you are creating .md files…maybe images in folder images and videos in folder videos. Than you dont need explanation also for this.
Simple is always better 
I’ll leave that for for someone else. The nice thing about obsidian is that it makes the links wherever the files are.
It is up to you.
Anyway it is monstrous work you did! Thanks again
Thanks for the feedback. Is great to hear.
Kept the photos where they started in photos folder. That was just easier. And I don’t have any videos in my journal to work with.
Can I ask personally?
Are you quitting the DayOne and shifting purely to Obsidian for journaling?
Can I ask personally?
Are you quitting the DayOne and shifting purely to Obsidian for journaling?
Yes is the short answer. Here’s why.
I’ve been a DayOne user for many, many years. When I first started I did the opposite of what I’ve just done here and converted my existing text entries into DayOne. I had a year’s worth of handwritten diary from my time in Denmark as an exchange student that had been typed and even spent time as a wiki at some stage.
DayOne has a great interface and I like being able to see where everything was written physically but as time has gone on I find that I don’t write in it much unless I’m going through a bad patch in life and I need that thinking.
It’s simply because it’s a Mac based app and I don’t always have a Mac nearby. I’m mostly on Windows and with Obsidian it doesn’t care if I’m on Windows or a Mac. What I lose in terms of entry on my phone I can handle with Drafts and shortcuts to save direct to my Obsidian vault on OneDrive, and the YAML content at the top will make its way into my daily notes template. As a result of Obsidian being cross-platform it is easier to make notes on my day as i go along.
Leaving permanently is what drove the script development. Wouldn’t have put the time in otherwise.
As with any software, needs change over time and from person to person. At the moment I’m going with Obsidian and text files.
Ok I see!
I’m just thinking aloud… it will be amazing if there is some plugin that will pull the GPS from photo and add it as on of the YAML fields… later there will be for sure some plugin to show it on top of the open-maps.
Thank you so much for making that! Now I can switch.
(journaling in DayOne since 2012)
This is EXACTLY the script I’ve been looking for ever since I was introduced to Obsidian! Thank you SO MUCH—I have eighteen years of handwritten and digital journals that I consolidated into Day One, but Day One doesn’t allow for accidental discovery or any real exploration of thought. This is AMAZING!
Thank you for saying so.
I would really love to get this to work, but I have no python experience and can’t seem to things set up correctly.
Is anyone willing to help me get my Day One Archive converted. That would be so amazing to have in my Obsidian Vault.
Thanks so much!
What OS are you on?
Do you have Python installed at all?
Don’t necessarily need GIT. Can get you the script another way.
Hey there @dcb, thanks!
I am on macOS Big Sur. I do have Python installed, it’s just that I just didn’t actually know how to run the script itself. I tried downloading the Python DMG, but it just confused me and I wasn’t sure how to actually execute the script.
Thanks for your response.
Did you try
python script name?
Oh my god. It has been a long time since I wanted something like this. I tried many, many scripts and none worked for me. This looks good from the description, I have been looking for months for something like this, and finally it is here! I created this account only to reply to you, because I am a complete ignorant od python and all these things. I think I have python on my Mac, how do I run the script? I am really bad at those things 
but I want to move my journal here because I started using markdown and never gonna get back.
Can I politely ask if @joebuhlig can help me as well? I am like a grandma when it comes to python and scripts but I was looking for something like this since a long time. Thanks in advance