I have been trying to find a way to sync my flashcard learning metrics on mobile without any desktops involved. I came up with a workflow using Flashcards Deluxe (my favorite app for learning flashcards), Dropbox, Integromat, and Beeminder. This workflow has been running well for me. The one-time setup might be a bit complicated but I have just published a detailed tutorial here for anyone in need.
I’m happy to receive any thoughts/ideas on this workflow.
Thank you and happy holidays!
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This is a great example of the things folks can do with Integromat.
Damien, the main author behind Anki, does not permit anyone to automatically connect to Ankiweb for basically any reason. He acknowledges that he can’t detect everything but he has made it clear that he doesn’t like it or want folks doing it.
I have a workflow for something similar with Anki, using a third party Anki sync server so I’m not using Ankiweb. I added a little webhook that pokes Beeminder each time I sync. I review anki on mobile nearly 100%, and syncing to desktop was tricky for me to remember. This workflow only works because the official Android client (and desktop) support using a third party sync server. The last I saw, however, doing this on iOS was extremely roundabout. It basically involved man-in-the-middle-ing yourself, with custom certificates you load on your device and then point at your server instead of Ankiweb… oof.
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If I were to suggest anything, I’d recommend adding a sentence or two at the beginning explaining what the step-by-step sections will be doing, before jumping into the steps.
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Thanks @adamwolf!
Integromat is indeed a great automation tool. With the data at hand and regular expression, we can beemind the juicy metrics of interest.
Totally agree that these workflows only work when third-party synchronization is allowed, given that official API is unlikely to happen. If anyone can give feedback to Anki dev team, please request for third-party sync on iOS and hope that we can make an impact with more requests.
I switched from Anki to Flashcards Deluxe (FD) completely and it’s almost perfect to me. There’re some differences in the format, but I can use Python to transform Anki as well as Quizlet decks to FD format. However, Anki is still a great app (a bit nostalgic feel for the app I sticked to during high school!) so I might consider switching back once they roll out third-party sync.
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Thanks for letting me know, I will adjust the tutorial to make it clearer!