Journal Share via iTunes results in index.json

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Journal Share via iTunes results in index.json

I love the new Journal feature! But I don't understand what you can do with a Journal which you can export via iTunes to local files. It basicly results in a Public folder, with an index.json file and all the photos in 4 different resolutions.

On the help page, I can read this:

Share your journal as a webpage

You can also export your journal to iTunes as a folder of files, which you can post on your own webserver.

I would at least expect an HTML file + photos, in order to view the journal in a webbrowser, just like when you export to iCloud.

How can the index.json be parsed, so I can use in on my webserver? Or am I simply missing files atm?

iPhoto for iOS-OTHER, iOS 5.1

Posted on Mar 9, 2012 9:58 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 11, 2012 3:45 AM in response to peter976

I have tried uploading the .json file with no luck, also tried imbedding it in an html with no luck. I'm obviously missing something here.

Looked it up online and all I really found was this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSON

Cheers, TB

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Answer 2

lcohn

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Mar 14, 2012 2:25 AM in response to peter976

Has anyone found more information concerning the index.json file and how to use it?

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Answer 3

noads

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Mar 15, 2012 8:11 AM in response to peter976

I have the same problem. The export using iTunes produces only the jpg files and the index.json. But no hint how to interpret this. At the moment the export seems to be useless.

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Answer 4

lcohn

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Mar 15, 2012 9:55 AM in response to peter976

I got an answer from CNet member Jason Cipriani

"You need a way to be able to upload the entire contents of the Public folder that is saved when you export to iTunes. For me, I upload the files via FTP to a site I have hosted."

Because I do not host my own blog, I use blogger, I do not have teh FTP upload ability.

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Answer 5

peter976 Author

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Mar 15, 2012 10:26 AM in response to lcohn

Uploading via FTP is not the issue, the issue is that a browser or Apache server don't understand the index.json file. The index.json file only contains references, zoom/crop/positioning info, which are ready to be interpreted by JavaScript for example. Unfortunately, the export doesn't provide any HTML/CSS/JS/layout images, which makes the export rather useless for most people.

I was hoping that I could export the Journal in all it's glory, so I could host the entire presentation myself (and especially offline at a family gathering for example), instead of having to rely on iCloud / internet access.

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Answer 6

Mar 15, 2012 10:53 AM in response to peter976

Try exporting again, the exported folder with your Journal name should contain a folder named Public. The public folder should countain, a folder named static, your photos, index.json and index.html. If you do not have all these files perhaps the export did not complete correctly.

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Answer 7

peter976 Author

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Mar 15, 2012 11:50 AM in response to Cristofer Cruz

I've tried exporting several times, created even new journals with just 1 or a few images in it, but the export always results in a Public folder with just one index.json file + the pictures. No index.html file or static folder to be discovered here.

I guess it's a bug. I'm using iPhoto on iPhone 4S fyi, can't test on the iPad1 unfortunately.

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Answer 8

Mar 15, 2012 2:12 PM in response to peter976

I have the same issue as Peter.

Tried exporting with an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2.

No luck unfortunately.

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Answer 9

Mar 15, 2012 4:25 PM in response to Thijs Bors

This could be a bug that you and Peter are experiencing, this is a first version and I expect an update will come soon to fix any launch version issues. You definately cannot do anything without the html file so I would wait until the next update to publish Journals on your own server. In the meantime, you can share Journals directly to iCloud.

If you have not done much in your iPhoto library yet, you could try to remove the iPhoto app and redownload it. KEEP IN MIND this will remove your iPhoto library, Journals, etc so only do this if you are willing to lose your progress so far.

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Answer 10

Mar 17, 2012 2:14 PM in response to Cristofer Cruz

Same thing happeninginghere. I tried the reinstall with no luck. Guess we have to wait for the update. Thanks for your thoughts.

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Answer 11

noads

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Mar 18, 2012 10:20 AM in response to peter976

Hi all,

I got it work! When I tried before, I have exported the journal on the iPad not connected to iTunes. Today I have connected the iPad to iTunes, in the APPs tab I scrolled down to the File section and selected iPhoto. Then I exported the journal on the iPad. In iTunes I have saved the files to disc and there it is: A Public directory with an index.html and subdirectory "static".

If you want to do this with a journal which you have already exported you will find that it is not possible to delete the files in iTunes. Solution: Rename the journal in iTunes and then do the export.

I have not reloaded the App from the App store!

Hope this will work for all of you.

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Answer 12

Mar 18, 2012 11:22 AM in response to noads

Good to hear, hopefully this workaround will work for others as well.

You can delete files from iTunes by using the delete key on your keyboard.

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Answer 13

Apr 9, 2012 10:15 AM in response to noads

You can actually delete files in iTunes by selecting them in the Documents list next to Apps and then hitting cmd-delete.

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Answer 14

Apr 13, 2012 1:23 PM in response to peter976

I have this exact same problem with my iPad 2. I can only get the index.json file. It will not produce the index.html file or the css file either. I have not yet had success whether I exported the journal connected or unconnected to iTunes. I am getting to so frustrated with it.

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Answer 15

Apr 13, 2012 4:21 PM in response to peter976

I didn't realize this thread was started back in early March and there is still no update or fix?

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