From cea25ef4659c933c401b81df211125f05c46b2d0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Bailey Jennings <jenningsebailey@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 May 2026 14:37:30 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] fix(koplugin): omit empty note field when syncing annotations
 (#4161)

When syncing highlights between Readest and KOReader, the `note` field
was forced to an empty string (`""`) for annotations and bookmarks
without notes. KOReader's native annotations omit the field entirely
when no note exists, so the empty string caused KOReader to treat
every synced highlight as having a (blank) note. Apply the same
omission in both push and pull directions.

Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 apps/readest.koplugin/readest_syncannotations.lua | 15 +++++++++++----
 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/apps/readest.koplugin/readest_syncannotations.lua b/apps/readest.koplugin/readest_syncannotations.lua
index 76a885f6..db08ac7b 100644
--- a/apps/readest.koplugin/readest_syncannotations.lua
+++ b/apps/readest.koplugin/readest_syncannotations.lua
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ function SyncAnnotations:getAnnotations(ui, settings, book_hash, meta_hash, full
             end
 
             local id = item.id or self:generateNoteId(book_hash, "annotation", tostring(pos0), pos1 and tostring(pos1))
+            local note_text = item.note
+            if note_text == "" then note_text = nil end
             table.insert(notes, {
                 bookHash = book_hash,
                 metaHash = meta_hash,
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ function SyncAnnotations:getAnnotations(ui, settings, book_hash, meta_hash, full
                 xpointer0 = tostring(pos0),
                 xpointer1 = pos1 and tostring(pos1) or nil,
                 text = item.text or "",
-                note = item.note or "",
+                note = note_text,
                 style = style,
                 color = KO_TO_READEST_COLOR[item.color or "yellow"],
                 page = item.pageno,
@@ -111,6 +113,8 @@ function SyncAnnotations:getAnnotations(ui, settings, book_hash, meta_hash, full
             -- Bookmark: no drawer, position in page field (xpointer string)
             local page_xp = item.page
             local id = item.id or self:generateNoteId(book_hash, "bookmark", page_xp)
+            local note_text = item.note
+            if note_text == "" then note_text = nil end
             table.insert(notes, {
                 bookHash = book_hash,
                 metaHash = meta_hash,
@@ -118,7 +122,7 @@ function SyncAnnotations:getAnnotations(ui, settings, book_hash, meta_hash, full
                 type = "bookmark",
                 xpointer0 = page_xp,
                 text = item.text or "",
-                note = item.note or "",
+                note = note_text,
                 page = item.pageno,
                 createdAt = self:parseDatetimeToMs(item.datetime),
                 updatedAt = updated_at,
@@ -305,6 +309,9 @@ function SyncAnnotations:pull(ui, settings, client, book_hash, meta_hash, dialog
                 local chapter = ui.toc and ui.toc:getTocTitleByPage(xp0) or nil
                 if chapter == "" then chapter = nil end
 
+                local note_text = note.note
+                if note_text == "" then note_text = nil end
+
                 if note_type == "bookmark" then
                     if existing_bookmarks[xp0] then goto continue end
 
@@ -312,7 +319,7 @@ function SyncAnnotations:pull(ui, settings, client, book_hash, meta_hash, dialog
                         id = note.id,
                         page = xp0,
                         text = note.text or "",
-                        note = note.note or "",
+                        note = note_text,
                         chapter = chapter,
                         pageno = pageno,
                         datetime = datetime_str,
@@ -337,7 +344,7 @@ function SyncAnnotations:pull(ui, settings, client, book_hash, meta_hash, dialog
                         pos1 = xp1 or xp0,
                         page = xp0,
                         text = note.text or "",
-                        note = note.note or "",
+                        note = note_text,
                         drawer = drawer,
                         color = READEST_TO_KO_COLOR[note.color] or "yellow",
                         chapter = chapter,