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I want to prepend graphics (as generated by Plot) to an existing .nb notebook file, each new addition being placed as a new cell at the top of the notebook page. But I cannot figure out how to do it. Yes I know the function PutAppend, but this function has some problems:

  • the added graphics are not shown as graphics in the notebook, but as input code;
  • it puts the new content at the end of the file, not at the beginning;
  • the newly added part does not exist as a separate cell.

So PutAppend may not fit here. How then can it be done?

__

Edit: I hope to do it without opening the notebook file in question and to save the file automatically after adding graphics.

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    $\begingroup$ I can promise you that you don't want to do this at the string level. Load the notebook with NotebookImport. Insert Cell[BoxData@ToBoxes@yourPlot, "Input"] and the first position. Export that Notebook. $\endgroup$ – b3m2a1 Feb 13 '18 at 4:39
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Assuming your notebook is called nb, e.g.

file = FileNameJoin[{$InstallationDirectory, "Documentation", 
    "English", "System", "ExampleData", "document.nb"}];
nb = NotebookOpen[file];

then evaluate this to stick a plot at the start:

SelectionMove[nb, Before, Notebook]
NotebookWrite[nb, Cell[BoxData@ToBoxes@Plot[x, {x, 0, 1}], "Output"]]

Edit

As per comments this can be automated so that the notebook is not visible (below I have saved to a new file so as not to overwrite the built in file used in the example):

file = FileNameJoin[{$InstallationDirectory, "Documentation", 
    "English", "System", "ExampleData", "document.nb"}];
nb = NotebookOpen[file, Visible -> False];
SelectionMove[nb, Before, Notebook];
NotebookWrite[nb, Cell[BoxData@ToBoxes@Plot[x, {x, 0, 1}], "Output"]];
NotebookSave[nb, FileNameJoin[{$TemporaryDirectory, "saved.nb"}]]
NotebookClose[nb]

If you wanted to add the same graphic to multiple files you can make a function from the above:

addGraphic[file_, graphic_Cell] := Module[{nb},

  nb = NotebookOpen[file, Visible -> False];
  SelectionMove[nb, Before, Notebook];
  NotebookWrite[nb, graphic];
  NotebookSave[nb];
  NotebookClose[nb]
  ]

addGraphic[#, 
   Cell[BoxData@ToBoxes@Plot[x, {x, 0, 1}], "Output"]] & /@ files
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  • $\begingroup$ Thank you. This requires that the file be opened first; I'll adopt this method if a better method is not available. Is it possible to do it without opening that document file and to save the file automatically, as PutAppend can? That is what I had in mind originally, but I failed to express it clearly in my post. $\endgroup$ – User18 Feb 13 '18 at 4:56
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    $\begingroup$ @User18 add NotebookSave and NotebookClose and it is easily automated. You can add Visible->False if you do not want to see the notebook open. Anyway i have to go now. $\endgroup$ – Mike Honeychurch Feb 13 '18 at 5:12
  • $\begingroup$ Valuable answer; thanks a lot! $\endgroup$ – User18 Feb 13 '18 at 5:29
  • $\begingroup$ That function is great indeed. $\endgroup$ – User18 Feb 15 '18 at 2:18
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test = Export[
   FileNameJoin[{$TemporaryDirectory, "test.nb"}],
   Notebook[{Cell[BoxData["1+1"]]}]
];

Alternatively:

Export[
  test
, Insert[
    Import[test]
  , Cell[BoxData@ToBoxes@Graphics@Disk[], "Output"]
  , {{1, 1}}
  ]
];

and check:

NotebookOpen@test
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  • $\begingroup$ This is nice too. Thanks! $\endgroup$ – User18 Feb 13 '18 at 9:53

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