While I agree that we should be able to create a PDF of the full topic, it does not seem likely that the Discourse developers have any interest in providing this feature.
So, as a pretty good workaround, I have found that using the Evernote Web Clipper of selected posts within a topic to meet virtually all of my needs. This captures the key parts of the thread, as well as providing a link back to the full thread, should you need it.
Once you have sync’d your EN Mac app with the EN Cloud, you have everything you will likely need, even if you can’t access the Internet.
I should note that I use almost exclusively the Chrome Browser, and Evernote Clipper on that browser. I think the EN Safari Clipper works just as well, but I can’t personally testify to that.
It looks like the Discourse people are finally implementing this feature. I admit that I haven’t read the latest posts on the subject, but I get sent an email for them, and a very cursory glance indicates it’s being worked on.
Because the Discourse forum software uses JavaScript to dynamically load about 20 posts at a time, therefore a webarchive will try to load from the web as you page through it – and you may see posts that actually don't show up in the webarchive itself.
Clip to Devonthink ➼ DevonThink Web Archive ➼ Convert to PDF (inside DT) ➼
Export Document (from DT) to desktop
It looks pretty, like the Discourse web page, but it’s not all there.
Final 20% disappeared.
Maybe because I specified one page PDF; maybe some other reason.
On this forum I can’t seem to upload a PDF to show you.
Is there some way to upload a PDF?
I don't usually revive old topics but I found a very simple solution to this on the Discourse forum.
I often want to save KM discussions as PDFs into my own knowledge base for off-line reading etc, but up until now I I have not been able to do so using the standard methods like Export to PDF or using Command-P which don't work for long topics.
So, after searching the Discourse support forum I found this solution: while reading a topic just press Control-P which brings up the standard print dialog. From there you can (obviously) print or save to PDF or send to...
Note, this uses the Control key and NOT the Command key and this process creates a new window which you have to close afterwards.
Interestingly, now, Command P brings up a new window that drops down a standard print dialog with the save as pdf option working perfectly for this topic by creating an 18 page pdf BUT if I do this while the cursor is in this editing window I'm writing this in, a standard print sheet drops down from this current window which produces a blank 18 page pdf.
Typing Control P now moves the cursor up one line in either this editing window or scrolls up one line if the cursor is in the body of the topic.
Thanks for pointing that out @BernSh as I was starting to wonder why my Control-P wasn't working any more! I think you're right that someone, somewhere is still tweaking the Discourse code.
I just ran some tests, and it looks like my webarchive downloader macro can do the job for the Keyboard Maestro Forum. It produces a webarchive file rather than a PDF of course, but those are fully searchable via Spotlight on macOS.
!