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Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:26 am
by CintaNotes Developer
IMO this is a failed feature and CintaNotes would be well-served if we removed it in future versions.
Please speak up your mind, both pro and contra opinions are welcome.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:14 am
by date
Not using history. But I do appreciate that the selected note keeps focus when resetting tags.
Any more ground-breaking plans for the new UI? :mrgreen:

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 4:56 pm
by CintaNotes Developer
Here's the list of what we'd like to do in the new UI.
Main goal: radically improve convenience of working with notes list and reduce ceremony.
Probably won't be able to do all of it at once though. Or at all. This is the optimistic plan, not a promise!

- Modern Material-design influenced look with some cool animations (but not overdoing it)
- Support for high DPI screens
- Configurable color schemes
- Move all settings from main menu to a separate configuration window
- Get rid of menu bar, replace with single menu button
- Get rid of most recently used notebook list in File menu, replace with notebook tabs
- Allow selecting text directly in the notes list
- Allow clicking on links, tags and attachments directly in the notes list
- Render previews of attached images
- Proper saved searches
- "Add note" button
- Docking to screen edges
- Accept text drag-and-drop
- Allow editing notes directly in the notes list (but prevent accidental editing)
- Either undo or note version history
- Optional text formatting toolbar while editing

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:44 pm
by date
Still keeping the system title bar? And ability to open multiple notes at once?

What about different views, or slider to adjust the height of the notes? For example, to either have more notes on the screen, or make the notes larger so you can click on the attachment you want in case there are many in one note.

In any case, good luck on the redesign.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:45 pm
by Thomas Lohrum
CintaNotes Developer wrote:IMO this is a failed feature and CintaNotes would be well-served if we removed it in future versions.
Please speak up your mind, both pro and contra opinions are welcome.

I'm using it. I have one instance only. Thus when doing a new/different search it is convenient to get back to the last search by pressing Alt+Arrow-left. Also i use the history to look up search words to improve keywords inside notes.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 6:48 pm
by Thomas Lohrum

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 9:32 am
by ChrisCN
To be honest, I do use it from time to time but very rarely (maybe once a month or even less often). I would immediately swap it for the possibility to save and retrieve queries (but that wasn't the question ;) ).

I don't know what complexity it adds to the code but from a user perspective I don't find it to be distracting.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:15 pm
by RSchiaffino
- Modern Material-design influenced look with some cool animations (but not overdoing it) -- not sure what "material influenced" look means... if it means following MS (mis)steps, I would say NO. To ANY animations I would say, instead NO, NO, NO, PRETTY PLEASE DON'T (or if you do, put it on a setting where we can nuke it)
- Support for high DPI screens - YES!
- Configurable color schemes - YES!
- Move all settings from main menu to a separate configuration window - NOT SURE
- Get rid of menu bar, replace with single menu button - NO, please don't follow MS bad innovations
- Get rid of most recently used notebook list in File menu, replace with notebook tabs - OK, I guess
- Allow selecting text directly in the notes list - YES!
- Allow clicking on links, tags and attachments directly in the notes list - YES!
- Render previews of attached images - Not interested. I guess this is important for others
- Proper saved searches - YES
- "Add note" button - Unnecessary for me I use the keyboar, so, if you add the button, don't remove the keyboard shortcuts
- Docking to screen edges - yes (lower case)
- Accept text drag-and-drop - Not important for me,
- Allow editing notes directly in the notes list (but prevent accidental editing) - I would have to see it... could be a cause
- Either undo or note version history - Yes
- Optional text formatting toolbar while editing - Not important for me,

- SPELLING CHECKER (pretty please?)

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 7:51 pm
by gunars
I pretty much agree with everything RSchiaffino listed, with the possible exception of the spelling checker. It's fine, but not a priority for me. I use CN for short notes for myself and for clipping text. I don't need spell checking for either of those tasks, although others may have different needs.

The one thing I do need, and its lack is an obstacle to my using CN more, is handling of links in clipped text, but I've mentioned this before.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 5:09 am
by usbpoweredfridge
CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Modern Material-design influenced look with some cool animations (but not overdoing it)

The CN GUI could do with some modernising, I agree.

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Support for high DPI screens

This will be useful, with the ever increasing percentage of high-DPI screens out there (won't affect me for the moment, I am still on 1920x1080).

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Configurable color schemes

Great :) I had some colour related issues previously, so hoping to see some improvements:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2060

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Move all settings from main menu to a separate configuration window

I think this one is a bit overdue :) A separate configuration area is standard on Windows apps, and for good reason - it is un-necessarily difficult to find settings when they are spread out over 6 or 7 different menus.

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Get rid of menu bar, replace with single menu button

I would love to see this. I use Firefox, and was much saddened when they killed this off in that product (though I did find an add-on to add the button back, so yay). I just hope that if this does make it into CN, it isn't like the implementation in Vivaldi (Vivaldi simply puts the menus into the button, meaning to get to an option, you have to go button > menu > option, meaning it is more effort than just leaving the menus outside the button to begin with - Firefox at least put them only one level deep in the button, ie button > option).

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Get rid of most recently used notebook list in File menu, replace with notebook tabs

Bold idea. I guess the downside is that with the recent file list, you only have one open notebook, meaning CN uses less resources - but with tabs, all notebooks would be open at the same time? Convenient - as long as it doesn't make CN's resource usage go through the roof.

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Allow selecting text directly in the notes list

Could be convenient, I myself may not make use of it though.

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Allow clicking on links, tags and attachments directly in the notes list

Attachments especially would be convenient :)

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Render previews of attached images

In what sense? On mouseover? Separate preview window?

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Proper saved searches

Nice.

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- "Add note" button

Would like to see this one too.

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Docking to screen edges

I do have a soft spot for screen edge docking.

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Accept text drag-and-drop

Would be nice to have the option, even if I may not make much use of it.

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Allow editing notes directly in the notes list (but prevent accidental editing)

This could be interesting, not sure if I would make much use of it or not (would have to see how it was implemented).

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Either undo or note version history

Or both! ;)

CintaNotes Developer wrote:- Optional text formatting toolbar while editing

As long as it stays out of the way, I'm fine with this.

On topic, I personally don't use either view history or the back/forward buttons.

Chris

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 7:02 am
by Ovg
IMHO
- Modern Material-design influenced look with some cool animations (but not overdoing it) - with option for switch animation On/Off please.
- Support for high DPI screens - Good Idea, yes.
- Configurable color schemes - Yes! Waiting with impatiens! :mrgreen:
- Move all settings from main menu to a separate configuration window - Yes, I like this idea.
- Allow selecting text directly in the notes list - Yes!
- Allow clicking on links, tags and attachments directly in the notes list -Yes!
- Render previews of attached images - Yes!
- Accept text drag-and-drop - Yes!
- Allow editing notes directly in the notes list (but prevent accidental editing) - Yes!
- Either undo or note version history - Yes
- Optional text formatting toolbar while editing - Yes!

RSchiaffino wrote:- SPELLING CHECKER (pretty please?)


With option to switch Off/On please.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 11:27 am
by CintaNotes Developer
Guys, thanks a lot for your comments (and while ya'll are here, Happy New Year to all, by the way! ;) )

In general your remarks confirm that the direction we taking is more or less correct, however a few tweaks are necessary.

For example, didn't realize that customizable colors are so demanded. Should probably increase priority
of this. Maybe this will even improve sales ;)

I'm now preparing a draft of the new UI, as soon as it's ready I'll post it here on the forum for further discussion.
Huge thanks for your help!

P.S. Don't worry about animations - they will be very fast, 200-400 ms, only to improve continuity of user actions (think notes sliding down making space for an added note etc.)

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:41 am
by RSchiaffino
"P.S. Don't worry about animations - they will be very fast, 200-400 ms, only to improve continuity of user actions (think notes sliding down making space for an added note etc.)"

IN that case, OK... very willing to try that out. I think I'm still traumatized by the memory of MS "Clippy", so the word "animations" provokes an instant allergic reaction when talking of programs for Windows.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:00 pm
by CintaNotes Developer
Yes, good ol' Clippy ;)

But not all animations are bad. Recently I was impressed by some mobile apps cleverly using animations to improve user experience, and wanted to try adding something like this to CN.

I'll take extra care for them not to get in the way of the power users however.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 8:14 pm
by Thomas Lohrum
CintaNotes Developer wrote:Move all settings from main menu to a separate configuration window

...and make the dialog searchable :) like in Webstorm for example.

Add a feature to edit the settings-file directly like in Total Commander.

Add more switches that currently exist in the settings file only, such as
filters.reset.onescape.enabled = 0
app.mainframe.minimizeonescape.immediate = 1
filters.reset.onnewsearch.enabled = 0
app.mainframe.minimizeonenter = 1

Thomas

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:43 am
by CintaNotes Developer
Thanks for the additions, Thomas!
Will implement as much as I can.
Only about search in settings can't make a promise.
My stance is that setting dialog should be so well structured that you won't need to search.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:25 am
by Mithrandir
CintaNotes Developer wrote:For example, didn't realize that customizable colors are so demanded. Should probably increase priority
of this. Maybe this will even improve sales ;)


Then you should overhaul the UI. So, to be honest, I can't wait for the modernish look. CintaNotes, as much as I love it, is the last program on my desktop with a pretty oldschool look, and I don't like that any longer. You will boost your sales if you add a modern look to it. I work at a small to mid-size software company. First we thought we don't need a professional designer, and over the past 5 years, we hired three of them. ;)

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:30 pm
by CintaNotes Developer
Mithrandir wrote:Then you should overhaul the UI. So, to be honest, I can't wait for the modernish look. CintaNotes, as much as I love it, is the last program on my desktop with a pretty oldschool look, and I don't like that any longer. You will boost your sales if you add a modern look to it. I work at a small to mid-size software company. First we thought we don't need a professional designer, and over the past 5 years, we hired three of them. ;)


Thanks for your comment, Mithrandir! Yes, we are already working on a new design. We even hired a professional designer in the past, and he did a good job, but it took us so long to get down to it that his design became obsolete and doesn't look very modern anymore! Now we don't have enough money to hire another one, so the only option for us would be to leverage some Apple/Google/Microsoft design guidelines and try to modernize the sketches we have.

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 8:47 am
by Mithrandir
CintaNotes Developer wrote:We even hired a professional designer in the past, and he did a good job, but it took us so long to get down to it that his design became obsolete and doesn't look very modern anymore!


Ok, I see. That's a pitty. :\

CintaNotes Developer wrote:Now we don't have enough money to hire another one, so the only option for us would be to leverage some Apple/Google/Microsoft design guidelines and try to modernize the sketches we have.


As you already stated, adding a materialish look and some animations here and there might be well enough. I'm really looking forward to the update. :)

Re: Is anyone using view history and back/forward buttons?

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 9:52 am
by CintaNotes Developer
Thanks for the encouragement, Mithrandir!