Note Switching

david_c
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Note Switching

Postby david_c » Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:47 pm

I often find myself switching between the current note that I am writing or editing, and an already existing note that I need for reference. I then began thinking about the easiest and most intuitive way to switch between these 2 notes.

The first thing that came to mind was a hotkey scenario, such as Alt+Right and Alt+Left (or simply a single hotkey to toggle between 2 notes). However, this means having to memorize yet another set of keystrokes. Also, what if you need to reference more than one note at a time? I wanted to come up with a more passive, but effective method. Thus far, I have 2 ideas which involve using something visual:

1) Adding an item to the menu bar, perhaps left / right arrows (<-- -->). This would used as a kind of trace-back stack. In fact you could have two types of trace-back systems:
a) Last Created - Click the arrows to forward and back thru the most recently created notes.
b) Last Referenced - Click the arrows to forward and back thru the most recently referenced (or edited) notes.

2) Grouping the "last referenced" notes in a separate section at the top of the main CN window. The grouped notes could also be flagged (marked or colored) in some manner for easy recognition. The only problem with this method is that it takes up room on the main screen. A possible solution:

Hide selected notes (a method to toggle between "hide" and "show")
This could be done as follows:
Prefix every note with a checkbox. Then use a hotkey to toggle (show / hide) the checked items.
david_c
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Re: Note Switching

Postby david_c » Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:02 pm

david_c wrote:Grouping the "last referenced" notes in a separate section at the top of the main CN window.


How about this for a simple solution? It capitalizes on an already existing function:

Since CN already uses Alt+Up/Down to move notes, simply use Alt+Home
to send those notes to the top.

This idea then would seem to beg the question "why not logically expand the use of the Alt key to perform all of these functions?:"
1) Alt+Up - Move highlighted note(s) up (existing)
2) Alt+Down - Move highlighted note(s) down (existing)
3) Alt+Home - Move highlighted note(s) to the top (proposed)
4) Alt+Up - Move highlighted note(s) to the bottom (proposed)
5) Alt+R - Restore (proposed)
Noddy330
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Re: Note Switching

Postby Noddy330 » Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:13 pm

david_c wrote:
david_c wrote:Grouping the "last referenced" notes in a separate section at the top of the main CN window.


How about this for a simple solution? It capitalizes on an already existing function:

Since CN already uses Alt+Up/Down to move notes, simply use Alt+Home
to send those notes to the top.

This idea then would seem to beg the question "why not logically expand the use of the Alt key to perform all of these functions?:"
1) Alt+Up - Move highlighted note(s) up (existing)
2) Alt+Down - Move highlighted note(s) down (existing)
3) Alt+Home - Move highlighted note(s) to the top (proposed)
4) Alt+Up - Move highlighted note(s) to the bottom (proposed)
5) Alt+R - Restore (proposed)


Seconded.
I'm assuming 4) should have read Alt+END
Nod
david_c
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Re: Note Switching

Postby david_c » Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:53 pm

Noddy330 wrote:
david_c wrote:
david_c wrote:Grouping the "last referenced" notes in a separate section at the top of the main CN window.


How about this for a simple solution? It capitalizes on an already existing function:

Since CN already uses Alt+Up/Down to move notes, simply use Alt+Home
to send those notes to the top.

This idea then would seem to beg the question "why not logically expand the use of the Alt key to perform all of these functions?:"
1) Alt+Up - Move highlighted note(s) up (existing)
2) Alt+Down - Move highlighted note(s) down (existing)
3) Alt+Home - Move highlighted note(s) to the top (proposed)
4) Alt+Up - Move highlighted note(s) to the bottom (proposed)
5) Alt+R - Restore (proposed)


Seconded.
I'm assuming 4) should have read Alt+END
Nod

Correct!
Midas
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Re: Note Switching

Postby Midas » Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:37 am

david_c wrote:
Noddy330 wrote:
david_c wrote:Grouping the "last referenced" notes in a separate section at the top of the main CN window.

How about this for a simple solution? It capitalizes on an already existing function:

Since CN already uses Alt+Up/Down to move notes, simply use Alt+Home
to send those notes to the top.

This idea then would seem to beg the question "why not logically expand the use of the Alt key to perform all of these functions?:"
1) Alt+Up - Move highlighted note(s) up (existing)
2) Alt+Down - Move highlighted note(s) down (existing)
3) Alt+Home - Move highlighted note(s) to the top (proposed)
4) Alt+Up - Move highlighted note(s) to the bottom (proposed)
5) Alt+R - Restore (proposed)

Seconded.
I'm assuming 4) should have read Alt+END
Nod

david_c wrote:Correct!

I also like this idea, but would rather have it on Control key combinations... :roll:
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toddclausen
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Re: Note Switching

Postby toddclausen » Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:13 pm

I like these, and would put in my vote for the Alt + combinations
-Todd
Noddy330
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Re: Note Switching

Postby Noddy330 » Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:44 pm

toddclausen wrote:I like these, and would put in my vote for the Alt + combinations


I'd rather have it user configurable - ALT, CTRL, etc
Nod
david_c
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Re: Note Switching

Postby david_c » Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:05 pm

Noddy330 wrote:
toddclausen wrote:I like these, and would put in my vote for the Alt + combinations


I'd rather have it user configurable - ALT, CTRL, etc
Nod

I concur
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CintaNotes Developer
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Re: Note Switching

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Wed Apr 01, 2009 1:00 pm

Hi there guys,

well actually the only reason the commands "move to top" and "move to bottom" didn't make it into Beta M7 was lack of time!
Unfortunately Ctrl or Shift keys cannot be used here since they are used for manipulating selection from the keyboard (check the Keyboard Shortcuts section of the CN Help).
Alex

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