Welcome back, and congratulations on the new version of Tombo! I have been using Tombo to organise my information for years, and I'm delighted to see you've returned to it. Many thanks for all your work.
I have never found anything better: I like the absolute simplicity and elegance of the system. Storing information in text files in folders makes them safe, easy to work with, and easy to transfer and synchronise item-by-item with my (Android) phone.
But I have always had in mind a list of features which would make Tombo even easier to work with. I hope you don't mind if I suggest them.
1. In virtual folders, allow a "virtual root" to be specified, so that even if Tombo's main root is C:\notes, I can have a search for "to do" notes containing the text "urgent!" by setting up a virtual folder with a root *within* the main root of "todos" (referring to C:\notes\todos).
2. On using "search" via the binocular icon, filter the list of notes to include only those containing the search string. Default to searching from the Tombo root, but allow the search to be carried out only within the current subfolder (or possibly allow the searcher to choose the top folder to search). In other words, make "search" work like an instant, temporary virtual folder. If you would prefer to keep the search button working as it does now, perhaps create a new "temporary virtual folder" button to do this.
3. Once the search has run and the notes are filtered, have a menu option or icon called "create virtual folder" which will *save* the search as a virtual folder. This would let virtual folders be created more easily.
4. Allow the Tombo root to be overridden by a parameter on the command line, so that I can create different shortcuts to open Tombo looking at different folders.
Incidentally, I notice you mention that you may be creating an Android version. There are two Android apps listed which are already designed to work with Tombo - one edits individual encrypted notes (Tombo Edit), and the other is a complete outliner (miniNoteViewer). But you may find it interesting to look at Papyrus II - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kallisto.papyrusex - which I use on my Android phone to edit notes I create on the PC with Tombo. I contacted the author, and he added a few features to make it very easy to use on the same folders I use with Tombo - now I connect my phone to my PC using a USB cable, and use an ordinary directory synchronisation program (http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/) to transfer updated files back and forth - even if I've updated notes A and B on the phone, but C and D on the PC! Absolutely reliable and perfect. Of course, I would love to see Tombo on Android, but I would love to see instant search-based filtering more - Papyrus Ex already does this on my phone, and I miss it on my PC.
I hope I've explained these ideas clearly, and that you do not object to my suggesting them. They all take advantage of Tombo's existing features - just making them available in new, quicker ways. As you are returning to the project, I thought they might be of interest. But the software is yours, and even without changes, it was already my favourite. My thanks again :)
Manny
RE: Welcome back (2012-04-30 22:36 by hirami #63508)
Hello, Manny.
Thank you for your suggestions.
> 1. In virtual folders, allow a "virtual root" to be specified, so that even if Tombo's main root is C:\notes, I can have a search for "to do" notes containing the text "urgent!" by setting up a virtual folder with a root *within* the main root of "todos" (referring to C:\notes\todos).
In fact, you can choose virtual root to set "Filter settings" -> "Source" tab in "Virtual folder settings."
If you set it like "tombo://default/todos/", TOMBO finds under C:\notes\todos . "tombo://default/" means default root of TOMBO.
This is not documented well, and UI is not smart, I think.
I will add choose dialog or something.
> 2. On using "search" via the binocular icon, filter the list of notes to include only those containing the search string. Default to searching from the Tombo root, but allow the search to be carried out only within the current subfolder (or possibly allow the searcher to choose the top folder to search). In other words, make "search" work like an instant, temporary virtual folder. If you would prefer to keep the search button working as it does now, perhaps create a new "temporary virtual folder" button to do this.
>
> 3. Once the search has run and the notes are filtered, have a menu option or icon called "create virtual folder" which will *save* the search as a virtual folder. This would let virtual folders be created more easily.
It seems good.
> 4. Allow the Tombo root to be overridden by a parameter on the command line, so that I can create different shortcuts to open Tombo looking at different folders.
Hmm. There are command line option "-root=" but it seems not to work well. I'll check and fix it.
> Incidentally, I notice you mention that you may be creating an Android version. There are two Android apps listed which are already designed to work with Tombo - one edits individual encrypted notes (Tombo Edit), and the other is a complete outliner (miniNoteViewer). But you may find it interesting to look at Papyrus II - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kallisto.papyrusex - which I use on my Android phone to edit notes I create on the PC with Tombo. I contacted the author, and he added a few features to make it very easy to use on the same folders I use with Tombo - now I connect my phone to my PC using a USB cable, and use an ordinary directory synchronisation program (http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/) to transfer updated files back and forth - even if I've updated notes A and B on the phone, but C and D on the PC! Absolutely reliable and perfect. Of course, I would love to see Tombo on Android, but I would love to see instant search-based filtering more - Papyrus Ex already does this on my phone, and I miss it on my PC.
Thank you. I know Tombo Edit, but I don't know other two. Papyrus seems good maybe I do not need TOMBO for Android :-) The concepts of the application is very similer to TOMBO's one.
But :-) I'll work on TOMBO for Android. The first version has fewer features, eventually I want to the tree view on the devices.
RE: Welcome back (2012-05-03 02:29 by manny #63542)
Hello Tomohisa, and many thanks for taking the trouble to reply.
1. You are quite right: that feature is already there! I do apologise, I missed it.
2-3. Perhaps the easiest way to implement this would be to allow the existing "Find" to work as it does now, so that existing users are not confused. But instead of a button, it might be easier to put a new "filter" edit field at the top of the window: putting an entry into this and just hitting <Return> would then filter the records. A button next to it could clear it. In other words, it could work a little like the "filter" box at the top right of Windows Explorer in folder view, or the "search" box in the top right of most web browsers.
4. Yes, my apologies, I should have mentioned this: I'm afraid I couldn't persuade -root to open the appropriate folder. Does it override the folder set up in "Options"?
As for Android, while there are good programs there (and Papyrus Ex is very similar to Tombo - especially after the changes I asked him to make to make it more like Tombo :) ) I would still be delighted to use a "real" Tombo on Android - so don't let discourage you from writing it :)
If there is anything I can do - beta testing, or updating documentation - don't hesitate to ask!
RE: Welcome back (2012-05-07 23:22 by hirami #63680)
Hello Manny,
> 2-3. Perhaps the easiest way to implement this would be to allow the existing "Find" to work as it does now, so that existing users are not confused. But instead of a button, it might be easier to put a new "filter" edit field at the top of the window: putting an entry into this and just hitting <Return> would then filter the records. A button next to it could clear it. In other words, it could work a little like the "filter" box at the top right of Windows Explorer in folder view, or the "search" box in the top right of most web browsers.
First, I'll add checkbox to "Find" dialog. Filter box is very good UI so I'll add it later (the version is not decide at now.)
> 4. Yes, my apologies, I should have mentioned this: I'm afraid I couldn't persuade -root to open the appropriate folder. Does it override the folder set up in "Options"?
Yes, I intend to override but current version is not work. It is a bug. I'll fix it 2.0 or 2.0 beta 6.
Fork