[Cresstone] Notes [DotNET notes manager]

[smaragdus]

notesManager is a tiny (only 54 KB compressed), simple and easy to use note-taking program.

Synopsis

notes.exe is better, or at least a more pragmatic, sticky notes utility. Includes basic organizational and text editor functionality.

How is this different than a folder full of text files?
Not by much, actually: Filenames are implicit, generated from the first line of the text. File Saving/Backup is automatic. The filtering features are nicer. And finally: Hotkeys are available to bring up the manager or a new note.

Features

• Start With Windows
• Make Top-Most
• Drag&Drop of Text into Note Editor
• Close to Tray
• Linkify URLs
• Shortcut Keys
• Confirm Note Deletions
• Open notes in External Editor

Shortcuts

Note Manager Keyboard Shortcuts:

• [Enter] Open the note
• [Delete]: Delete the note
• [Ctrl+A]: Select all notes
• [Ctrl+C]: Copy selected note(s) content to clipboard
• [Ctrl+O]: Open selected note(s) in the external text editor, ie: 'let me use a full-featured editor.'

Note Editor Keyboard Shortcuts:

• [Escape] Dismiss the editor
• [Delete]: Delete the note
• [Ctrl+D]: Delete the note
• [Ctrl+S]: Save the note to an external location (basically 'Save As Copy...')
• [Ctrl+O]: Open the note in the external text editor.

Command Line Usage:

• -startHidden
  If an instance of the program is not already running, starts the program and immediately hides it.

Links
notesManager Website - https://cresstone.com/apps/notes/
Publisher - https://cresstone.com/
notesManager at Softpedia - http://www.softpedia.com/get/Office-too ... tone.shtml

Images

notesManager - program window:



notesManager - settings window:



notesManager - note editor:



notesManager - tray control:



Portability
notesManager is portable by design:

No installation; just unpack and run. A settings file and ancillary files may be created in the program folder.

• Download the archive (notes_v1.2.zip).
• Extract the archive to a folder of your choice.
• Run notes.exe.
• Program settings are saved in an INI file (notesManager_settings.ini) inside program folder and notes are saved in savedNotes sub-folder inside program folder.

Requirements
notesManager requires .NET Framework 4.0:

Requirements: Version 4 or better of the .net framework is recommended. Get it from [Microsoft]( https://www.microsoft.com/net/download ).

License
notesManager is freeware:

This software is distributed as-is, without any representations or warranties of any kind.
The author of this software imposes no additional license terms or limits upon its use or redistribution.

Note
Another program by the same developer (cresstone) - DupeKill, has already been reviewed in the forum.
The developer was kind to take into consideration my suggestions and to implement some of them.

File Details
notesManager version 1.2:
Name: notes_v1.2.zip
File Size: 55143 Byte(s) (53.85 KB)
Modified Date: 2016-12-10 14:23
MD5: 17c4cd50f6e2654c6dcb125378667b2c
SHA1: d575aedd037af63c13108c32cc7c157e9e29d5ea
SHA256: 5095d3c5ded55d5842fb1a56fde4ff20a52b4e039f7d874df2172c726de87cbe
CRC32: 8f924f62
VirusTotal analysis - Detection ratio: 0 / 54

[smaragdus]

notesManager at version 1.3, changes:

* Version 1.3; 2017-01-02
- Fixed: regression where moving an editor window would sometimes discard unsaved changes.
- Added: Better handling of notes that are modified externally (ie: in sync apps). Also these notes will now have their modification dates bolded as a notification of the change, instead of popping up.
- Added: Manager hotkeys; F3 toggles focuses between the filter textbox and the note list. Enter on the filter text now focuses the list and selects the 1st note.
- Added: Editor hotkey; ctrl+t toggles always-on-top.
- Changed: Better hide on startup. (Window no longer flashes)
- Changed: UI tweaks.

[webfork]

v1.4.zip is out - still insanely small at 57.43 KB

2019-08-28 changelog:

Added: Search feature in individual notes. Toggle the search panel via the magnifying-glass link on the note editor. Related keys: press F1 or ctrl-f to show the search panel (or run a search if the panel is already open)
Added: Now remembering the caret position in closed note editors.
Added: Accelerator keys on context menus
Fixed: Bug in save file dialog.

[Midas]

Cresstone Notes v1.5 released (changelog and download at https://cresstone.com/apps/notes/).



Ghacks.net review at www.ghacks.net /2020/01/09/notes-is-a-simple-and-free-note-taking-application-for-windows/.

Spoiler!   

FTR, full changelog.

Code: Select all

    Version 1.5; 2020-01-10

        Changed: Now we try to use the best available version of the
        richedit textbox; this should be a universal performance boost
        for very large notes.

        Changed: In-note search now defaults to 'from the beginning'
        instead of 'from the cursor'.

        Fixed: When saving a note as a text file, the title is now
        sanitized to replace invalid characters before being sent to the
        'save as' dialogue.

        Fixed: semi-rare regression introduced in last version were
        deleted notes would hang around in the list.

        Fixed: More reliable focusing of the editor window when using
        the 'new note' hotkey.


    Version 1.4; 2019-08-28

        Added: Search feature in individual notes. Toggle the search
        panel via the magnifying-glass link on the note editor. Related
        keys: press F3 or ctrl-f to show the search panel (or run a
        search if the panel is already open)

        Added: Now remembering the caret position in closed note
        editors.

        Added: Accelerator keys on context menus

        Fixed: Bug in save file dialog.


    Version 1.3; 2017-01-02

        Fixed: regression where moving an editor window would sometimes
        discard unsaved changes.

        Added: Better handling of notes that are modified externally
        (ie: in sync apps). Also these notes will now have their
        modification dates bolded as a notification of the change,
        instead of popping up.

        Added: Manager hotkeys; F3 toggles focuses between the filter
        textbox and the note list. Enter on the filter text now focuses
        the list and selects the 1st note.

        Added: Editor hotkey; ctrl+t toggles always-on-top.

        Changed: Better hide on startup. (Window no longer flashes)

        Changed: UI tweaks.


    Version 1.2; 2016-12-06

        Added: Undo/Redo context menu items to note editor.

        Added: 'New Note' command to tray icon context menu.

        Added: Editor window position is remembered (saved via ntfs
        alternate data-stream in the text file)

        Added: Text Drag/Drop enabled to/from the note editor.

        Added: Drag/Drop of whole notes to/from the Notes Manager
        (converts to file or text as appropriate).

        Added: "Open in Editor" setting and commands added, opens the
        note in a user-specified (or default) text-editor. Closes the
        note's editor window if it's open.

        Added: UI change; editor commands (links along the bottom) now
        collapse if the note is too small to show them all. Also 'last
        saved' time moved to a tooltip, since autosave means it
        shouldn't matter.

        Changed: Back to old icon. Apparently several other apps using
        the one we appropriated.

        Fixed: Potential issue on note creation.


    Version 1.1; 2016-11-27

        Added: Option to make a note the topmost window. (In note
        context menu)

        Added: Option to linkify URL's (in settings)

        Added: Grep button & search handling.

        Added: New Editor hotkeys: ctrl+s (save note to) ctrl+d (delete
        note)

        Added: Note manager list sort is remembered.

        Fixed: Three character titles should be OK.

        Changed: Updated Settings Code, plus new window placement code.

        Changed: UI Tweaks; (Apparently I hate borders now.)

        Changed: New Icon.


    Version 1.0; 2015-10-27

        Refactored using new template.

        CHANGED: Using a listview with sortable columns rather than a
        treeview. Grouping notes should be done by adding text to the
        names instead of adding directories: eg: create a note called
        'shopping.groceries', instead of 'shopping' inside the
        'groceries' group. Then use filtering instead of opening/closing
        groups.


    Version .1; 2010-06-07

        Initial version.

[thepiney]

Firefox warning when opening the "Changelog and Download" link.

virustotal says "No engines detected this URL"

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/url/be8a ... /detection

Scanned the file as well with same notification

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/dc9 ... /detection

[Midas]

Got no warnings with Seamonkey v2.49.3.

[cresstone]

Warnings are due to the rawKeylogger app hosted on the same site; it gets false-positive antivirus hits due to its nature as a keylogger. I'm working on it, may have to encrypt the .zip for that app.

[thepiney]

It's a common issue when dealing with some programs/sites. Nir Sofer has had similar issues for quite some time and he's resorted to passwords on the zip files of the affected programs. I've often explained the difference between a PUP (Possibly Unwanted Program) and a Virus to family and friends and many times they still don't get it. I've even been accused of trying to put virus' on some PCs that I've worked on "for free" when I used UBCD4Win and/or my portable apps flash drives because of keyfinder programs and such.

I posted the virustotal links just in case others ran into this and hoping it would stop any comments/post accusing your site of such...

[webfork]

I've often explained the difference between a PUP (Possibly Unwanted Program) and a Virus to family and friends and many times they still don't get it. I've even been accused of trying to put virus' on some PCs that I've worked on "for free" when I used UBCD4Win and/or my portable apps flash drives because of keyfinder programs and such.

I absolutely feel your pain and those of us in freeware spend a lot of time on an uphill battle with this. What I worry about is that this is at best a short-term fix. I did a whole write-up about my concerns around Nirsoft's move to password-protect.

[cresstone]

So I’ve been finding out what everyone already knew... trying to fight false-positives is a real pain in the ass. I did false-positive reports for 6 of the more well-known vendors as a test: 4 were de-listed pretty quick, but for the other 2 I got automated responses saying basically "thank you for your submission, this is already detected as malware" with no further communication (wtf?). That’s just the ones I could find quick, some vendors don't even have an obvious reporting mechanism.

Given the sheer number of vendors, the mediocre rate of return on false-positive submissions, and that fact that I'd have to go though this for every new version... I'm pretty much giving up on this route.

So password protection is the way I had to go.

Fortunately the affected app is pretty niche; but I'm still bummed because it's the one I've probably put the most work into.

I wish free coding-signing certs were a thing like they are for https; it'd make white-listing so much easier.

[Special]

It sucks but honestly, for every legitimate program being caught/flagged it probably catches a dozen actual malware somewhere...

Anyway cress I've been meaning to send you an email about bug/improvement idea to dupeKill, and since you're here...

1) "Default Remove Action:" [ Delete File / Recycle / Replace with SL / Move to... ] I think Recycle is broken, or am I missing something? files do not get put in the Recycle Bin which is what I was expecting, instead they just get deleted with no way to recover them. So to me the two options "Delete File + Recycle" seem to do the same thing.

2) "Move to..." This options just seems buggy in general like it will delete files and not move them, you should look into this to make sure it works correctly...

3) Can we drag on drop multiple folders with files in them to compare against? Like drop a folder, then while holding down "Ctrl" drop another, and another, etc.? I find being limited to one folder, well limiting.

[cresstone]

Thanks for the feedback, just for neatness I''ll reply in that apps thread: https://www.portablefreeware.com/forum ... hp?t=23067

[webfork]

So I’ve been finding out what everyone already knew... trying to fight false-positives is a real pain in the ass.

This is not a new problem and doesn't just affect casual developers. I've been chewing on a more lasting solution to this problem for some time now, but in the meantime, we try to always note a threshold here on the site from VirusTotal checks to account for some of the low-effort anti-virus companies. So 3/77 is not a bad number but 20/77 is.

I will try to stay optimistic and note that programs reaching a certain size seem to get better attention and reduced time to receive analysis. I think some services don't even bother with analysis, they just check if competitor tools have changed their status. Also, not having words like "password" or "crypto" in the title I think is also helpful, and one of the reasons Nirsoft has had trouble with some of his programs and not others. So I think "Notes Manager" will eventually move into a better standing as it's popularity grows. I realize that's small help now when a little more involvement and usage by people you know would really help keep it going. Hopefully posting here has garnered a little more attention.

Given the sheer number of vendors, the mediocre rate of return on false-positive submissions, and that fact that I'd have to go though this for every new version... I'm pretty much giving up on this route.

I had not heard any recent discussion about attempts to communicate with these folks, and that's certainly not encouraging. I get that their customer is people who just want to be left alone with their no-surprise laptop, and that tracking down false-positives is an ongoing and costly analysis. I hope this doesn't kill interest in your project.

[Midas]

Cresstone Notes v1.6 released 2020-03-11 (changelog at https://cresstone.com/apps/notes/).

Spoiler!   

FTR, here's the new changelog:

Code: Select all

Version 1.6; 2020-03-11
- Added: sticky mode: an utra-minimal editor display. Experimental and can
  currently only be tried out by hitting F4 in an editor window.
- Added: command to insert the current date&time. Use F2 or the editor's
  context menu for this.
- Added: -newNote command line arg to create a new note.
- Changed: in the editor's context menu: the 'make top-most' command has
  been moved to the command menu with a visible link on the bottom row
  (the up or down arrow)
- Changed: Version info now stored in the assembly properties.
- Fixed: bug in hotkey assignment with certain keys.