CintaNotes Free Personal Notes Manager (New Release: BetaM9)

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Kranor
Posts: 120
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:15 am
Location: uk

#16 Post by Kranor »

Worked like a charm Cheers Alex

garbanzo
Posts: 248
Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 3:00 am

#17 Post by garbanzo »

well this is exciting! i've been looking for a small, basic note-taking app that supports tags for a few weeks now. i started my search here, but this wasn't posted yet.

this little app has a lot of potential. it's a great idea that's been very well implemented. the design is great, and the feature set keeps getting better.

in its current form, it's good for casual use. but as a professional writer/researcher who takes a lot of notes, i think there are still some areas that need work. these are categorization, workflow, and cross-referencing.

categorization
for me, this it is absolutely essential that i keep my notes very well organized, especially when working on a large project like a book. right now, the only way to organize notes with this is through tags. but for me, tags are the finest level of organization. while it's possible to use tags for broader levels, it's difficult.

as i see it, this app should have three different levels of organization. the first should be the project level. to implement this, you need a Save/Load function. this is essential! users should be able to keep different notes files for different projects.

the second level is trickier. i thought a lot about this on the train this morning, and the best thing i came up with is the use of tabs with user-defined labels. within a project, i need to keep different kinds of notes separate - personal ideas, quotes, clippings, references, etc. having different tabs within the same project file would be a great way to accomplish this.

the third and fineset level of categorization should be tags, which are already implemented.

workflow
while i'm working, i need to take a note as quickly as possible, categorize it and tag it, then keep working. this minimizes the chance that i lose my train of thought.

having a hotkey to make the clipping is a great start. but then, if tabs are implemented, there needs to be a way to send a clipping to a particular tab. perhaps a numbered list of current tabs could come up in a dialog, and clicking on a tab name (or pressing its number on the keyboard) will send the note to that page/tab.

then comes tagging. right now, once the clipping is stored, you have to press Enter to open the properties dialog, then Tab-Tab to get to the tags section. this is a bit slow, but it works.

the problem i see with the tag system, though, is that tags need to be typed out every time. if i use the same tag 50 times in a day, it'd be nice to be able to somehow select it from a list. i'm not sure how to implement this, perhaps from the Edit Note dialog a new window could be called up with a list of all tags in use in the current project which can then be selected and added to the current note? i don't know...

cross-referencing
this isn't essential, but it sure would be nice to have. by this, i mean filtering by more than one string at a time - a date and a tag, for example, or two different tags. if this app is meant to store notes as well as capture them, there needs to be a way to perform more advanced queries on them.


a few more issues - if no text is selected, the capture hotkey should just bring up the main window. from there, pressing Ins can bring up the New Note dialog. that way, if i need to jot down an idea while i'm reading, i don't have to switch between mouse and keyboard.

this is minor, but the alpha blending on the icon is really bad, which makes it look terrible on the windows 7 taskbar.

and finally (i'm almost done, i promise!), while the colour themes are a nice addition, it would be much, much better if colours could be applied to individual notes as a visual way to highlight important ideas or to further categorize them. that would make the colour feature much more 'useful'.

well that's my input. i'm just brainstorming, so take them with a grain of salt. this is a nice project, and i'm excited to see where it goes!

AlexJenter
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:36 am

#18 Post by AlexJenter »

ashghost wrote:When run as a normal user on Vista, this version (Beta M5) adds a new item to the tape
And changing the clipping hotkey doesn't help?
Unfortunately I still cannot reproduce this behavior, maybe I'm using wrong Vista;) does anyone else have this problem? Please tell!
ashghost wrote: (not open and ready to edit, as in the previous version).
Well I've already corrected this in the BetaM6 version which is planned for Jan 30th. I mean, in the exceptional case when the automatic clipping fails, the note will be open and ready to edit.

Thanks a lot for your input and encouragement!
Regards,
Alex

AlexJenter
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Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:36 am

#19 Post by AlexJenter »

Hello garbanzo,
garbanzo wrote:as i see it, this app should have three different levels of organization.
I'm sure you will be happy to hear that all this is exactly what I've been planning to do! :) Yes, categorization is now a weak part of CintaNotes and I've assigned it a very high priority.
About tags: I think that there really should be two kinds of tags: global and category-level tags. Otherwise it will be impossible to cover the basic functionality of common tree-based notetaking apps.
garbanzo wrote: having a hotkey to make the clipping is a great start. but then, if tabs are implemented, there needs to be a way to send a clipping to a particular tab. perhaps a numbered list of current tabs could come up in a dialog, and clicking on a tab name (or pressing its number on the keyboard) will send the note to that page/tab.
This is a very good idea. But still I'd like to keep things as simple as possible. So for starters I'll add notes to the currently active tab/category. And of course it will be possible to quickly send the note to another one. But I really like the idea with category numbers! I think I'll make something of it.
garbanzo wrote:then comes tagging. right now, once the clipping is stored, you have to press Enter to open the properties dialog, then Tab-Tab to get to the tags section. this is a bit slow, but it works.
In the next version I'll swap the link and tag fields, so it will be just one Tab)) But of course this is just a 0.1% improvement. I have big plans for the tag system, and being able to press, say, Alt + Tag starting letter for quick tag selection and assignment is one of the ideas.
garbanzo wrote:the problem i see with the tag system, though, is that tags need to be typed out every time. if i use the same tag 50 times in a day, it'd be nice to be able to somehow select it from a list. i'm not sure how to implement this, perhaps from the Edit Note dialog a new window could be called up with a list of all tags in use in the current project which can then be selected and added to the current note?
No, a new window is too messy. I'm thinking of developing a special tag control, which will list all tags one next to each other, alphabetically sorted, and in order to (un)apply a tag you'll just have to click on it - it will get highlighted (or, as I said, press Alt + tag starting letters on the keyboard). Maybe not exaclty like that, but I think you get the idea..
garbanzo wrote: cross-referencing
this isn't essential, but it sure would be nice to have. by this, i mean filtering by more than one string at a time - a date and a tag, for example, or two different tags. if this app is meant to store notes as well as capture them, there needs to be a way to perform more advanced queries on them.
I'm a bit confused.. I would think that cross-referencing is like linking two notes together, but you're talking about something like advanced search.
Advanced search is already on the roadmap, with support for AND/OR, ? and * wildcards, and even regular expressions.
garbanzo wrote: a few more issues - if no text is selected, the capture hotkey should just bring up the main window. from there, pressing Ins can bring up the New Note dialog. that way, if i need to jot down an idea while i'm reading, i don't have to switch between mouse and keyboard.
This is a good idea, but unfortunately CintaNotes can't know for sure that there's no text selected until a certain time delay, which would be unacceptable for such a hot key (this delay will irritate users). Moreover, in some bizarre cases the automatic clipping may fail, but in this case the user still wants a new note with the correct title.
So, there will have to be a separate hot key for bringing up CintaNotes window.
garbanzo wrote:this is minor, but the alpha blending on the icon is really bad, which makes it look terrible on the windows 7 taskbar.
Thanks for pointing this out! I've neglected graphic design a bit, I think after the BetaM6 version I'll have to catch up.
By the way, how is CintaNotes performing under Windows 7? I haven't tried it myself yet.
garbanzo wrote:and finally (i'm almost done, i promise!), while the colour themes are a nice addition, it would be much, much better if colours could be applied to individual notes as a visual way to highlight important ideas or to further categorize them. that would make the colour feature much more 'useful'.
I was thinking of assigning each tab/category a color. What would be your suggestion?

All in all, thanks a lot for such a great contribution! I'm happy to see that CintaNotes has struck a chord and I'm as excited to see where it goes as you are)) Hope to hear more of your ideas!

Regards,
Alex

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fenixproductions
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#20 Post by fenixproductions »

Hi.

Just two things I think are missing:

1. possibility to have note's title focused by default.

I know the date is inserted by default by it is annoying to hit TAB few times to get first field in the form selected.

2. Colours

Please, allow the users to switch off schemes completely or customize them more than choosing theme. Current solution truly hurt my eyes.


PS. Giving labels for all fields would be good too.

broeke
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:45 am

Great App, thanks

#21 Post by broeke »

I just registered to this forum to tell you how great this App is shaping up!

I have one suggestion or request. Is it possible to make the app retain links within the text clipped from a website? The Source URL is also helpfull but sometimes from Firefox this does not get filled.

keep up the good work, I will be promoting your great product.

AlexJenter
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:36 am

#22 Post by AlexJenter »

fenixproductions wrote:1. possibility to have note's title focused by default.
Done :)
fenixproductions wrote:Please, allow the users to switch off schemes completely or customize them more than choosing theme. Current solution truly hurt my eyes.
Well I'll definitely offer more color customization options in the future..
fenixproductions wrote:PS. Giving labels for all fields would be good too.
Well, they will take up precious place) I think the meaning of the unlabeled fields is self-evident.

AlexJenter
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:36 am

Re: Great App, thanks

#23 Post by AlexJenter »

broeke wrote:I have one suggestion or request. Is it possible to make the app retain links within the text clipped from a website? The Source URL is also helpfull but sometimes from Firefox this does not get filled.
Now the URL clipping should work much better. Your request is a bit tricky to implement, but it will be done, it is already on the roadmap.
Last edited by AlexJenter on Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

AlexJenter
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Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:36 am

#24 Post by AlexJenter »

New version Beta M6 is out!

Here's what's new:

* Hot keys to show main window and to add a new note
* "-m" command line parameter to run CintaNotes minimized
* "Always on top" option
* Possibility to search all fields
* Faster and more reliable text and URL clipping
* Tags and links displayed in the notes list
* Editor font is now the same as note text font
* Additional keyboard shortcuts
* Text boxes in note editor now have standard context menus.
* Some bugfixes

Details on the site: http://cintanotes.com
Download: http://cintanotes.com/files/CintaNotes_BetaM6.zip

Beta M6 discussion topic:
http://cintanotes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25

Hope you'll enjoy it.

mrthermister
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CintaNotes is the best...Here's now I use it...

#25 Post by mrthermister »

Let me say that after using CintaNotes for a while, it is the END ALL and BE ALL of GTD capture systems...It is all of the following:...a ubiquitous thought & note capture system, a GTD capture trusted system, a knowledge base, and a to-do-list system. It IS bare bones, but that is the beauty of it...nothing to get in the way of your notes and your tags.

The tagging system is the secret to it's success. Everything that comes in to CintaNotes (either by you typing it in manually (which I have set up with a keyboard short cut of Win-A) or by Ctl-F12, with which you can copy anything on the screen, or web) should have the following tags, depending on if it's actionable (a la GTD) or not. Actionable: a status tag (! for immediate, .nextaction (or variation) for next action, s/action, s/waiting, s/someday), a project (i.e p/home/bathroomremodel), and a context (@computer, @call, @home, etc). NOT actionable...it becomes a reference, or archive (r/travelideas, etc.. where the r/ is for reference, or aRchive).

Once an actionable item is completed, you delete the context tag, set the s/ status tag to s/finished (or s/done), and change the project p/ to a aRchived project rp/ which immediately moves the item or task to your knowledge base.

Use CintaNotes as a to-do-list (again, it's always available with a keyboard shortcut) with the effective ! tag. When you need to see what you need to do, just type ! in the tag search bar, and voila! you have your to-do-list pop up! how convenient!. When you've completed a to-do-list, just delete the !, or delete the whole note, depending on if u want to keep a record of what you've accomplished. If you do want to keep the task, just add a completion date in the note some where (at the top is best): Out @ 02/28/09 10:55 AM , is what I use (accomplished with a text macro; I use RoboType, but Texter should work as well)

This system combination of GTD capture tool, knowledge base, and to-do-list can be used with many other applications, but it seems like CintaNotes' simplicity makes this so effective...

One request...allow multiple search criteria to select multiple independent tags... like give me everything I have to do immediately (!) for my bathroom remodel (p/home/bathroomremodel)... This could be accomplished by simply having 3 search boxes at the top... More than 3 tag searches seems unlikely.

Lastly, if you combine CintaNotes with DropBox, you have a capture system with the same notes on all of your computers, no matter where you are; plus, it's continually backed up. You can also use it as a portable app, but then you have to remember to take your USB stick with you. Using it with DropBox means never you have to remember.

Hope this helps you discover for yourself as I have how useful CintaNotes can be. Thanks for it's development Alex!!!

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joby_toss
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#26 Post by joby_toss »

CintaNotes Beta M8 is up:
  • "At last, the long awaited release! Here is what's new:

    Tag SidebarFeature
    This is a handy tool for fast access to different tags and tag sets. It is basically the controller of the built-in tags filter. Turn it on using the View/Tag Sidebar command. See the Help section describing tag sidebar.
    Exporting selected notesEnhancement

    Now the File/Export command has a submenu, which lets you specify whether you want to export all notes or just the selection. The new keyboard shortcuts F11 and Ctrl+F11 are introduced here as well.
    New note reordering commandsEnhancement

    You can now move selected notes to top pressing Alt+Home, and to the very bottom pressing Alt+End. Also, the note reordering commands are now accessible from the menu.
    At startup, CintaNotes now warns you if it detects and activates an already running program instance.Enhancement
    The main window now allows smaller widths.Enhancement
    Alt+Down in the search box was not displaying the search mode menu as it should.Fix
    In the note edit dialog, it was not possible to select text till the end of note using Shift+Down.Fix"

kokain
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Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:10 am

#27 Post by kokain »

I love it. I use it like an archivable clipboard while doing work in Windchill. Perfect!

AlexJenter
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:36 am

#28 Post by AlexJenter »

New Release: Beta M9
  • Tag autocompletion (Feature)
    No need to remember or look up tags anymore! In any tag-entering field CintaNotes now displays a dropdown list of available tags as soon as you start typing. Pressing Spacebar, Return or Tab accept the currently highlighted sugggestion, whereas Esc or Del cancel it. You can also force autocomplete display via pressing Ctrl+Space.
  • "Run at system startup" option (Feature)
    Check "Options / Run at system startup" to have CintaNotes start automatically. It will start minimized to the system tray. Use this option with care if you run CintaNotes from an USB stick, since if the stick is absent CintaNotes won't be found during system startup. This option adds an entry to the registry HKCU/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Run, don't use it unless you're ok with giving up "stealthiness".
  • Relevant tag highlighting in tag sidebar (Enhancement)
    Tag sidebar now highlights tags which are related to any tag of the currently selected set. Two tags are considered related if there are notes which have them both.
  • View switches to All if after editing or deleting a note no notes are left in the Untagged view. (Enhancement)
  • Fixed: View switched to Untagged after clipping even when tag sidebar was off.
  • Fixed: Note editor didn't recognize FTP links.
  • Fixed: The close window ("X") button in note editor meant Cancel, but should mean OK.
  • Fixed: The tray icon wasn't restored after an explorer.exe restart.
New version discussion on the official forum
Download:CintaNotes_BetaM9_0.zip

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Midas
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Re: CintaNotes Free Personal Notes Manager (New Release: Bet

#29 Post by Midas »

Topic update: CintaNotes v3.2 released (changelog at http://cintanotes.com/release-notes/).
OT: :shock: Wow! This forum thread is severely outdated... :twisted:

AlexJenter
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Re: CintaNotes Free Personal Notes Manager (New Release: Bet

#30 Post by AlexJenter »

Yes, I guess it's time to resurrect this topic ;)

Midas, is that really you? How you're doing? We miss you on the forum! :)

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