Lessons from the World of Clip Managers

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Note: This message is from the outliners.com archive kindly provided by Dave Winer.

Outliners.com Message ID: 2697

Posted by srdiamond15
2005-02-08 20:52:41

An advanced clip manager has outlining and database features. It may be instructive to look at how clip managers have handled combining outlining and database functions, as it may hold lessons for combining these functions in a pim.

A clip manager invokes functions analogously to outlining when the user deals with a relatively small number of clips that he seeks to quickly organize for a particular purpose. a clip manager invokes functions analogous to an outliner-based database when it organizes and accesses a large number of clips—hundreds or even thousands—for eventual use.

Clip managers which implement both of these groups of functions have gravitated toward an approach that involves two modes. ClipMate is the classical instance. To quickly access clips, to organize and use them, Clipmate has a quick paste mode. A hot key calls it up, and a a simple interface is exposed where a clip can be selected for pasting. Alternatively, in its classic mode, clips can be organized into a sequence and then pasted accordingly by turning on power paste, which advances the clips one by one as each is pasted.

To aid in organizing masses of clips, Clipmate uses an explorer mode that shows multiple panes to help place clips in various collections that can be subdivided at will.

ClipMate and its similary competitors have managed to combine something like outlining/brainstorming functions and data base functions in a single application, but it is also important to observe what they have NOT done. The two modes are part of the same application, they can operate on the same data, but each presents a distinct interface with appropriate commands.

The analogous solution for outliners and pims would be separate database and outlining modes. Remarkably, I cannot think of a single pim/outliner that has tried that approach.

Stephen R. Diamond

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