Hello,

I'm asking directly since there does not appear to be a quick and effective way of finding relevant back entries in the mailing list:

Can anyone recommend a program which allows:

* flexible linking of the headings in an outline-in-progress to parts of a manuscript-in-progress (i.e., linking the same heading to different sections of the manuscript, and vice versa);

* linking of outline headings and/or manuscript sections to files (including PDF) on the hard disk and/or the internet (or even better: to specific sections/quotes in those files);

* graphic representation of outlines in diagram-style?

If no single piece of software can handle all these tasks at once, is there a combination of two compatible ones which can?

Thanks a lot,

Leo

[Leo: there does not appear to be a quick and effective way of finding relevant back entries in the mailing list]

For the wider information of Outliners.com users, the way to do that is through Google's Advanced Search. Enter whatever you are looking for as Search Terms and the limit Results to site/domain Outliners.com

alx

OK, thanks. For a newcomer to this area though, it is not easy to identify the relevant search terms. I am trying to search entries the way Alex suggest, but if anyone can help direct my search I'd be most grateful. Leo

Leo,

I don't think you're going to find exactly what you're looking for in a single program. The only outliner that also offers a diagram function that I'm aware of is Inspiration. I don't believe it offers the ability to link the same heading to multiple documents, but perhaps I am not interpreting your requirement properly.

I would recommend you take a look at some of the following programs to see if they may provide -- in some combination -- the functionality you're looking for:

1. Inspiration (www.inspiration.com)

2. NoteMap (www.casesoft.com) -- in my opinion, the best single-pane outliner for Windows.

3. Writer's Blocks (www.writersblocks.com) -- is not an outliner, but can function as one. Allows you to create blocks of text that can be arranged much like one would arrange items in an outline, but in a more visual way. Allows you to view and edit your "outline" as an assembled document. I am unsure if it offers linking to external documents, but would be surprised if it did not.

4. SuperNoteCard (www.mindola.com) -- similar in some ways to Writer's Blocks, but lower priced and provides a rudimentary outline.

I am sure that some others on this forum may be able to provide further choices and detail, but this is my recommendation.

Steve Z.

Leo,

If I'm correctly interpreting your first consideration ("flexible linking of the headings in an outline-in-progress to parts of a manuscript-in-progress (i.e., linking the same heading to different sections of the manuscript, and vice versa); outline headings and/or manuscript sections to files") I think ndxCards (http://www.ndxcards.com meets your listed requirements. It doesn't have a self-contained diagramming module, but it is designed to work with MS Office products to allow diagramming. Outlines can be pasted into Visio or PowerPoint (or even OneNote), where they are freely manipulable.

Stephen R. Diamond

Leo,

If I'm correctly interpreting your first consideration ("flexible linking of the headings in an outline-in-progress to parts of a manuscript-in-progress (i.e., linking the same heading to different sections of the manuscript, and vice versa); outline headings and/or manuscript sections to files") I think ndxCards (http://www.ndxcards.com meets your listed requirements. It doesn't have a self-contained diagramming module, but it is designed to work with MS Office products to allow diagramming. Outlines can be pasted into Visio or PowerPoint (or even OneNote), where they are freely manipulable.

Stephen R. Diamond

Leo,

If I'm correctly interpreting your first consideration ("flexible linking of the headings in an outline-in-progress to parts of a manuscript-in-progress (i.e., linking the same heading to different sections of the manuscript, and vice versa); outline headings and/or manuscript sections to files") I think ndxCards (http://www.ndxcards.com meets your listed requirements. It doesn't have a self-contained diagramming module, but it is designed to work with MS Office products to allow diagramming. Outlines can be pasted into Visio or PowerPoint (or even OneNote), where they are freely manipulable.

Stephen R. Diamond

Leo,

If I'm correctly interpreting your first consideration ("flexible linking of the headings in an outline-in-progress to parts of a manuscript-in-progress (i.e., linking the same heading to different sections of the manuscript, and vice versa); outline headings and/or manuscript sections to files") I think ndxCards (http://www.ndxcards.com meets your listed requirements. It doesn't have a self-contained diagramming module, but it is designed to work with MS Office products to allow diagramming. Outlines can be pasted into Visio or PowerPoint (or even OneNote), where they are freely manipulable.

Stephen R. Diamond

Leo,

If I'm correctly interpreting your first consideration ("flexible linking of the headings in an outline-in-progress to parts of a manuscript-in-progress (i.e., linking the same heading to different sections of the manuscript, and vice versa); outline headings and/or manuscript sections to files") I think ndxCards (http://www.ndxcards.com meets your listed requirements. It doesn't have a self-contained diagramming module, but it is designed to work with MS Office products to allow diagramming. Outlines can be pasted into Visio or PowerPoint (or even OneNote), where they are freely manipulable.

Stephen R. Diamond