Is there an app that displays keyboard-editable hierarchical structure in the left pane and text editing/word processing in the right pane?

I'm looking for a Mac or web-based app that will allow me to create and modify hierarchical structure (in the form of multi-level bulleted lists) in the left pane and do text editing/word processing in the right pane.

I wish I could combine Workflowy and Scrivener into one tool.

The good thing about Scrivener: It displays the hierarchical structure of my document in the left pane (with headers, subheaders, subsubheaders) and displays a text editor/word processor in the right pane.

The problem with Scrivener: Creating new sections, moving sections around, nesting one section beneath another, etc is cumbersome. Every time you want a new level of the hierarchy, you have to choose "new text," name it, and use the trackpad (not the keyboard) to drag it to where you want it in document folder structure. Blech.

The good thing about Workflowy: Creating and modifying the hierarchical structure is so easy. You create a new list item simply by hitting enter, promote by hitting tab, demote by hitting shift-tab, and move list items around easily using the keyboard.

The problem with Workflowy: no text editor pane.

What I want is a tool that's like Workflowy in the left pane?quick keyboard-based creating and modifying of hierarchical structure?but with a text editor/word processor in the right pane.

With the tool I envision, for each bulleted list item in the left-pane hierarchy, I could enter right-pane text. At the end, like Scrivener, the tool would "compile" a Word document, excluding the hierarchy of headers and subheaders and including only the right-pane text.

I can hack a solution to this with Workflowy by just entering body text below various list items in the structural hierarchy and adding a #bodytext tag for each paragraph of prose, then running a search for #bodytext and exporting only the paragraphs that appear thus tagged. But it would be more far more useful to have a split-screen navigation so that I could see the body text in a separate pane from the hierarchical structure.

I looked at OmniOutliner, and with that tool, I do not seem to be able to select and export by hierarchical level, so I don't think I could isolate the body text.

Does such a tool exist? What solutions would you suggest? Thanks!

Hm - interesting point: the two-pane outliner you're describing is very, very common in the Windows world, but actually much less common in the Mac world.

Or are they? You might want to take a peek at this list by Stephen in a (much) earlier thread on this forum:

http://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/811

It's a great starting point!

Oh, and check out Tree (http://www.topoftree.jp/en/tree/ reviewed by Stephen fairly recently (http://mac.appstorm.net/quick-look/productivity-quick-look/tree-a-new-dimension-in-outlining/#more-24115

This may be a bit of an unconventional answer, but I think you should take a look at Twig, the little-brother version of Tinderbox. Using the explorer view, you should be able to do what you're describing (if I read you correctly). The big question you'll need to answer with Twig, however, is well can you export the text you want, because the export function is a bit limited.

Check it out here:

http://www.eastgate.com/Twig/

(Actually, I'm not 100% sure Twig contains the explorer view, which Tinderbox has, so check that too. Sorry to be so unhelpful.)

Steve Z.

Since we are talking Mac Outlining tools,here's the best series on subject I have ever seen. I found it quite useful in my Mac days and used to wait patiently for the new posting every month by Ted Goranson. Its a little dated now...

http://www.atpm.com/Back/atpo.shtml

Devon Think and Tinderbox on the high end can accommodate, but there are other choices. Even if some of these tools are no longer available, tracking down information on them will lead you to their heirs.

zman

The original poster is asking about something that is hard to find in modern "outlining" applications, and even harder to find on Macs. Most Mac applications of this sort (DevonThink, Together) rely on a folder structure to build hierarchy. Few of them allow you to nest one note under another. In addition, in most cases, shifting back and forth between the "tree" and the editor is awkward. Those applications with strong editor panes, are usually not set up to make the tree pane as easy to editor an organize as the poster is requesting. It's odd that this seems so difficult to code, because it seems like a perfectly legitimate request: An application where it is easy to move between the editor and the outline, and where the outline is easy to edit and restructure using the keyboard.

I agree with MadAboutDana (Bill?) that Tree is a good option to try, though the notes are inline and not in a separate, right-hand pane as the original poster requests.

Steve Z.

You can do this in Emacs Org-Mode by using indirect buffer, vertical split screen, and visibility cycling. Everything is handled via hotkeys.

It's available for Mac.

I frequently work in this mode for longer documents.

In the past, I used Mori for this sort of outlining and found it well suited. Both folders and notes can be hierarchically organized, and you can used the app's "Widescreen Layout" to get to the sort of set-up you're looking for. There are export options, but I don't know know whether they would fit your needs. Development has been scarce and erratic in recent years, but you can try Mori for free.

Tinderbox's Explorer view is my currently preferred solution.

Regarding Scrivener, it does have keyboard commands for basic rearranging of the outline, and I also recommend Keyboard Maestro for setting up your own keyboard commands in any app.

And of course there's always all the Windows apps that you could run via Parallels (or VMWare Fusion or VirtualBox).

Upon re-reading, I think I now understand what the original poster is requesting in regard to export. Tinderbox would be the post powerful in this regard, but also may require a significant investment of time and energy to learn how to tweak the export.

Other than Scrivener, I don't remember what other outliners export body text, but I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

Thank you all for the amazing replies.

Steve Z, you nailed it. That's exactly what I'm looking for.

JBfrom, emacs org-mode sounds like a great solution. I'm intrigued. It also looks a little complicated, but if it indeed does exactly what I'm describing, then I'm willing to take on a learning curve. I've downloaded emacs and org-mode. Can you describe how to set it up to do this, or direct me to a resource that will?

Thanks again everyone.

A convert! And there was great rejoicing in heaven.

I do indeed have a few resources on getting started with Emacs.

I recommend you use the Ergoemacs distro.

Here are my links -
http://www.cyborganize.org/clarity/software/emacs-org-mode-installation-configuration-and-tutorial/
http://www.cyborganize.org/clarity/software/emacs-org-mode-installation-configuration-and-tutorial/installing-and-using-ergoemacs-for-intermediate-emacs-users/

Feel free to contact me with any questions. I'll compile notes on your experience and use them to improve my help pages.

My email - joseph@cyborganize.org

Notecase Pro does exactly this. A wonderfully easy outlining pane on the left, a full text editing window on the right. It does a whale of a lot more than that, too, but the simplicity of the interface is what i like about it. Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, and under constant development. A staple in my tool chest. So to speak.