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Seen Any Thing Like This? Multi Columns Layout
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Posted by washere
Mar 18, 2018 at 04:14 PM
Looking for a software:
Usual Outliner software works whereby nodes & sub-nodes are in the left pane column as a tree & data for each selected node/sub-node appear in the right editor pane.
What I’m looking for is:
# Nodes are in left pane column (usual outliner)
# Sub-nodes are in 2nd column (so clicking the node in first column refreshes 2nd column & shows sub-nodes for the highlighted/clicked node in first column
# Usual editor window: 3rd column shows the data content editor for the selected sub-node or for root-level node (if it has no sub-node)
So basically the first two columns are Nodes & Sub-nodes. The third column is the data in an editor window column.
Bonus would be if:
+ Can have even more columns popping up if existing: sub-sub-node as 3rd column & data editor shifts to 4th column, ie: right-most column
+ Any tags/notes window pane, a bonus, like Scrivener metadata on the right side
But a basic two column structure on the left plus data editor on the right would do.
I think it would have great potential. Everyone is just copying the tree outline on the left & data editor on the right.
In fact the desired structure is pretty much an expanding relational database of tables as a data format. Simply needing to be plugged into an interface.
I want it to be:
> For Windows
> Not subscription based
> Not someone else’s cloud. Personal cloud is OK. But should work offline too.
I vaguely remember similar stuff: expanding columns as structure plus selected data showing up but can’t put my finger on it. I think this new dynamic structure interface would have great potential and market.
The nearest thing I remember is not exactly the above spec. Anyone seen anything like the above? Multi columns as node & sub-node structure + editor for data on the right, for Windows?
Posted by Dr Andus
Mar 18, 2018 at 05:00 PM
washere wrote:
># Nodes are in left pane column (usual outliner)
>
># Sub-nodes are in 2nd column (so clicking the node in first column
>refreshes 2nd column & shows sub-nodes for the highlighted/clicked node
>in first column
This would suggest that the first column is just an inert list and nothing happens there, since to even see if there are additional sub-items, one would need to look into the second column. This would seem redundant from a design perspective, so maybe that’s why there aren’t many such implementations.
This does remind me of the way Natara Bonsai works, but the first column is only going to be a list of separate files, so it is kind of an inert pane otherwise (though the folders provide another level of hierarchy).
Outline Manager > Outline > Notes (which can be displayed on the right or below):
You could take a look at UltraRecall as well, which has a few display options for its various fields:
https://www.kinook.com/UltraRecall/screenshots.html
Posted by gunars
Mar 18, 2018 at 05:15 PM
RightNote added an outline node type to the Pro version that may do what you are looking for. It’s barely mentioned on the website (http://www.bauerapps.com/rightnote), but here’s a screenshot from the developer (Rael):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t4ds7h6qjeirkwi/RightNote-outline.png
The leftmost column is the normal node tree. The node “Current” is an outline node (actually a TaskList node - same thing, but has checkboxes). He basically cobbled together the outline/tasklist node feature by allowing the Node Tree (in column 1) to also be a node. The outline in column 2 has the same features/limitations as tree in column 1, except it can’t also have outline nodes (so only level). Other nodes type are RichView, source code (syntax highlighting), spreadsheet. It also has tags and sync capabilities with Evernote.
Posted by gunars
Mar 18, 2018 at 05:18 PM
“so only level” -> “so only one level”
Posted by washere
Mar 18, 2018 at 05:35 PM
Thanks DrAndus,
The left column is not redundant. It can grow. The problem, or rather the alternative desired interface is this: when we have a tree structure in the left, as the project grows one has to:
not all tree fits in view
Expand / collapse branches constantly to see target
Lots of scrolling up & down
etc etc
With the hierarchical multi columns, can view & function faster & also in a different way. It’s a different structural view too.
Regarding Bonsai, the outline manager could be used as a top level root nodes titles. Good idea. I love that old software.
Haven’t played with Total Recall for a while, will check out layout configurations, see what happens. Another good idea.