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Is there any kind of grid-focused database software available that runs on Linux natively or through Wine?
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Posted by cicerosc
Sep 28, 2018 at 06:47 PM
I have run just about into a deadend in trying to get Infoqube to run in Linux, which is where I do most of my work nowadays. Before I pester Pierre about that some more, I am wondering if anyone knows of any grid-oriented database software that would work for a personal information database. Here’s my direction:
I keep looking at CintaNotes (even though it doesn’t work in Linux) because I am realizing that all I really want for 98% of my uses is a “scrolling” list of text-oriented items that can be sorted by tags (CintaNotes) or by associated column markers (Ecco) or in the way that Evernote used to do at the beginning (maybe still does; I’m not sure). In other words, I want to be able to keep a running list of items, probably marked by dates, that I can just pick a filter and scroll up and down the list, and copy and paste from that list, as needed.
I realize as I describe this that I can probably do most of this with a simple spreadsheet that allows rich text and word wrap in columns, but I want the searching and filtering capabilities that Ecco or CintaNotes offers.
Another way of saying this is that after almost 30 years as an Ecco user I realize I don’t use the folder tree, I don’t use the calendar, I don’t use the phonebook, I don’t use the Gantt charting—all I really use is the flexible spreadsheet/outlining window where I enter rich text and then organize and sort it by columns (or tags in the new parlance).
I am sure Pierre is tired of hearing that infquube is overkill for this use, but I’d probably still be using it if I could get it to run in Linux.
But the reason for this post is to find out if anyone has recommendations on either an online or offline (that runs in Linux) grid-oriented database program that might fit what I am describing. I remember as I end this post that this forum is the “OutlinerSoftware” forum and not the “Database” forum, so I will say that having the ability for the main text to be in an outline, or at least to contain an outline, like Ecco and Infoqube do, is highly desirable.
But even if I couldn’t get that, I still think I would do much of my work in a spreadsheet-looking environment if it had easy to use tagging/columns/filters.
Thanks for any ideas.
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Sep 28, 2018 at 07:17 PM
This may be a bit too much on the simple side, but have you tried Simplenote?
https://simplenote.com/2017/11/20/windows-and-linux-app-update-now-available-2/
It doesn’t support rich text as such, but it does markdown, including preview.
I haven’t tried the applications myself, though I use the service for syncing Cintanotes.
Posted by cicerosc
Sep 28, 2018 at 07:22 PM
Thanks for the suggestion.
Oh yes, I have and use Simplenote, but I don’t want another “two pane outliner” where the right-hand pane is one entire item, and I have to scroll through the headers on the left to get new content on the right. I am looking much more for the data itself to be scrolling, as in Cintanotes, without the data being separated into “panes”
In the time since I made my post I did some more googling and ran across MATRIFY—https://www.matrify.com/en which I had never seen before.
That paradigm seems to fit MANY of my checkpoints in terms of an easy-to manipulate spreadsheet/database combination. However my heart sunk when I saw the pricing—way out of my price range. I’m really looking for something like this that’s open source or much more reasonable in cost. I’m a single user, but I have many different computers in different locations and I need to access the data on them all.
Again, thanks for the suggestion.
Posted by cicerosc
Sep 28, 2018 at 07:25 PM
On reading the description at matrify, maybe I should be specifying “TABLE-based” rather than “grid-based”—although both words probably get the meaning across.
And a really desirable feature of such a format would be in-cell editing with rich text, including word wrapping within the cell. Again, all of which Infoqube will do (in addition to much much much much much more ;-) )
Posted by Chris Murtland
Sep 28, 2018 at 08:03 PM
Reminds me of AirTable and ZenKit (and I think they are cheaper). Of course, they are both subscription services and web-based, which may not be what you are looking for.