Ecco-like template or field

[travislaborde]

One of the things I sill use Ecco for is it's dynamic outlining ability. It makes it SO EASY to organize my thoughts.

Just the ability to easy TAB in or out on an item and cause it to indent appropriately, numbering, etc. Inserting items is easy, causing the list to renumber accordingly, etc.

I'd like to see an editor of this type in Ultra Recall. And a template what has this included.

For example, if this were used in the Task template, only the "text area" would change - making it an "outline area" instead.

Or of course we could create our own templates, with both text areas, other fields, and an Outline field as well.

Not looking for a full-blown Ecco database, just the fancy Outlining editor that ends up as one field on an item.

Thanks!
Travis

[quant]

I never used Ecco, and I'm not sure I follow ... but apart from (re)numbering, I thing most of what you mentioned is in UR:

TAB in or out on an item and cause it to indent appropriately:
- CTRL+SHIFT LEFT/RIGHT

Inserting items is easy:
- child or sibling ins/shift ins

plus everything is customizable. Other fields displayed in the data explorer pane are already on the Roadmap, so UR could then be seen as one-pane outliner as well.

Some kind of numbering can be achieved by using "Tree order" attribute in the Title expression, but it's kind on long-winded. I think this needs some improvement, as the (re)numbering feature might be useful to many UR users.

[travislaborde]

Quant, thanks, but... you'd really have to use Ecco a bit to see what I mean :)

And I'm referring to "one item" rather than "the tree of items."

Let me describe it as if it were an application you probably have used - Excel, or any other spreadsheet....

In UR, you add a new "Task." You get an item based on a template and form that has Item Title, Priority, etc.. But with a big textbox at the bottom where you can type whatever you like (free form). I'm referring to this textbox.

You can of course create your own templates, forms, etc, so that different fields show up, but you pretty much always get that "one big textbox" to go along with the fields you choose to include in your form.

What I'm asking for is to have the ability to make that one big textbox NOT a textbox but an Ecco-like Outliner. Sure, you can type lines and use TABS, but this would just be a cooler way to do it - trust me - or go try Ecco.

Short of using Ecco, picture that I'm asking for it to be a "spreadhseet" instead. So "that big textbox" would instead be "a grid." Sure, you can "add a table" to your text area, but... if the whole thing were a GRID, I'm sure someone would be happy :)

Maybe now they can give us Ecco Outlining, AND a Grid :)

Travis

[travislaborde]

Maybe an example is in order :) I couldn't get the colors right in GIMP, but I think these images will make the idea clear:

Here I've attached the Task template the way it exists now.

[travislaborde]

And here is what it would look like with an Ecco-area instead of a standard Text-area.

I couldn't get the colors right in GIMP, but I'm sure you'll see what I mean.

[travislaborde]

As you can see in the "outline" above, the idea is just that this Ecco-like area would simply "number and indent" your plain text. I just "looks different."

But really it functions in a very cool way.

If you were to click on the 1.1.1 line (Implements IMigrator) and hit RETURN, you get get a new line inserted there called 1.1.2 to type on.

And if you did that on the 1.4 (add a case...) line, you'd get a new BLANK line for 1.5 and the old 1.5 would become 1.6, etc.

It might sound like "nothing" but in reality it is a VERY easy way to work things out.

Travis

[quant]

Originally posted by travislaborde
instead be "a grid." Sure, you can "add a table" to your text area, but... if the whole thing were a GRID, I'm sure someone would be happy :)

you can have a Template based on xls file which can be displayed inside UR (+ have a form above it), would that help?

[travislaborde]

that WOULD indeed help, but I only used the excel thing as an example since you were unfamiliar with Ecco.

Hopefully the screenshots I posted help?

Travis

[quant]

what about the standard "multilevel numbering" in ms word?
Seems to work as you suggest it works in Ecco