Progressive search as a solution for logical linking

[craigm]

As various posts have suggested one of the few weaknesses in the otherwise estimable Ultra Recall is the relative difficulty of logical linking between items in a large tree (e.g. see http://www.kinook.com/Forum/showthre...&threadid=1494 and http://www.kinook.com/Forum/showthre...&threadid=1552).

This problem is faced in spades by wiki engines who have to enable users to make links between hundreds or thousands of topics without even the benefit of a tree to guide them. The solution many of them use is a progressive search feature. As you start typing the name of the item you want to link to a window pops up with all the items that include the string you have typed so far. The number items decreases the longer the string you enter, you can then click on the relevant item in the list to select (see www.connectedtext.com for an interesting personal wiki tool that uses this feature). Personal Brain uses a similar approach for linking to existing items.

This could be a very powerful solution for logical linking in big trees.

Indeed, I think it could be so useful I would want to be able to set it as the default behavior when I type a new item title. This would serve two purposes, firstly it would be a very quick way to enable me to logically link to existing items in the tree (without having to cut a paste etc.). Secondly, it would enable me to discover when I am creating an item that duplicates or nearly duplicates an item I have created previously but forgotten about.

If this kind of default item title behaviour is difficult, I would settle for having progressive search in a special window you invoke for logical linking purposes.