Inserting date in data explorer pane

[StephenUK]

Is there any way to insert the date in the data explorer pane within text?

For example, if I want to entitle a note "Telecon with Pete (Date) re computer" it would be good to be able to type "Telecon with Peter Alt Z re computer", but it doesn't work in the explorer pane.

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Secondly, one little favour to keep just one person happy! No-one has supported me in my wish for a "delete line" short cut key, although Kinook did kindly suggest using a macro program (which I prefer not to use). I still dreadfully miss that little facility which I had in InfoSelect. Could you possibly implement it just for me?! I am sure it would be very easy!

[armsys]

Your two dreams completely elude my comprehension.
1. Did you say inserting date? But your sample text "Telecon with Peter Alt Z re computer" has no resemblance of a date!
2. "Delete line" but what line?
Please kindly help me understand your two dreams. And thanks for your dreams with us.
Armstrong

[quant]

Originally posted by armsys
Your two dreams completely elude my comprehension.
1. Did you say inserting date? But your sample text "Telecon with Peter Alt Z re computer" has no resemblance of a date!

armsys, Alt+Z is a shortcut to insert a Date in the Item details, but that doesn't work in Data explorer ... so Stephen would like sth like that which would work in Data explorer

Stephen, maybe you could create title from attributes, and then the title would be created automatically, for example

coalesce([Item Title] || ' ' || [Date Created], 'new task')

[armsys]

Originally posted by quant
coalesce([Item Title] || ' ' || [Date Created], 'new task')

Thanks for your help. How could we get the list of the functions such as coalesce()?
Armstrong

[quant]

Originally posted by armsys
Thanks for your help. How could we get the list of the functions such as coalesce()?
Armstrong

See help file:

The following functions/operators (following sql convention) are available for use in the Title Expression value:

Functions

· trim (and ltrim/rtrim): trim white space from the value (or left or right side only)

· coalesce(2 more values): uses the first non-null value in the provided values, from left to right

· val(): computes the number in the leading characters of the value (i.e., 123abc = 123)

Operators

· ||: the text concatenation operator (i.e., [Last Name] || ', ' || [First Name])

Note: a NULL || anything equals NULL

· + - / * and other mathematical operators (i.e., [Some Number attribute name] * 2)

[armsys]

Quant,
Thanks a lot.
Armstrong

[ashwken]

Originally posted by StephenUK
Is there any way to insert the date in the data explorer pane within text?

For example, if I want to entitle a note "Telecon with Pete (Date) re computer" it would be good to be able to type "Telecon with Peter Alt Z re computer", but it doesn't work in the explorer pane.

Alt-Z takes its formatting from the Options | Misc - Insert date/time as:

If you chose (Insert date/time as) "Custom" you can specify a format, for example (without the quotes):

"%Y-%m-%d - "

Invoking Alt-Z will create an Item entitled:

2008-05-17 -

Unfortunately, once you have invoked Alt-Z the new Item is titled, to add any additional text you need to (F2)+(End) - essentially Renaming the Item by adding the descriptive text to the end of the Item Title.

Maybe if Alt-Z would not be so quick to complete itself, i.e., place the cursor at the end of the title string and wait for a user action - either an <Enter> to accept as is, or <Enter> after supplying additional text.

Alternately, as quant suggested, you could define the title from Attributes. In quant's expression the [Date Created] Attribute takes its value from the Custom setting mentioned above.

EDIT: Title Expressions are available in the v.3.5 beta.

[StephenUK]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions re inserting date. It just seems to me that it would be even simpler if "Alt Z" was made to work in the explorer pane as well as the notes pane. The problem doesn't arise enough for any complicated solution to be worthwhile (and I must admist to being somewhat stretched technically in that regard).

As regards the delete line command I covet:

- I frequently paste chunks of text into a note which I want to capture.
- Usually much of it I want to discard immediately.
- By far the fastest way to do this is to use a shortcut to delete a line of text.
- In Info Select Ctrl-Y deletes one line.
- The clever thing is that Ctrl-YY deletes two lines
- Ctrl-YYY three lines. etc.

It really is a very quick way to prune text, and no other method works nearly as quickly in my experience.

No-one will believe me how well it works! Whatever InfoSelect's faults, its great strength is an economy of effort in doing those things that it can do. It really would be easy for Kinook to provide a similar facility and who knows, others might like it too. Presumaby MicroLogic put the command in for a reason, and I believe it orginated in WordStar who similarly no doubt had good reason to insert the command. So it is not just me and my English idiosyncrosy, since those pieces of software are from the good old US of A!

[ashwken]

Originally posted by StephenUK
It just seems to me that it would be even simpler if "Alt Z" was made to work in the explorer pane as well as the notes pane. The problem doesn't arise enough for any complicated solution to be worthwhile (and I must admist to being somewhat stretched technically in that regard).

Uhmmm, been playing around with this Alt-Z thing a bit more.

If, you create an Item which has a Form assigned and that Form has the Item Title Atrribute present on the Form, then Alt-Z will insert it's value when invoked anywhere in the text string that you are typing for Item Title (on the Form).

This appears to only work on the Form and not in the IA Pane (Ctrl-4).

Regarding the text editing feature - I remember the same capability from PC-Write, or maybe it was SideKick which took a lot it's editing functions from Wordstar - yes, it was very useful.

[armsys]

Hi StephenUK,
Thanks for sharing your thought with us.
With regard to "Delete Line," Ctrl+Y was conceieved in around 1978. It was a common DOS keyboard shortcut.
If you didn't mention it, I wasn't even aware of the complete Oblivion of Ctrl+Y being used as "Delete Line" in Windows. Under the influence of our Big Brother, now Ctrl+Y is widely designated as "Redo."
Programmatically, it involves a few lines of code calling a method to delete the selected line.
Having said, for a large chunk of text, usually I prefer to edit it with Word, of which I can write some macros to automate the process.
Just my 2 cents.
Armstrong

[StephenUK]

Armsys

I'm not really making a case for use of Ctrl-Y as such. Any keyboard shorcut would do.

All I say is that for me a shortcut command that will delete a line, (and which can also be used to delete several lines by keeping the key combination depressed as the lines disappear), is incredibly useful.

I agree that for a really large document it perhaps makes sense to go into a wordprocessor.

I'm more talking small chunks of text, such as addresses and the like, which I capture but which have superfluous text to be pruned.

A delete line command ought to be a fairly standard keyboard shortcut and it would be so easy for Kinook to include it. I can't see much downside.

[kinook]

In UR v4, Ctrl+X (cut) in the text editor deletes the current line. Ctrl+Y or another shortcut could also be assigned to the Edit | Cut command at Tools | Customize | Keyboard.