SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

[J-Mac]

I'm curious: Is the new portable version taking the place of the regular installed version? I see that 0.9.23.7i is the latest version but it is only available as a portable version, while 0.9.23.6 is the latest version available with an installer package. Are there new improvements, features, bug fixes, etc. available ONLY in the portable version? Are you abandoning the installer version?

-J-Mac (October 06, 2008, 12:47 AM)

Technically, there is only 1 version. One is distributed as a zip of all files (portable), the second is through an installer. The 2 are identical with 1 distinction: the portable does not (yet) associate the .sndb extension with SQLNotes.

The 2 distributions will be maintained. Lack of time is the only reason why I've neglected the installer. I'll fix it this week.

-PPLandry (October 06, 2008, 06:21 AM)

Pierre,

Either you didn't manage to update the installer version to match the portable, or else I simply cannot find it.

Barring that, how do I install the portable version semi-permanently? And not lose my current data? Finally, must I uninstall 9.23.6 - the current installer version, before installing the portable version?

Thanks!

Jim

[tomos]

Barring that, how do I install the portable version semi-permanently? And not lose my current data?

-J-Mac (October 17, 2008, 02:00 AM)

data or settings ? (or both?)
Data is all in the file

from the "other" forum

PPL wrote
If you want to use the portable and retain your settings

   1. Copy it anywhere (I recommend against Program Files since the OS may protect it)
   2. Start it (default user or set your own user)
   3. Close it
   4. To get your previous settings:
         1. Copy files from c:\docs & settings\UserName\SQLNotes\user.vb to PortableFolder\Users\UserName
         2. Copy files from c:\docs & settings\All Users\SQLNotes\user.vb to PortableFolder\AppData\UserName

-http://sqlnotes.net/Forums/tabid/54/forumid/18/threadid/4710/scope/posts/Default.aspx

I ended up taking the oppurtunity to start from scratch settings-wise
Once it's setup as I want it, I just copy updates into the "install" folder - (making a dated copy of contents first). Settings are retained.

[J-Mac]

Hi Tom!

Barring that, how do I install the portable version semi-permanently? And not lose my current data?

-J-Mac (October 17, 2008, 02:00 AM)

data or settings ? (or both?)
Data is all in the file

-tomos (October 17, 2008, 02:25 AM)

I meant data, but settings will help too! (In the meantime, I did see the post you quoted over in Pierre's forum!)

I ended up taking the oppurtunity to start from scratch settings-wise

Once it's setup as I want it, I just copy updates into the "install" folder - (making a dated copy of contents first). Settings are retained.

-tomos (October 17, 2008, 02:25 AM)

You mean that you replaced the contents of your previously installed version with the contents of the Portable download?

Thanks!

Jim

[J-Mac]

Tom,

Also, did you uninstall the installer version first? Or just replace the contents of the Program Files folder?

Thanks again,

Jim

[tomos]

You mean that you replaced the contents of your previously installed version with the contents of the Portable download?

-J-Mac (October 17, 2008, 02:36 AM)

No no!
hi Jim

actually I simply deserted the installed version
I have all portable apps on a different drive so I put the portable version in there
Then

Once it's setup as I want it, I just copy updates into the "install" folder - (making a dated copy of contents first). Settings are retained.

I think I confused you with the "install" word there

So basically:

~ uzip somewhere you happy with
~ create shortcut
~ before updating, copy contents (in case) or just the files Pierre mentions in quote above(they from the installed version )
~ update by copying contents of update into folder where the exe file is

hope that's clearer now!


edit/ added quote at the top - corrections

[J-Mac]

Well there are still a heck of a lot of settings and files in my installer version that won't be retained then.

I'm going to wait for Pierre to see what the heck is supposed to be where. Darn, if he is having us replace versions he needs to tell us a little more clearly just how to do it.

Thanks!

Jim

[Paul Keith]

Hello, I've read up to page 7 of this topic and I've played around with the basketball example, I just have to ask, was I mistaken in assuming that this was one of those tree-based outlining notetakers as opposed to a much more purer database where you collect your entries that compose of only a few sentences because I  was looking for the former functionality and I keep searching but besides the HTML pane, it doesn't seem like this is something that supports an essay length article. Even the help files were composed of at most a few paragraphs.

[superboyac]

Hello, I've read up to page 7 of this topic and I've played around with the basketball example, I just have to ask, was I mistaken in assuming that this was one of those tree-based outlining notetakers

-Paul Keith (October 18, 2008, 01:28 AM)

I'm pretty sure SQLNotes can do anything a tree-based outliner or notetaker can do.  You just have to understand what's going on.

as opposed to a much more purer database where you collect your entries that compose of only a few sentences

I don't understand what you're saying here.  Please clarify.  I don't understand where the number of sentences or length of text in general is limited/restricted in SN.  You have to explain this.

I'll make a guess:  If you're trying to use it as a notetaker as I understand it, then yes, SN will do everything you need it to do.  You know, perhaps you're confused by the layout of the program.  Maybe the html is hidden or not on the right side as it would be in most notetakers (Pierre, I think I wrote a while back that if the html is not docked on the right by default, it may cause confusion).  Anyway, look at the screenshot below which is my layout.  I use it primarily as a notetaker:
SQLNotes...what is it exactly?
I would say that is essay length, right?

[tomos]

I think you'll definitely have to clarify this one Paul

one of those tree-based outlining notetakers

Re notetaking:

but besides the HTML pane, it doesn't seem like this is something that supports an essay length article. Even the help files were composed of at most a few paragraphs.

-Paul Keith (October 18, 2008, 01:28 AM)

hmmm,
as Superboyac says, essay length articles go in the html pane -
there is a field/column which indicates if the item has html ("ItemHasHTML")
The grid then, where your items are, can show lots of information, in the manner of excel table (or of database I presume - I've never worked with any other database programmes)

In that sense it might not be ideal for notetaking [writing] [edit: I was thinking along the lines of creative writing here when I wrote that] - I havent really used it that way so cant say either way. [I do use it for webcapture]
But for essay length stuff it would seem okay
what had you in mind when you say "besides the HTML pane" ? (which prpbably brings me back to first request above)

[edits in square brackets]

[Paul Keith]

Thanks for the screenshot. Yeah, I thought it couldn't do that since I didn't see any screenshots of that anywhere.

The thing that confused was that besides the HTML pane, I couldn't see a large area where you could input in lots of text like your stereotypical program where the blank space is shown and clicking on most of the entries resulted in editing the entries on it like a spreadsheet rather than opening a pane for reading.

Well, I better go back to reading this forum topic. Thanks for the help.

[Dormouse]

I'm pretty sure SQLNotes can do anything a tree-based outliner or notetaker can do.  You just have to understand what's going on.

-superboyac (October 18, 2008, 03:00 AM)

Well, yes and no, I think.

It may well have most of the available functions, but the essence of most outliners/notetakers is the way they work. If you find one that works well for you it is the combination of necessary functions and being intuitive that does it. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that SQLnotes was intuitive for them; all the emphasis has been on how good it is when you have spent time learning how to make the most of it.

[PPLandry]

I'll agree that the UI needs cleanup (that's part of my job) and that the concept is AFAICT unique, but conceptually it is NOT complicated:

1- Items are the basic unit of information
2- Each item can have any number of field values
3- Those field values can be text (any length), date, numbers and yes/no [edit]Checking a Yes/No is like putting an item in a folder. In the Properties pane, double-click the folder to see its content [/edit]
4- There are system fields (item text, Appointment date, etc) and user-defined ones
5- One such system field is ItemHTML. It has its own editor, word-processor-like
6- Field values can be displayed as columns in an Excel-like grid and as rows in the properties pane (more ways to come)
7- Items can be organized in hierarchy, supporting multiple parents
8- Items are displayed in a tree-view (more views to come: Calendar, Mindmap, etc)
9- Everything is saved in a multi-user database (JET for now, others to come)
10- Items and values live in the database, not is a view (consequences of this: (1) some items may not be displayed anywhere and (2) can be displayed in many places)
11- Other applications can access the data using ODBC connectivity (each grid with its displayed columns is accessible)

[superboyac]

Ha, Pierre!  No offense, but I think I would have to agree that SN is a little more complex than most people can stomach...at least from first impressions.  You're right, a lot of it is just the UI.

Pierre, I think one of the things you will eventually have to do is fool or trick new users into seeing a very simple program.  And much of that depends on what they first see when they open the program.  I suggest you make it look like a simple notetaker.  Tree on the left, html pane on the right, most everything else hidden until people go looking for it.  And have only the simple notetaking buttons shown on the toolbar, like new note, new subnote, move left-right, etc.  That way, people will be tricked into thinking it's a simple tree outliner and not get so flustered right from the start.

This has nothing to do with how the program works, or what it can do, or what's happening under the hood.  This is psychology.

[J-Mac]

Pierre,

I am probably the best example of a "regular" user who has intermediate tech knowledge and skills but who is more accustomed to applications that have a UI that employs more of an intuitive workflow. SQLNotes (or InfoQube, as it is or will soon be called) can do more than any of the other programs I have that can ne classified as "information collection" applications. But it is not initially easy to see exactly what it can do.

Which is not to say that I am not working hard at discovering and figuring out just what I can do with it, and how to do those things. But the documentation is still quite scattered, leaving the only real way to learn how to use SQLNotes as trying a lot of different things and reading the forum here and at your web site. (Which, BTW, still hangs quite often in your forum - though the Wiki is coming along very nicely!)

Even a good, clear description of exactly what SQLNotes IS and DOES would go a long way in getting folks interested in it. Currently when people ask about SQLNotes, I see a lot of, "Well, it can do this and that and a whole lot of other things that normally would require a lot of different software!". But it isn't commonly described in clear terms as to what type of software it actually is, and what its intended - and optimal - uses are.

IMO, SQLNotes is really a very good, clean database application for collection, manipulation, and display of, well, almost any kind of information that one would want collected in one place. And the seemingly infinite manners in which that information can then be displayed it probably its best feature: Grids, lists, notes, calendar entries, journal, Gantt charts, tables, etc., etc. The possibilities seem endless! But discovering exactly how to get your information into these various display modes is the toughest part for me.

I probably ask enough questions of you and other users to be pretty darned annoying - at least to those who are already fairly adept at using SQLNotes, or who have experience with Ecco! But I have a feeling that what you see with me is more representative of how so-called "normal", everyday users see SQLNotes. It definitely takes some fortitude to stick with it and find out how it can work. If it was just having to decipher a manual and put that into practice, that is tough enough for a lot of users. But with SQLNotes there isn't really a manual! So users must dig in and use trial and error (lots and lots of error!), and then browse around at your web site, wiki, forum, and anywhere else that might have some Ecco information.

All in all, though, I believe that it is eminently worth one's while to work at it, because ultimately I will be able to do more with SQLNotes than most other software applications on my computer!

Jim

[Dormouse]

I agree with a lot of what J-Mac and Superboyac said.

I was going to add my bit and I thought I'd have another look at the interface. I like all the settings/preferences in one place. I like to choose what buttons I have visible. With a new program I often have all the toolbars and buttons visible so that I amreminded of what might be possible. Having done that, I thought I'd look at the calendar. Clicked on one of the calendar buttons and the prog crashed. When I restarted the setting I had changed had reverted. Pressed a different calendar option and it crashed again. Presumably it's because it isn't really a calendar, just a filter for dated entries. Or that there were no entries. Or that no database was opened or set up. I'm sure I can figure it out (given sufficient incentive anyway - I do tend to use software that seems to fit comfortably from the beginning). But still not a good start. I do like the fact that it is portable though.

Having a clear idea of use or uses is important.
As is having a clear idea of how it works.
I agree it is easier for people to start a simple they understand and work towards greater complexity. But different people might want different simples. Could just present a number of pre-designed startup modes - notetaking, outliner, calendar, tasklist, information store, email client, file/image explorer, accounts etc. With options to set the layout for as many of these modes as wanted to be opened at once. The advantage of such an approach is that most people have a clear idea of what these modes do, and that appropriate buttons/menus would be available and visible in them. Once they are hooked many will gradually realise that they can see it better as a single database with many filters and windows; and those that don't can carry on using it regardless.

[PPLandry]

Clicked on one of the calendar buttons and the prog crashed.

-Dormouse (October 18, 2008, 05:42 PM)

Calendar buttons (=DateFilter toolbar) with no file open=crash: You are right   

Thanks for finding that one. I'll fix it on monday

[Armando]

I wish I had the time to participate in that conversation about one of my all time favorite software... (still in beta, BTW)

Just wanted to say that someone erased the "getting started" part of the wiki... 

[PPLandry]

Just wanted to say that someone erased the "getting started" part of the wiki... 

-Armando (October 18, 2008, 06:42 PM)

Thanks Armando. I restored it. Must have been a mistake...

[J-Mac]

I wish I had the time to participate in that conversation about one of my all time favorite software... (still in beta, BTW)

Just wanted to say that someone erased the "getting started" part of the wiki... 

-Armando (October 18, 2008, 06:42 PM)

I noticed that the other day! I figured that someone was editing, or actually rewriting, that section. You mean that it wasn't supposed to be blank for now?

I believe that in wikis, a person would have to be signed in to edit, and that should be available in the activity log -- that is, if you're looking to shoot someone!! 

Jim

[Paul Keith]

Ha, Pierre!  No offense, but I think I would have to agree that SN is a little more complex than most people can stomach...at least from first impressions.  You're right, a lot of it is just the UI.

Pierre, I think one of the things you will eventually have to do is fool or trick new users into seeing a very simple program.  And much of that depends on what they first see when they open the program.  I suggest you make it look like a simple notetaker.  Tree on the left, html pane on the right, most everything else hidden until people go looking for it.  And have only the simple notetaking buttons shown on the toolbar, like new note, new subnote, move left-right, etc.  That way, people will be tricked into thinking it's a simple tree outliner and not get so flustered right from the start.

This has nothing to do with how the program works, or what it can do, or what's happening under the hood.  This is psychology.

-superboyac (October 18, 2008, 03:02 PM)

I'm not sure this is such a good idea. I mean if you turn it into a simple tree outliner at first impression, doesn't it just look like a simple tree outliner in a crowd of simple tree outliners where the masses have adapted to OneNote? (Another program I don't get.)

I'm now in page 15 with the conversation about the JazzSheet guide and I have to ask: Do I need to learn how to use Excel and Access in order to understand InfoQube?

The thing that's worrying me is that it seems the thing that made superboyac eventually adapt and use it is his understanding of calculations using spreadsheets.

[PPLandry]

re wiki:

It is silly to voluntary erase wiki content, as it can always be restored. I get an email anytime someone makes a change (that one slipped through the cracks somehow), so that is why I do not require logging in to make changes.

[PPLandry]

I'm now in page 15 with the conversation about the JazzSheet guide and I have to ask: Do I need to learn how to use Excel and Access in order to understand InfoQube?

The thing that's worrying me is that it seems the thing that made superboyac eventually adapt and use it is his understanding of calculations using spreadsheets.

-Paul Keith (October 18, 2008, 07:02 PM)

No knowledge of Excel or Access is required. IQ can be used for regular notetaking (i.e. text). But it can also be used to store/manage numbers in a way similar to those programs.

[Paul Keith]

That's my worry PPLandry, in terms of notetaking, if I just need it for this purpose wouldn't I be better off settling for one that just does this without the learning curve because using it like this would just deprive me of the benefits of InfoQube's true capabilities while adding complexity to my notetaking usage without the rewards of having fully explored the program?

Maybe I should rephrase my question. Are knowledge of Excel and Access required to fully unlock InfoQube's capabilities for notetaking or I can skip both of those programs and InfoQube would be able to guide me towards that goal regardless?

I also forgot to add that maybe what InfoQube lacks in simplifying the user interface is search commands aliases like in the MS Office plug-in referred to elsewhere in DC.

http://www.officelab...s/Pages/default.aspx

I notice that when I was using the latest version while following the instructions found in the basketball guide, some words were different. It didn't bother me much but I think it could be used to easier grasp InfoQube's instruction. There are things in the interface that would confuse an average user.

For ex. I know what a Grid is but without documentation and a background for these type of applications, I wouldn't grasp why view -> grid is not in grid. Now maybe it can be easier to use this way but I could imagine wracking my mind whether I would need to go to view or to grid.

[PPLandry]

Maybe I should rephrase my question. Are knowledge of Excel and Access required to fully unlock InfoQube's capabilities for notetaking or I can skip both of those programs and InfoQube would be able to guide me towards that goal regardless?

-Paul Keith (October 18, 2008, 07:28 PM)

The concept of "fully unlock IQ's capabilities" is not really relevant as this is not really defined. As superboyac said: you can make it do what you want, as simple or as complex.

Consider VBScript support... you can use it, it is an advanced feature. Excel also has VBScript, very few Excel users actually use it, and many experienced Excel users never coded a single line of VB.

Example an advanced use: I use IQ to manage IQ donations and licenses. Using VBScript, I can generate the 20chr license key from the User name and an ID, store it with the contact. IQ can then send out an email with that info, plus the details of the donation (with a big thanks and a BCC to me for my records). The pivot table is used to calculate revenues per month/year. Now you don't need to use all these advanced features (IQ here does what would be done in Access otherwise)

[edit] Example of a simple use: I also use it to grap copies of web pages, for reference. Win-N, paste some content OR paste link to copy the whole page. Sometimes, I assign the clipping to a particular project, sometimes not (knowing that live-search or the Journal will allow me to find it quickly)
[/edit]

>if I just need it for this purpose wouldn't I be better off settling for one that just does this without the learning curve

Yes and no. Many people evolve from plain notetaking to PIM features. You may want to add tasks for yourself, link your notetaking to projects, to contacts. Adding tags to items to organize them, do brainstorming, etc. So starting with something expandable allows you to grow as your needs grow. As you get familiar with IQ, you'll most likely start using it for new things.

[Paul Keith]

Well, I still can't grasp the concept but I'll try to persevere.

Btw is there a place where you can change the shortcuts? It doesn't seem to work for me.

Win-N opens up network connections and Ctrl-Alt-N outside of SQLNotes doesn't seem to work. It also goes against Opera's shortcuts.