Messages

676

General Software Discussion / Re: Managing projects with OUTLOOK

« on: October 21, 2007, 05:04 PM »

I think that SQLNotes will also be a very interesting option when it's ready. (I wonder when will the first release candidate be launched though. Maybe not that soon.)

I'm going at it step by step. Expected release is first quarter 2008. Exact feature list in the first release is not finalized. Make your preferences known.

Have you seen the Gantt chart integrated?
https://www.donation...x.php?topic=9827.200

For a different application, but it gives a good idea.

677

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: October 21, 2007, 01:43 PM »

1 haven't seen such strong feelings about software in quite awhile.

The Ecco die hard fans are also very... emotional... about their precious software. Just take a look at the http://tech.groups.y....com/group/ecco_pro/ in recent days. Everytime SQLNotes is mentioned there, some seem ready to take up arms and go to war!

678

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 19, 2007, 05:56 PM »

In the current version, it is a bit too easy to erase content  I'll add confirmations.

You can download the sample database from the www.sqlnotes.net or read the same info on the SQLNotes web site.

You can also, put it back in by simply drag-dropping the web-site content to the HTML editing pane. That's how it was created in the first place!

679

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 19, 2007, 04:22 PM »

>In some kind of pivot table (or something similar), a chart will rank the players from the highest winning percentage to the lowest

Yes the built-in pivot table in sQLNotes can be used to display it that way

>a display will show the stats from their last 10 days

No problem. Simply set the grid filter to date > now -10 and it will filter out older data.

>Basically, in the form, the player would choose their name from the list

I'd thought that you would've preferred to have separate columns for each player. That way, the top item show the summary. If you want it the way you described, it is even simpler. Create a text field PlayerName, a number field GamesWon, and use a date. Then, you can use the SQLNotes pivot table to view the result and will be able to order by ranking.

680

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 18, 2007, 11:01 PM »

Pierre, don't forget to tell us when the next beta is out... I want to try the calendar, recurrence capabilities, alarm, gantt charting, etc. 

(I just saw you answered my post at the SQLnotes forum -- I wasn't notified, for some reason. Thanks!)

-Armando (October 18, 2007, 10:58 PM)

Will do for sure!. Current forum software does not do notification  . New version is out which does, so I'll upgrade when I have some free time.

681

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 18, 2007, 08:27 PM »

I did a sample for you (I can send it or put in on the sqlnotes web site if you want). It took me a approx. 20 minutes. It was fun!

Here is a screenshot


Clicking Basketball automatically fills in Date. I used a user-defined function to fill-in the BestPlayer field

682

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 18, 2007, 01:43 PM »

Actually, I was unable to use the program because it kept crashing.  I'll ask about this more later.

-superboyac (October 18, 2007, 11:35 AM)

Did you try to use a different theme than Office 2007?

683

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 18, 2007, 11:25 AM »

OK, here's a specific example I'm interested.  Here at work, a group of us play basketball at lunch.  I wanted to start keeping track of the wins/losses of each person to see who has the highest winning percentage.  I started a database in Access, but it became too much work for something as trivial as basketball, so I'm wondering if SQLnotes can do it easier.  I don't know Access so it was difficult creating an input form and to show summary statistics without spending too much time in it.

-superboyac (October 18, 2007, 10:39 AM)

There are many ways to do this. Assuming you want to use your SQLNotes database to put all sorts of things you could:
- Create a number field for each player (view>manage fields, name=player name, type=number). In the Hierarchy operations set Parent=sum (of children). This will do the totalling.
- Create a new grid (or reuse an existing one) and add each player field (right-click on the column or drag-drop from the properties pane). Include a date field also.
- Add an item in the grid: Lunch Basketball
- Add a sub-item for each game. Enter the date in the "date' field and for each player that won, put 1 in the corresponding cell (if in the player field, you set the default value to 1, you'll be able to fill the cell on a double-click).
- You'll see that the parent item (lunch Basketball) will total the winnings of each player.

I can think of at least 4 other ways to do it, but this is a good one.

p.s. If you want to be fancy, you can set-up a user-defined function to show the name of the player(s) with the most winnings in a separate text field.
p.p.s. If you have this SQLNotes database on your work-place network, you can give access to the players so they see this information, using nothing else than Excel. Otherwise with 2-click you can generate an HTML page with the results and post it somewhere.

[edit] p.p.p.s If you want to be real fancy, you could put in the HTML pane for the lunch basketball item, rich text summarizing this activity and for each game item, comments, pictures, etc.

684

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 18, 2007, 11:09 AM »

This thing keeps crashing on me...I try to pin the html window so it doesn't auto-hide, and when I try to work, the program crashes.

-superboyac (October 18, 2007, 10:44 AM)

Make sure you don't enable the Office 2007 theme. Current version has a bug with this feature. Tools>Theme>Office 2003. It is fixed in the coming version.

685

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 18, 2007, 10:21 AM »

One more question, for us non-programmer types, how would I take advantage of the calculation and database-like features of this program?  When would I be organizing my information (notes, webclips, addressbook contacts, etc.) and think, "hmm, I need to make this calculation"?

-superboyac (October 18, 2007, 10:11 AM)

I work as a consultant. So I use it for billing purposes. It can calculate the hrs worked from the start-top times and the HrNonWorked. Circular equations are legal in SQLNotes (unlike Excel), so I have the choice of entering EndTime or Duration.

In a list of tasks, I calculate an Urgency flag based on the priority, required date and current date (actually, I also include %Done and ExpectedDuration in the equation). Then I can set the item back color based on the Urgency figure. Items in Red require immediate attention for example, Yellow for less urgent ones. The equation is automatically re-evaluated so tasks will automatically change from Yellow to Red as required!

If you want to enter car information (km, litres), it can calculate consumption.
Equations are also used to handle text. You can use it to extract phone numbers, web and email address, etc.

686

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 18, 2007, 08:26 AM »

Looks intimidating for a person w/ simple needs like me.

-sri (October 18, 2007, 07:11 AM)

Yes there are advanced features, but the basic setup is an Excel-style grid (with outlining features) and an optional rich text editing pane with standard editing features (font, bullets, images, links, tables). Each item in the outliner can have a separate text content.

As such, it is basically the same as any other 2-pane outliner.

Many users with no database experience (typical 1-800 infoline support  - CRM personel) have used it and rapidly felt confortable. Give it a try if you want!

687

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: October 17, 2007, 08:59 PM »

For those interested, a thread was started discussing SQLNotes (referenced earlier in this thread):

https://www.donation...32.msg81450#msg81450

688

General Software Discussion / Re: SQLNotes...what is it exactly?

« on: October 17, 2007, 06:37 PM »

I'm the designer of SQLNotes (code name) so I'll gladly answer. I've been meaning to start a SQLNotes thread, so thanks to you superboyac !

The ideal information management app must be an excellent outliner with multiple parents support (when required), an excellent linker (i.e. like the web), an excellent tagger, an excellent editor supporting rich text editing in the outline AND in a second rich text window, support flat and tree-structured display with or without a data grid, usable as a flexible database supporting user-defined fields, calculations (both equations and user-defined functions), reporting and an have excellent search engine. Finally, it needs to have a customizable UI, support drag-drop and have links to all other major apps. Idealy, it should be able to pull information from external sources as well.

IMO, ALL these features are required to adequately organize all kinds of information (not just a specific kind of information), and this for just about any user.

Ecco is/was an excellent outliner+data grid, but had no item to item linker, and forced structured tree representation, which may or may not suit the specific information or the way a particular person wants to work/organize its information. It had rich text outlines and customizable UI but for the rest, the above features were not great or not there at all. Specifically, it does not have an editing pane (i.e 2nd pane).

As for 2 panes outliners, zillions of them, they lack the data grid to enter useful data in the outline so they are mainly good at text editing (i.e. reducing the number of word processor files). When the outline only represents text, a grid is not necessary, but when numbers, categories, notes, etc are required, a grid and a properties pane is a must. None can perform calculations (neither row nor column calculations) and data analysis.

Finally, no other product I know makes its data available to other apps. SQLNotes data is accessible to all Office apps and other suites (through ODBC links). No one want his or her information locked in a program. Exporting is just not enough nowadays.

SQLNotes has ALL of the above features.

SQLNotes development started 4 years ago. As a flexible database/ouliner/grid it is being used by a number of companies for more than 3 years. It is now in beta tests as a PIM (actually closer to alpha stage). It takes the best of Ecco, and improves upon it, taking the concept much further.

The current beta available at www.sqlnotes.net is very stable. You are all welcomed to download a free copy.

689

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: October 17, 2007, 04:20 PM »

If they would "talk" to us more, like that [above quote], we could be more understanding and assist them with more meaningful attitudes.

I think that Sally and I are more than willing to talk to non-programmers!

I personnally do not share her point of view on using off-the-shelf components. I think that if you choose your components wisely, you tap into the work of others to come up with a product which would not be possible otherwise. Wanting to re-invent the world is something that, I as a programmer, am not interested in doing. Of course that means dealing with some component bugs, finding work-arounds, putting pressure on the manufacturer to fix more important issues. But the end-result can be quite impressive. I think that SQLNotes is a good example of the combination of just the right components to come up with a truly unique product.

I've just completed a proposal for a vehicle fleet management software using SQLNotes (see image below), others use it for CRM, others as a PIM. Such flexibility comes from the unique design AND the components features that were chosen.

690

General Software Discussion / Re: Managing projects with OUTLOOK

« on: October 10, 2007, 04:11 PM »

>Yes, not easy to find good (and cheap) project management solutions for Outlook!

Armando, you may have read that full-featured project management is coming soon to SQLNotes in the form of an advanced Gantt chart. Other may not know, and so I wanted to mention this.

Combined with Ecco-style outliner/grid and an Outlook-linked calendar, you have quite the project management tool.

The calendar is expected in 2 weeks and the Gantt another 2 weeks after that.

p.s. Just got your first comments on the SQLNotes forum. Thanks! I'll reply within a few days (busy also on other work)

691

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: October 05, 2007, 07:29 PM »

>What is it...???

Vizacc, for those that don't know, make an excellent free software called HelpMaker. Great for creating hlp and html help files. It is basically a specialized 2-pane outliner. http://www.vizacc.com/. Sally seems to be the brain behind this project which is actively being developped.

As for myself, I develop SQLNotes which is a general purpose information manager. It supports both single-pane oulining with columns (as Ecco Pro) and 2-pane with a rich text editing pane (Ultra Recall, MyInfo, and zillions others). Many many other features. Far too many to enumerate here (calculation, filtering, advanced search, pivot tables and charts, web clippings, auto-assign, Office links ...) It is actively developped, so visit www.sqlnotes.net to have your voice heard. Do-Organizer users input is particularly welcome. Please come to download a free copy and influence its evolution!

692

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: September 21, 2007, 09:51 AM »

Romanian has two characters that are correctly displayed only with Unicode. These are U0218 (S with comma below) and U021A (T with comma below), both being part of the Unicode Latin Extended-B subset.

I can't find the Latin Extended-B subset. Can you direct me?

Otherwise, I can insert any character (using Character Map), be it ansi, arabic, Cyrillic, Armenian, Hebrew, Arabic in the HTML Editing pane (Press F12 to display it if it isn't). You must first select your font, using the font menu ( I used Arial Unicode MS) . So I believe (with the little knowledge I have of Unicode), that it is working fine.

693

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: September 21, 2007, 07:34 AM »

One of the biggest problems with this kind of software is the lack of Unicode support. Only NoteCase, EverNote, myBase, CyberArticle and IdeaMason support Unicode right now.

-muntealb (September 21, 2007, 03:06 AM)

SQLNotes currently supports Unicode in the rich text pane (aka second pane which acts like a HTML word processor/browser). Unicode support in the outliner/grid is also available on demand, and will be available to the general public in a few weeks.

694

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: September 20, 2007, 03:03 PM »

Yes it did [install correctly]!
I didn't have enough time to get familiar with SQLNotes to make intelligent comments about it, but I will...
Probably during the weekend!
Let's just say that I'm impressed with what I saw. I'm eager to see the calendar functionnality when it's integrated.

Thanks for joining the discussion PPLandry! (and... my last post -- #661 --was supposed to be posted in the other thread... a mistake.  But not all that bad, after all...)

-Armando (September 20, 2007, 02:12 PM)

Call me Pierre (ou Pierre Paul pour les français...)

695

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« on: September 20, 2007, 01:26 PM »

...a very good sign. 


Quote from: PPLandry on September 19, 2007, 09:03:51 PM
Plus unlike just about all other 'innovative software' the SQLNotes data is not locked up in some proprietary format. It now uses JET and could use another (SQLServer, mySQL, SQLite, SQLServer Express) eventually. So if dev. stops (it won't happen, but let us suppose), all your data is completely accessible.


Now, this is very positive.

Thanks! Ecco died when MS bundled Outlook into Office because some of the functionality of Ecco (the workgroup aspects) was now available for free and because corporate guys, having to choose between MS and Ecco would/will always choose MS. But Outlook is not Ecco, and all the outlining features, flexible database, etc died with Ecco, having no replacement.

SQLNotes fits in perfectly in that spot left open by Ecco dying away. None of the MS products handle that niche at all. So SQLNotes works in synergy with MS Office (or other office products to a certain extent). Excel can read SQLNotes grid views, Word can mail-merge SQLNotes data, Outlook can generate personnalized e-mails from SQLNotes, Access can view/use SQLNotes data and generate sophiticated reports, and drag-drop works between Office apps and SQLNotes.

But SQLNotes is not an Office add-on. It has many, many features all of it's own, including row and column calculations, pivot tables, charts, HTML Editor/browser, Import/Export, e-mail generation and Mail-merge, just to name a few.

Armando, I see that you've downloaded SQLNotes. Did it install correctly? Were you able to explore its features? Version 0.9.16 will be out in a few days, fixing bugs and improving many aspects, including outline fonts and charts

696

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: September 19, 2007, 09:03 PM »

Now, SQLNotes might become an interesting alternative... Only time will tell!

-Armando (September 19, 2007, 06:33 PM)

I started the SQLNotes project 4 years ago and am very committed to it. It has been in production for 2 years, with various levels of functionality, at a number of my customers facilities. The recent opening to the general public, in June 2007, has resulted in 260+ users trying it out and great feedback, which I'll use to add feature and do fine-tuning.

It is the information manager that I use for the last 2 years (replacing Ecco), for note-taking, time-management, contact-management, billing, todo-lists and so features have and will be added, in part, because I need them for my own information management!

Plus unlike just about all other 'innovative software' the SQLNotes data is not locked up in some proprietary format. It now uses JET and could use another (SQLServer, mySQL, SQLite, SQLServer Express) eventually. So if dev. stops (it won't happen, but let us suppose), all your data is completely accessible.

697

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: September 17, 2007, 11:09 PM »

>I’ve seen that SQLnotes doesn’t sync directly with palm devices (like many other PIM/organizers — apart from Outlook, Info Select , EssentialPIM pro, Lotus Organizer and a few others, some dead…).

It is definitely planned (Palm, PocketPC, etc.):

1- Perhaps as an add-on tool. An COM/ActiveX is in the works enabling developers to directly link/manipulate SQLNotes data. The ActiveX will trigger 3rd party dev. work. This is one possible avenue.

2- The other avenue is more global and involves Web calendars (Google, AirSet, etc). These do/will support PDA/Phone sync. 2-way live sync between SQLNotes and such Web calendars would allow combined calendars (work, home, spouse, friends) to sync to your PDA/Phone/MP3 device.

698

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: September 17, 2007, 07:27 PM »

>>And welcome too, PPLandry! I know you're an Ecco expert, from the yahoo Ecco group. Hope you'll participate here too. Have you looked at the General brainstorming for Note-taking software thread?

Thanks. Yes I'm a long time Ecco user and designer of SQLNotes (code name) which takes the Ecco outline/grid concept and improves on it. Currently SQLNotes is missing some PIM aspects, but it already is a great Note-taker, 1 or 2 pane outliner with grid, and overall flexible database. Everybody is welcomed to download a free copy at www.sqlnotes.net. (and please report any problems to help clean it up.). Runs on Windows and Mac under Parallels.

I have seen and read that thread with great interest, along with the summary at https://www.donation...oteTakers1/index.php :

Great work, perhaps it could be updated with some SQLNotes info 

Pierre

699

General Software Discussion / Re: GemX - missing in action

« on: September 17, 2007, 04:12 PM »

Armando - had a quick look at SQLnotes - I liked the concept of Ecco without really seriously getting into it - once installed and run SQLnotes generated about 100 weird pop up error boxes each time I tried to access a tab! I'll give it another try maybe when they have sorted out whatever bug causes this! 

-celtichare (September 17, 2007, 03:57 PM)

Sorry to hear that the the installation was not successful. Most users report proper installation and operation. If you want, report it on the forums at www.sqlnotes.net. We should be able to fix it. We're preparing a new update and could include a quick fix.