Looking for a note taking app that can link relative paths.

[orange386]

Has anyone ever come across an outliner that can link to files in this way? Like something I can run off a cd where the links wont be broken.

I'm looking for something along the lines of Keynote NF (dual pane, tree view)... preferably a portable app. So far i've tried this and a handful of similar apps, but unfortunately there is no support for this feature anywhere, as far as I can tell. Thanks.

Oh, right.. I'm new here. hello!

[tranglos]

KeyNote has always supported relative paths somewhat in "virtual nodes", i.e. files that are linked to nodes and displayed as if they were part of the knt file. When you open a knt file, KeyNote first looks for the absolute path, and if the file can't be found, it looks for the file using a relative path.

However, note that there is no such thing as "relative path" You always have to ask "relative to what". Usually relative paths only make sense when they are under the folder you are working in. For example, assume the following:

Your knt file is in c:\myfiles.
Your linked file is in c:\myfiles\OtherStuff.

If you move your knt file elsewhere, e.g. to d:\backup, and c:\myfiles\OtherStuff no longer exists, KeyNote will try to find your file in d:\backup\OtherStuff - this is the relative path (relative to the path where the knt file is).

However, now try this:
Your knt file is in c:\myfiles.
Your linked file is in c:\NewFolder.

If you now move your knt file elsewhere, KeyNote can only try to find the file in c:\NewFolder (the original location), because there is no way to construct a relative path from the two example paths above.

The only other thing that could be attempted here would be to try other drive letters. KeyNote doesn't do that - but even if it did, it would only help in cases where you moved your knt file to a different drive. It would not help at all if the folder names changed.

[40hz]

Welcome to Donation Coder.  

One of the easiest ways to do that is with a note taking app that's based on a wiki. Such apps are generally referred to as personal wikis. Many of these apps have "portable" versions which can be copied onto a CD or USB key if that's what you want.

Take a look at Wiki on a Stick, TiddlyWiki, ZuluPad, or  WikiPad.

Links:

http://sourceforge.n.../projects/stickwiki/

http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

http://zulupad.gersic.com/

http://wikidpad.sourceforge.net/

A list and discussion of similar apps can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia....g/wiki/Personal_wiki

[orange386]

Thanks for responding so quick tranglos & 40hz. tranglos, I just tried using a virtual node, but unfortunately i'm using unsupported file types.

Specifically, what I want to do is to make relative links to .mht and .pdf files in a node (along with text info), and keep those files in folders at or below the app i'm using. This way I can move everything around to different drives/folders without breaking the links in my notes.

I've experimented with using Tiddlywiki before, but I require something with a tree pane to move/organize nodes around quickly. I've briefly looked at wikidPad, and it has a tree pane... I'll have to try and see if it does relative links. Thanks.

Edit:

wikidPad doesn't have a tree pane.. so thats not going to work.

[tomos]

orange386 have a look at IQ (InfoQube), a database programme (edit: I'm not good at describing these things - best look at the getting started or the home page links below)

relative links possible (havent tested them myself) see 8.20 Link to files and folders
portable
getting started    http://www.sqlnotes.net/drupal5/index.php?q=node/861
dual pane is possible (not default - yet!)   http://www.sqlnotes....index.php?q=node/133

there is a helpful forum - documentation and programme are now in (advanced) development
Home here:    http://www.infoqube.biz
Download is 90 day time limited full programme (still in beta), I'm not sure what a personal licence costs/will cost - near $50 I think - it may be overkill for you costwise and featurewise, but me, I dont use much else anymore

[orange386]

Thanks for the suggestion tomos, I tried it briefly, but you're right in that it seems to be overkill. I have to say it certainly has features like advertised, lol.

Anyway, I think I might have finally found something, its called MemPad.

http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=889#comments

I've been messing about with it, and so far it looks like it will solve my needs. The following is what I have gleaned from using it for a bit:

Pros:

1. ) Freeware and portable.

2. ) Minimalist look and feel.

3. )Lightweight. Task Manager shows it at 1,732k.

4. )The only two pane note taker I've found that can make relative links for the reasons in my previous posts. (Example: file:ReadMe.txt, or file:text_files\readme.txt).   

Cons:

1. ) Cant drag and drop nodes in the tree pane with the mouse.. one has to use keyboard shortcuts to move them around.

2. ) Export is limited to just .txt output. (Though it doesnt look too bad, and I can "work" with it easily enough.)

3. ) The menu bar options are quirky. For example theres no undo option listed. One has to use a keyboard shortcut to do it. (Looking through the help file, one has to use keyboard shortcuts for a lot of things, it seems.)

4. ) Making a link to a file requires me to replace all spaces in the file name with underscores. (Though this is minor because I can mass rename this through XYplorer easily.)

Features I wish it had:

1. ) Multiple notebooks support with a tab bar.

2. ) Drag and drop nodes in the tree pane with the mouse.

3. ) Export to .html tree, .csv, or a folder structure with text files in them for nodes.

4. ) An "insert file link option" instead of having to write links into the node by hand.

At this point, the downsides I've found are minor since it can do what I need it to do. If I encounter any deal breaking issues later on, I'll report back.

[rjbull]

Anyway, I think I might have finally found something, its called MemPad.
http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=889#comments
[...]
Cons:
2. ) Export is limited to just .txt output. (Though it doesnt look too bad, and I can "work" with it easily enough.)
3. ) Export to .html tree, .csv, or a folder structure with text files in them for nodes.

-orange386 (July 26, 2009, 06:05 PM)

Send the author an e-mail and ask him if he'll send you a copy of his Qhtml utility:

Qhtml receives MemPad's export, and produces a HTML page, taking care of the following jobs:

• use a HTML template where the exported text will be embedded
• handle line breaks and paragraphs
• pass HTML tags, which are required in square brackets
• handle some special tags like current date and titles

4. ) Making a link to a file requires me to replace all spaces in the file name with underscores. (Though this is minor because I can mass rename this through XYplorer easily.)

I think that's a limitation of Windows, which allows you to include spaces in file paths, and then won't honour them    Happens to me at work when trying to e-mail links to UNC files on the network.

4. ) An "insert file link option" instead of having to write links into the node by hand.

Not sure what you mean by that, but, you use XYplorer.  I've assigned Ctrl-U in XYplorer so that if the cursor is on a file, the UNC path+filename are sent to the clipboard, so you can instantly paste them into MemPad or whatever editor.  Go to Tools -> Customize Keyboard Shortcuts (Shift-F9 brings this up directly) -> Item UNC Path/Name(s), and assign your chosen hotkey.

1. ) Multiple notebooks support with a tab bar.

F7 instantly toggles between current and last-used notebooks, but you probably mean all notebooks (or a chosen set) on a tab bar.

[criss]

I don't know if Gazette (linked notes, wiki type notepad) is exactly what you are looking for, but I use it and like it very much - it's beautifull in it's simplicity (like the other software at Zeno Systems:

http://www.zenosys.c...m/gazette/index.html