...and I'll see about making MaxLinesPerItem take effect immediately. As I said before, this requires rewriting the database, so there would be some disk crunching + delay after clicking OK in the Preferences dialog.

It may not make 1.0, but it should probably be done eventually.

Kudos!

Important search changes coming in next release

(The changes described here have now been implemented in the 0.9.3 release, Nov 27.)

Before I release the next build, I want to describe a few important changes in how Echo searches for clips. This will not be part of the documentation, but I want to put out this explanation for those who are already using the app.

My goal is to design the search so that it requires the absolute minimum typing and effort. The current design does not entirely follow this goal. Using Echo dozens of times a day, I've noticed that I hardly ever use the “wildcard” and “advanced” search modes, even though I expected them to be fun and useful. Something about them was keeping me from using these features. That something was, I think, the search modes themselves. More precisely, the requirement to switch modes and having to remember which mode was active at any given time.

My first solution was to create a “smart” mode, where Echo would detect if you have typed a boolean expression (foo AND bar) or used wildcards (foo*bar), and automatically pick the correct mode to interpret your query. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but after much trial and error, it proved to be too confusing: there are too many potential “border cases”, where Echo could make the wrong decision, or where there was no clear reason to choose one mode over another. (The last release retained a small part of that idea in the new “auto detect wildcards” option, which helped a little bit, but still added complexity to all the existing search-related settings.)

I realized I was trying to rectify the problem of “too many search modes” by adding yet another search mode Scrap that!

So I decided on another tack. The new version of Echo radically simplifies the search modes and settings, without sacrificing functionality. Here is what's about to change:

1) The “wildcards” search mode has been removed. It doesn’t exist anymore. There are only two modes now: basic and advanced.

2) The “pattern position” setting has been removed as well, because it is not needed anymore.

3) The “auto detect wildcards” setting (added in the last release) has been removed as well.

4) The “basic” mode now handles wildcards (* and ?) the way you expect. In essence it works the way the “wildcards” mode used to work: you can use wildcards anywhere in your search string.

5) If you want to search for the literal asterisk and question mark, you need to “escape them” with a backslash: “how are you\?”). Since backslash is now a special “escape” character, it needs to be escaped itself if you want to find the literal \ character. For example, to search for filenames, you should type “c:\\”, where previously “c:\” would suffice.

But help is coming! You only have to double the backslash if it is followed directly by a wildcard, or another backslash, in order to avoid ambiguity. In the above example though, if you want to search for paths, you can still type “c:\” (without doubling the backslash), and Echo will still do what you expect. All to minimize the typing! (If you are uncertain or Echo returns unexpected results, you can still double the backslash to be sure.)

Essentially, I am betting here that using wildcards happens more often than searching for the literal * and ? characters. On the other hand, since searching for the backslash might be more common, Echo tries to be smart and does not require the backslash to be doubled UNLESS it is immediately followed by a * or ? wildcard or by another backslash.

6) This redesign also lets Echo support wildcards in the “advanced” mode, which previously did not support them. Now you can use wildcards within the logical expressions too: “foo* AND *bar”

So, in short, there are now two modes instead of three, and you can use wildcards everywhere. The only option that remains is “Auto Wrap Wildcards”. It has remained the same, but let me explain what it does, because now it’s more important than before.

“Auto Wrap Wildcards” now applies to both the basic and the advanced mode. Echo assumes that most of the time you search for substrings – that is, you don’t care WHERE the text occurs inside your clips, as long as it does occur somewhere. So if you type “dog”, Echo will find “doghouse”, “boondoggle” and “lapdog”. This is achieved by automatically wrapping your search string in wildcards, so when you type “dog”, Echo actually searches for “*dog*”. But, this happens ONLY if the “Auto Wrap Wildcards” is enabled. Without this option, Echo will not add any wildcards to the search string, so you would only find clips that equal the word “dog”. (This is still useful, since you may use wildcards in the middle: “do*g” would match “doing”, or any other clip that begins with “do” and ends with “g”)

What if you want to search for clips that begin OR end with a specific string? Use the wildcards as you normally would. Even if “Auto Wrap Wildcards” is enabled, it will not add any wildcards if your search string already begins or ends with a wildcard. So, to find all clips that start with “do”, search for “do*”. To find any clips that end with “g”, search for “*g”. “Auto Wrap Wildcards” ONLY adds wildcards if your search string does not already contain them at either end. It’s auto, but smart

maybe consider recording a screencast video explanation?

"Consider it" I have I just can't bring myself to record my voice in English.**

But I guess I will, eventually.

Actually, it only begins to appear complex when you start explaining it in so many words. The search works the way most people would expect. If someone is not familiar with wildcards, they won't experience any problems. Those who are, can use them as anywhere else where wildcards are supported. The only "techie" thing here is escaping special characters with a backslash, but it's by no means required knowledge. I'm hoping to make it so it "just works", for beginner and avanced users alike.

(** And when I connect a mike, Win7 cuts off the speakers AND the headphones, so I can't listen to the recording without unplugging the mike. Who came up with *that* gem, Mr Gates?)

I just can't bring myself to record my voice in English.

If you speak English anything close to how you write English, and I bet you do, I don't think you'll have ANY problem.  You write English better than a lot of native types.  Based on your posts alone, you could EASILY be considered native English.

May I ask a few questions / make some suggestions?

1. How do I start the portable edition autominimized to tray?
I have set StartMinimized (Startup behavior) to true (and ofc quit and restarted Echo afterwards) but the main window will always appear on screen when I start it.

2. Is there a way to use the InMemoryDatabase option without populating the first clipboard entry with www.ethervane.com after each start?

3. Could you please add an option that allows us to enter a number between 0 and 9 to paste entry id 1, two, ..., 10 to the current application instead of selecting e.g. the fifth entry by going down with the cursor down key 4 times? Optionally with the shift modifier to paste them as plain text?
Ofc there should be some kind of override option so that any of these numbers doesn't trigger the search function.

Tia,
highend

I just tried this, and I think you've done a great job. But, because I can never keep my mouth shut, I'd like to offer a couple of comments.

First, the default filter for the URLs view really ought to have a second pattern added so that it also matches on secure sites. So there should be two filters: "http://" and "https://".

Second, I wish there was an option for a single keystroke to paste as text. I see that I can bring up the window, and then Shift-Enter to paste text only. But it would save me a fraction of a second if I had a direct hotkey for "paste as text" so I don't need to open the window first.

I just tried this, and I think you've done a great job. But, because I can never keep my mouth shut, I'd like to offer a couple of comments.

Always welcome!

First, the default filter for the URLs view really ought to have a second pattern added so that it also matches on secure sites. So there should be two filters: "http://" and "https://".

Sure, I can add that.

Second, I wish there was an option for a single keystroke to paste as text. I see that I can bring up the window, and then Shift-Enter to paste text only. But it would save me a fraction of a second if I had a direct hotkey for "paste as text" so I don't need to open the window first.

In any app I can (Word, mostly) I always assign a key to a macro that pastes as plain text, so I totally see how this could be useful. I think I can add this, but there's one little hitch: the shortcut will not paste the current clipboard contents, but the latest clip captured by Echo. The two are usually the same, but not always. You can copy to clipboard things that Echo does not capture: graphics, obviously, but also pieces of text that may be filtered out by Echo (too short, too long, source application is filtered out, etc). When that happens, clipboard content is not the same as Echo's latest clip.

In these cases pressing the special keypress would do something unexpected: it would paste (as text) the clip that was last captured in Echo - not the clip that was on the clipboard. And whatever was on the clipboard, uncaptured, will be gone. This *might* be a cause of much support email: "the wrong clip is pasted and my data disappeared! What happened?"

But, the advantages probably outweigh the potential problems, so I've added it to the todo list.

Let me check this. Do you use the (default) option to automatically minimize Echo when it loses focus? (This option is at Preferences -> Display -> MinimizeOnDecativate). If you do, Echo should minimize on startup regardless of StartMinimized, due to the fact that when Windows starts applications, Echo is very likely to lose focus soon after Windows has launched it.

Yes, MinimizeOnDeactivate is set to true. I'd prefer if the StartMinimized option works as expected and hides the Echo window on startup I start a lot of applications via FARR and usually don't look at the monitor while doing this (10 finger typing) and somehow Echo get's "in the way" if the first key after it's start isn't the Escape key.

Yes, that is a separate setting: Preferences -> Capturing Clips -> CatchUpOnConnect.

Ah, sorry, that's something I've missed. Turned it off and now it works fine

3.) Adding one additional modifier is a good idea and letting the user decide which modifiers does what is even better. Please include the Win-key if you're doing this.
But I still think it could be done with a "mode switch".
E.g.:
The swith could "obey" to this logic: if the first character that is pressed is a digit (while the Echo window is open) it doesn't go into the searchbox but selects the #<number> entry in the list. If it's a different character it goes directly into the searchbox. Btw, it's probably better to just select the entry instead of directly pasting it because you can use e.g. shift + enter to use the paste as plain text option once it's selected. Typing the same digit a second time (or any other character) would activate the search box as usual. I personally don't search for values inside the clipboard very often so I would activate the switch permanently. This would probably the best or at least the fastest way to select entries in the list if you don't want to use the mouse.

Regards,
highend

@tranglos:

As a long-time Ditto user I was a bit hesitating, but now I definitely switched to Echo. It's just great! You managed to add many features I was always missing from Ditto, like minimal clip length, etc. (And I don't miss storing bitmaps at all.)

However, it wouldn't be me not to point out two issues I'm missing in Echo and that are convenient in Ditto:

• Pressing the activation hotkey when Echo already has focus should (optionally) dismiss its window
• Assignable hotkeys to first 10 clips (I know it was discussed here already), I was always using Win key and a number

Thanks a lot!

As a long-time Ditto user I was a bit hesitating, but now I definitely switched to Echo. It's just great! You managed to add many features I was always missing from Ditto, like minimal clip length, etc. (And I don't miss storing bitmaps at all.)

Thanks!!

Pressing the activation hotkey when Echo already has focus should (optionally) dismiss its window

Added to the to-do list.

Assignable hotkeys to first 10 clips (I know it was discussed here already), I was always using Win key and a number

This reminds me: hotkeys or keyboard shortcuts? Hotkeys would work no matter what application you are currently using (just like the Win+Insert activation hotkey). Keyboard shortcuts would only work within Echo.

Both are possible, though registering as many as 10 system-wide hotkeys is rather greedy - I think I'd rather just do shortcuts internal to Echo.

Some more ideas for Echo (sorry if they are already included - didn't used it much yet):

-  backup database feature to a folder of user's choosing and/or make backup automatically after exiting the Echo
-  add time and date to a clip or at least make an option that Echo separates clips, stored on particular date like:

Nov. 23th
clip1
clip2
clip3

Nov 24.th
clip4
clip5

-  add option to make all clips that are harvested sticky automatically
-  blinking icon in Tray every time a clip is stored (if Connect to Clipboard is not checked or there is some error you are notified by icon blinking in red color, otherwise in green color)
-  clip counter for particular session for each View (Sticky, All Clips, etc.)