Pocket Productivity: Ideas Manager
Structured organisation of notes & ideas
Version 1.1

User Guide

Contents

Introduction

Pocket Productivity: Ideas Manager is designed to let you record and organise multiple notes, ideas and lists in a structured way backed up by an easy to use drag and drop interface and full search capability.

You could use it to:

Store and organise multiple notes in a structured way where simple lists are just not sufficient.
Define the elements of projects or to-do lists where each component is also made up of many other elements.
Catalogue your books, CD’s, DVD’s, Videos etc.
Jot down ideas and notes and relate them to other ideas or notes in context.

Pocket Productivity: Ideas Manager lets you do all of this and much more.

  • Record notes, ideas and lists in a hierarchical structure.
  • Full drag and drop interface for navigating and restructuring lists.
  • Full text search capability.
  • Database export to a csv file on the desktop computer.
  • No limits to the number of levels of the hierarchy (lists within lists).
  • No limits to the number of ideas any list can contain.
  • Each idea comprises a short description and full detail text.
  • Each idea may be viewed in a number of different ways.
  • Each list of ideas can contain ideas and/or lists of other ideas.

Getting Started

Installing the Palm OS® Application

Start the Palm Desktop and click the "Install" icon to start the Palm Install Tool. You can then click "Add..." and select the PPIdeas.prc file.

The application will be installed at the next HotSync®.

Installing the Conduit

Click on "INSTALL.BAT" in the file viewer. This will copy and install the PPIdeasConduit.dll file.

The conduit will run on a Windows computer and provide the Database Export functionality.
Macintosh users will not be able to use the database export functionality.

Should it be necessary to uninstall the conduit use "UNINSTALL.BAT".

Application Structure

The database contains ideas grouped together into lists in a hierarchical structure. That is each idea will be a member of a single list and may it self be a list or other ideas. In the above example, ideas "Item i" to "Item o" are members of "Item c" list, and "Item r" to "Item t" are members of "Idea l".

Each idea contains a Name (text up to 24 characters) and Details (text up to 255 characters).

Lists of ideas can contain other lists or individual ideas (equivalent to empty lists).

There are no limits to the number of levels of the hierarchy, or the number of ideas that can exists in a single list.

The structure can be rearranged using drag and drop features.

Screen Layout

Notebook
The notebook shows a list of ideas and each idea may be itself a list of other ideas, in which case the number of ideas in the list is shown in brackets after the idea name.
The notebook will show up to 10 ideas on the screen and the scroll bar to the right allows the viewing of the rest.

Notebook Header
Shows the name of the header idea of a list.

Idea Count
The idea count shows the number of ideas in the current list and the total number of ideas in the database.

Scroll Bar
The scroll bar becomes visible when there are more than 10 ideas in the selected list and is used to view the entire list.

Activity Frame
The activity frame is a panel with fields and button which changes depending on the activity being performed (View or Edit).

Action Buttons
While in edit mode the action buttons (from left to right) enable:
- Creating ideas, see Create a New Idea
- Updating ideas, see Update an Idea
- Deleting ideas, see Delete an Idea

Frame Switch Icons
Icons which when tapped change the activity frame:
- The eye icon switches to View Mode, to view as much text as possible
- The pencil icon switches to Edit Mode, see Entering and Maintaining Ideas

Memory Icon
Used to restructure lists by storing ideas or entire idea branches to a temporary store (dragging them to the brain icon) and later recalling them to another list (dragging them back to the notebook). See Memory Icon.

Navigating Idea Lists

Although navigating through the ideas hierarchy is the same in View Mode and Edit Mode to view as much of the details text as possible View Mode should be used.

Selecting an Idea

Tap on an idea in the notebook to select it. When selected it will be highlighted in the notebook.

The current selection can also be moved up or down the list using the Up or Down hardware keys.

Show Full Details

When in View Move a popup screen showing full idea details with scrolling buttons can be started by tapping anywhere in the activity frame.

This popup is intended to view lengthy details text maximising the text on the screen and allowing easy scrolling.

Show a List of Ideas

To navigate into a list of ideas tap on the required idea while it is selected. If it is not already selected then tap twice on the idea; the first tap will select it the second will show the list.

The menu option "Actions/Show Selected List" can also to show the currently selected idea list.

Show the Parent List

To navigate up to the parent list tap on the notebook header while the header is selected. If the header idea is not already selected then tap twice on the header; the first tap will select it and the second will show the parent list.

The menu option "Actions/Show Parent List" can also.

Show the Top Level List

To navigate up to the top-level idea list used the menu option "Actions/Show Top List".

Restructuring Idea Lists

Restructuring idea lists entails moving ideas or groups of ideas between lists or changing the order of ideas within a list.

All drag and drop actions will apply to an entire branch of the hierarchy when the idea moved is a list of other ideas.

Changing Order

To change the order of ideas in a list drag any idea to its new position. The insert point is indicated by a dotted line.

Note that the dotted line appears when the pen is at the top or bottom of another idea, if a solid rectangle is visible this indicates the selected idea will be dropped into another list. See Move an Idea into a List.

It is only possible to drag an idea within the visible ideas of the notebook. If the distance to move is longer it will often be easier to drag to the memory icon, scroll to the insert position and drag back from the memory. See Memory Icon.

Move an Idea into a List

To move an idea into a list at a lower level of the hierarchy drag the idea to the middle of the target idea. The idea list to drop into is indicated by a solid rectangle around it.

If a dotted line is shown instead of a solid rectangle the pen is not correctly in the middle (vertically) of the target idea. The dotted line indicates the insert position when moving an idea within a notebook list. See Changing Order.

Move an Idea to the Parent List

To move an idea up the hierarchy to its parent list drag the idea to the notebook header. The drop position will be indicated by a solid rectangle around the text in the notebook header.

Memory Icon

The memory will store an idea (or entire idea branch) outside any list. The idea in memory can later be replaced in any idea list or recalled to it's original list.

Use of the memory icon is a convenient way to move ideas further than a child or parent level.

Dragging an idea to the memory icon will store it in memory. It will also be removed from the list. The menu option "Actions/Store Idea" can also be used.

While the pen is at the memory icon ready for dropping it will be highlighted by a box around the icon.

Attempting to move an idea to memory that is already occupied will result in the idea in memory (after a message) being returned to its original list. If this original list no longer exists, it will instead be returned to the top-level list.

When the memory icon contains an idea it will look different (yellow or lighter) with a small box in the bottom right corner.

Dragging the memory icon to a list will insert the idea into the list and remove it from the memory. The menu option "Actions/Recall Idea" can also be used.

Entering and Maintaining Ideas

Entering or maintaining the name or details text of an idea should be performed with the activity frame in edit mode (tap the pencil frame switch icon in the activity frame header).

Actions are performed either with the action buttons at the bottom of the activity frame

or by using the "Actions" menu.

Create a New Idea

Use the insert action button to add a new idea to the current list and insert it before the currently selected idea.

If no item is selected it will be inserted at the top of the notebook.

If the Name or Details fields have been changed since selecting the last idea these will be used for the new idea otherwise it will be created with the Name as "New Idea" and the Details blank.

Update an Idea

Use the update action button to update the selected idea with the information entered in the Name and Details fields.

If no item is selected no action is taken.

The last update action can be undone using the menu. See Undo Update or Delete.

Delete an Idea

Use the delete action button to remove the currently selected idea from the database.

If the idea is an idea list (as indicated by a number after the name in the notebook) it is not possible to delete it before deleting all the ideas within the list.

If no idea is selected no action is taken.

The last delete action can be undone using the menu. See Undo Update or Delete.

Undo Update or Delete

If the update or delete button was tapped in error this can be reversed by selecting "Actions/Undo Update/Delete" from the menu.

Undoing an update will reinstate the original Name and Details and the changes to it will be lost. It is not possible to undo an undo action.

Undoing a delete action will reinstate the deleted idea at the top of its original list.

Only the last update or delete action can be undone, for example for an update followed by a delete it is only possible to undo the delete.

The updated or deleted idea will be selected after completing the undo.

Duplicate an Idea

An idea can be duplicated using the "Actions/Duplicate Idea" menu option. The duplication will create a new idea and insert it above the one being duplicated. The duplicate will have the same Name and Details text.

If the idea being duplicated is a list only the idea is duplicated, not the ideas within the list.

Idea Search

The search for ideas in the database is started using the find icon to the side of the Graffiti® writing area.

Each record in the Pocket Productivity: Ideas Manager database will be compared to the find text, checking first for a match in the Name field then for a match in the Details field.

Any matches found will be listed under the PPIdeas title, each will display the idea Name followed by a colon then the Name of the parent idea.

Tapping on the idea in the "Matches" list will display the idea with the matched text hilighted.

Preferences

The preferences dialog is reached using the "Options/Preferences..." menu option.

The application can be automatically started at the top of the hierarchy and/or in view mode.

If either checkbox is left unchecked, the application will restart at the same idea list and/or in the same mode as it was last used.

Database Export

When a HotSync® is performed the whole database is exported to a .csv file (comma separated) PPIdeasData.csv.

This will be located in the PPIdeas directory in the user directory of the Palm Desktop.
For example: 

  C:\Program Files\Palm\SmithJ\PPIdeas\PPIdeasData.csv

Export File Format

The first line contains column headers.
The next row contains details of the top level title idea.
This and subsequent lines contain 6 fields:

  • RecordID: A unique record ID number as decimal 32 bit integer
  • ParentID: The record ID of the parent list record
  • IdeaCount: The number of ideas within the list
  • Level: Level of the hierarchy, 0=top level, 1= children of the top level etc.
  • Name: Idea name text
  • Details: Idea details details

Example Export File

In the following example, there are 6 ideas in the database.

The top level list contains 4 ideas named "Item a" to "Item d"

"Item c" is a list, which contains 2 other ideas "Item c.1" and "Item c.2"

PPIdeasData.csv

    "RecordID","ParentID","IdeaCount","Level","Name","Details"
    5865473,0,4,0,"All Ideas",""
    5865483,5865473,0,1,"Item a",""
    5865484,5865473,0,1,"Item b",""
    5865485,5865473,2,1,"Item c",""
    5865487,5865485,0,2,"Item c.1","Details for number 1"
    5865488,5865485,0,2,"Item c.2",""
    5865486,5865473,0,1,"Item d",""

Technical Notes

Database Repair

Under normal circumstances you should not expect to encounter problems in the database, however should you get problems a check and repair tool has been built into the application.

Potential problems could manifest as lost ideas, unintentional duplicates, list counts inconsistent with the number of ideas in the notebook list etc.

To start the check tap on the pencil icon next to the "Ideas Manager" header while holding down the Up hardware button.

Also, under some circumstances, the application may detect potential problems and invite a repair.

The check will look at every record in the database checking for link integrity. Problems are corrected as far as is possible and a summary of the result of the check is shown at the end.

It is safe to run the check even if there are no database problems.

Compatibility

This application is designed to run on Palm OS® version 3.5 and later.

The application is designed to use 16 bit colour, 4 bit greyscale or monochrome display standards.

Backing Up

During a HotSync® the application database will be backed up as the following Palm Database File:

  • PPIdeasData.pdb

This will be located on the desktop computer in the Backup directory of the Palm Desktop.

Note that this database will be automatically restored in a HotSync® following a hard reset.

To restore a database backup after encountering problems the following sequence of steps are advisable:

  • delete both the application and data
  • restore the backup database
  • reinstall the application
  • restart the application

Support

Support from Thompson Solutions Limited
e-mail: thompsonsolutions@btinternet.com
Further details: http://www.thompsonsolutions.btinternet.co.uk
(C)Copyright Thompson Solutions Limited, 2003