Notes program that lets you assign multiple categories?

peejay · 05-11-07, 08:58 AM

I'm looking for a note-taking program that lets each note be given multiple categories rather than just one. Haven't found one yet!

This is for creative writing, so I might write a note on a particular scene, and set categories for it relating to the characters involved, the story threads involved, its position in the story and so on. All the things I've looked at only seem to let you set one category per note (eg PhatNotes) or only let you have one set of categories (eg Pocket Informant - this is a problem because I'm working on several things at once, each of which will want different sets of categories - plus I use PI to organise my life generally so have a set of categories for that purpose!)

Other things I'd like are being able to have notes with formatting (italic etc) and being able to sync with a desktop application, but these are a bit less important. I could use a full-blown database, but I don't think any of those allow formatting in memo files.

Any thoughts?

cchiang12 · 05-11-07, 09:16 AM

I'm not sure what you mean by mutli category, but PI has the ability to assign more than one cateogry to a note.

and it also has the font changing format ability on notes.
But since you already have PI, I assume you already look into this.

cravaus · 05-11-07, 12:50 PM

I think he is talking about a relational database for notes. Similar to how Outlook lets you assign multiple catagories to your contacts files. Getting a full database utility would do the trick. SprintDB Pro is what I use but it does not work with AS 4.5 (only 4.2) if you want to sync with ACCESS. Others like HanDBase. True text formatting is a problem. You can format individual fields of course but other than that you are stuck with what you got and then the actual data is not formatted at all. To get real text fomatting in your data base you need a more complex program to write a database specifically for this and that would be very expensive. NS Basic/CE would do it or Visual CE I think but you are spending close to $200 and then you have to build it (not too difficult mind you but expensive). If you write a lot and it is your living--it may be worth it.

peejay · 05-11-07, 01:25 PM

Yikes.

The funny thing is that I got the functionality that I want with some free software that came with a pocket computer I bought ten years ago - the good old Psion 5, which I only stopped using last year.

Using its database program, each record would hold a note, with one field for note title, one field for categories, and one field for the note itself. The latter allowed bold/italic formatting (and embedding of word processor documents for fancier formatting). In the categories field, I would type the relevant categories for the record, eg "Bert" or "Plot twist" or ""Subplot 1". So if I wrote a note about a scene that contained Bert engaged in a plot twist in subplot 1, the categories field would include all of those. Then there was a simple filter function, so I could quickly filter for only those records that included "Bert" or "Subplot 1" or whatever.

It seems bizarre that there isn't anything quite like this available. A database that allowed you to have formatting within a field would do it, but as you say cravaus, I don't think there are any.

Would a database program allow me to include a link to a Textmaker file if I needed to have some text with formatting in it? That might be a workaround.

AKAJohnDoe · 05-11-07, 02:11 PM

I use ListPro for this.

peejay · 05-12-07, 05:59 AM

cchiang12: I've played with PI some more, and found that it probably does do most of what I want. You can put categories into groups, so you can use different sets of categories in different contexts. And with some digging into the settings, you can stop the note-taking itself process being such a pain (ie you can tell it to default to typing rather than writing, and tell it to wrap to screen rather than window, and you can change the default zoom, etc). So I may end up using the software I already have.

AKAJohnDoe: I'd read through the ListPro documentation and thought it didn't do what I want, because each note can only have one entry. But looking again, I think I could set up a bunch of yes/no general fields for each of the categories I want. So I may investigate this one further. Thanks.

AKAJohnDoe · 05-12-07, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by peejay

AKAJohnDoe: I'd read through the ListPro documentation and thought it didn't do what I want, because each note can only have one entry. But looking again, I think I could set up a bunch of yes/no general fields for each of the categories I want. So I may investigate this one further. Thanks.

I use checkboxes.

cravaus · 05-12-07, 02:12 PM

Yes, another Psion griever. Let us lament together:

To get the word processor and spreadsheet functionality of the built in Psion and Word and Sheet programs: TextMaker and PlanMaker $69

To get the Psion built in database functionality: SprintDB Pro $32.89 (basic version or 42.89 if you want to print from your device like the built in Psion!)

To get some of the Notes Functionality of the built in Psion Notes: PhatNotes Standard $29.95 (this also gives you the universal spell checker that was included in built in Psion machines)

To print directly from the device like you could with the stock Psion: PrintPocketCE $39.95 (others like the ClearView Suite with JETCET PRINT but that is roughly the same amount of money. It is a preference thing)

To get on board programming capability some what similar to the Psion the SprintDB and HanDBase approximate this but not quite. NS Basic/CE or Visual CE does more but to even come close to Psion you need one of them (about $169)

To marginally approximate the Macro5 capability I use three macro programs: PenCommander (comes with Calligrapher for $29.95), MortScript (Free), and sScipts (part of the SKschema $9.60)

Then there is the keyboard. The only solution that moderately compares to the 5MX is the TO BT keyboard. I got mine for $69 but had to shop around.

Then there is the 13 hours of continuous battery power from two AA batteries! To match that you need two extended batteries ($15 each from Ebay)

To extend the capabilities of the calendar to be almost as flexible as that of the built in Psion you also need PI or agenda Fusion for $24.00. Still, you only get one calendar and contacts database instead of multiple calendars and contacts databases with Psion.

Oh, and then there is backing up. You need an extra program for that. Psion gave you a good one that backed up to PC at three different levels. To come close to the Psion solution you need to buy a back up program like Sprite Back up for 29.95

Add it up and you get $533.29

That is more than what I paid for the 5MX alone how about you? Of course now you have a color screen in VGA, MP3 Stereo, Wifi, and Bluetooth. That is cool. The screen is half the size of the 5MX screen, you have to carry around an extra keyboard, and the files and programs are about 4-10 times the size of those needed to run the Psion to do the same thing. No biggy. Its only money and memory. I opted not to buy the programming utilities and saved my self $169. So I was only out $364.29! Enjoy the world of M$. I feel good about supporting all those independent software developers around the world. Don’t you?