Re: Re: Shadow Alterntive - Redux.

Jeff,

I sure haven't found one. And I have asked around. The beauty of Shadow is that it is simple, but it does what a writer needs in an outliner. It allows me to embed information in notes, to move and reorder, promote and demote. 

What I would need for an outliner in Windows that it doesn't have (there) is the line labeling -- so that it is easy to distinguish what level a line is at. All it has now in Windows is the check off boxes for tracking projects (also useful, but for something different). So I want something that looks like a formal outline, which of course is in the Palm version. Actually I have done outlines in the Palm version and it works beautifully. I did my master outline for plotting my novels in it with detailed notes. Now I have that in Windows, but of course without the outline line labels.

And then of course I would want an easy way to export the resulting outline to Windows. But if it is already XML, I presume the Microsoft XML, then that should not be difficult. Or I could just copy and paste it in.

If you know of a product already available I would really be interesting in knowing that. But if you are interested in adding the outlining features to the Windows version of Shadow, I would be very happy with that and would recommend it to my writer friends (I have several).

All the best,
 Bert Latamore
IT Journalist, Report Writer and Book Doctor
From tweets and blogs to white papers and books: 
You provide the information; I craft the words.




________________________________
From: Jeff Mitchell <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Fri, October 2, 2009 2:29:35 PM
Subject: Re: [shadow-discuss] Re: Shadow Alterntive - Redux.

  
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009, Bert Latamore wrote:

# If Jeff find the time and interest to work on Shadow on the Desktop, all 
# I really want is the ability to do outline format (that is replace the 
# check boxes with a system of graduated forma outline markers such as I, 
# A, 1, a, i or various editing signs, or preferably both), just as he has 
# on the Palm. Much easier than rewriting the entire application. If I 
# could write code I might try it myself, but I am a writer, not a 
# programmer. I can live with what I have, it just isn't as nice as it was 
# on the Palm and is more difficult to manage with complex outlines, where 
# you can become confused among the multiple levels.
# 
# And Windows does need a decent outliner. 

I had rather thought there were many outliners for Windows (though 
more complex/powerful/ overdone than Shadow Desktop.) I have often wondered 
about the viability of carryong on Shadow Desktop as a distinct product -- 
I actually designed it carefully so that it could live without the Palm 
side, and work with other handhelds and so on. But when I revirewed the 
market, I have thought it would be a very hard battle to be noticed..

jeff

--
If everyone would put barbecue sauce on their food, there would be no war.

   

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