To navigate through a nodemap, use the Arrow Keys - up and down to move between sibling nodes, right to make a node current (and view its children) and left to move backwards to the current node's parent.
Alternatively you can simply tap twice on a node to make it current, and use the back button in the Current Path Window to move backwards.
If you double tap / arrow right on a link, the link will be resolved and the document launched.
Standard nodes are displayed with darkening colour to give a rough visual indication of how old they are relative to the age of the NodeMap. This will begin to become apparent by the fourth time the NodeMap is used.
Also, the icon will represent how long it is since a node has been used by displaying cobwebs on the node - again, this is relative to the age of the NodeMap.
Context nodes are represented by
, link nodes by
and search nodes by
None of these special icons change with time.
Sketch
&Paint.app
Sketch
&Paint.app
Sketch
UUU_3@
&Paint.app
Sketch
&Paint.app
Sketch
&Paint.app
Sketch
&Paint.app
Sketch
&Paint.app
Sketch
&Paint.app
Sketch
&Paint.app
When you first start NodeMap you will be asked to create a new nodemap. The name that you assign to the file will be the root node of your nodemap.
Your first view of the new nodemap will include two default nodes; "Data" and "All". "All" is a special system context which will simply display all nodes in the nodemap as a flat listing. It cannot be deleted.
"Data" is created for you to create your nodes beneath - you do not have to use this and can delete it if you prefer.
To create a new node, either tap the toolbar button or press the spacebar. You can navigate up and down the list of subnodes using either the pen or the arrow up/down keys.
To view and/or edit a node, select it and press enter. From here you can also make the node a context, a link or a search node, and edit the node's context membership, its link path and its search string.
You can make the selected node current (and view its children / add children to it) by tapping twice on the node, or by using the arrow right key.
The bar at the top of the screen displays the current node path and the number of its children, (or members, if it is a context) and contains the back button, which will return you to the previous node (unless you are already viewing the root node). You can also use arrow left to move backwards.
If you tap on the current path, you can edit the current node as if you had selected it from its parent's screen and pressed enter.
The current path window also contains the
symbol, which toggles between "tag all" and "clear tags" to make multiple selections. Tagged nodes are also displayed with the same symbol, tap to the left of the vertical line to tag/untag individual nodes, or press tab.
To Create a node, simply hit the spacebar, or tap the Create Node toolbar button. If you are currently in a node with no children, simply hitting enter will also create a node.
To Edit an already created node, highlight it on the main screen (using the Arrow Keys) and press enter. Alternatively, tap on the node that you wish to edit and press the View/Edit Node toolbar button.
Once you have added a node or selected a node and Viewed it, you will be presented with the Edit Node dialog.
You can type up to 60 characters in the Label box. The label is the piece of text that appears on the main screen beside the node icon.
The box immediately below is the note box. Here you can type an attached note, up to 1020 characters.
Beneath this is the sort children by choice box. The default is to display the most recently used node first, but you can also sort nodes by their label, or by their date.
Next is node type. As previously mentioned, nodes can be normal, context, link or search nodes. When you set a node as a link you will be prompted to specify a file to link to; you can also edit the link path by tapping the Link Path button. When you set a node as a search node you will be prompted to specify a search string; you can also edit this by tapping the Search String button.
Also available is Context Membership. See the heading "Using contexts".
To delete a node, highlight it on the main screen and press Ctrl-D. The selected node is then moved to a special node called the Trash Node.
Nodemap supports a very rudimentary password protection. The contents of the file are in no way encrypted; using NodeMap to open a protected file prompts for the password before opening, however, the determined hacker would easily be able to get around this. If you need to store sensitive information in a NodeMap, you will need to look elsewhere for a program to encrypt the file.
Select Set Password from the File menu, or press Ctrl-Shift-Q to set the password.
NodeMap supports multiple selections for batch operations. To select several files, tap the screen to the left of the vertical line on the level of the node that you wish to select, or press the tab key. A node selected in this way will display a
character to the left of the line to show that it has been selected.
You can also select all of the nodes in the current view by using Tag All on the Edit menu, or pressing Ctrl-A. To clear the current multiple selection use Clear Tags on the Edit menu, or press Ctrl-Shift-L.
There is also a
symbol in the current path window. Tapping on this toggles between "Clear tags" and "Tag all".
The only operations that you can perform on multiple nodes are Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete, and any NMXs which support multiple selection.
Development on NodeMap started because I wanted an hierarchical note-taking tool, and all of the apps that I tried either didn't work the way I wanted and/or were too expensive.
A little while after I had started writing it, I came across an article on the web (forgot to bookmark it and haven't been able to find it again) about User Interface issues, which suggested that the standard hierarchical interface to most data structures was approaching obsolescence due to the increased quantity of information - basically it's just not practical to maintain any more. The article went on to suggest that future interface paradigms would treat data objects as a "soup" from which views would be constructed on the basis of a far wider range of attributes, primarily time-based, i.e. "which files have I used most recently?". It also suggested visually representing age and recent use of a file through changing icons.
I thought that these were such interesting ideas that they warranted inclusion! Thus while the main structure of a node map is hierarchical, custom, "flat" views of that data can be included as nodes within that hierarchy too.
The implementation is quite simplistic at this stage, particularly from the point of view of the icons representing the age of the node, etc., but I feel that it lays a bedrock for further development, and may be worked on further in future versions.
In including the NMX format to extend the functionality of NodeMap, I hope to be able to keep the code base static for the time being and simply add any further functionality via NMXs.
You can export ranges of nodes to a text file, which you can then import into another application. This works in much the same way as printing. Select Export Text File from the File menu, or press Ctrl-Shift-X. Then provide a text file to which to export.
I find it difficult to see how it would be possible to implement an import routine when NodeMap data objects have a maximum text length of 1020 characters - I may well work on this in the future, possibly as an NMX.
Printing facilities are accessed through the file menu under the printing heading. Printing works in the standard way; the only differences are that you are presented with a dialog where you can choose what to print; the nodemap title, the current node, the children of the current node and labels, notes and dates.
To print a specific range of nodes, the simplest method is to create a context and assign to it all the nodes you wish to print. Then make this node current and print from it.
When you delete a node (using Ctrl-D), it isn't erased straight away, it is instead moved to the Trash Node. You can view the contents of this node by selecting View Trash from the View menu, or pressing Ctrl-Shift-T.
NodeMap displays whether there are any nodes in the trash using the trash icon in the current node path window. If it i empty, the icon resembles an
empty bin, if it contains any nodes it changes to reflect this. Tapping on this button allows you to either view or empty the trash node.
Once you are in the Trash Node you can either Cut (Ctrl-x) nodes that you wish to retreive and Paste (Ctrl-v) them to a new point in the hierarchy, or you can permanently delete the contents of the Trash node using the Empty button which appears on the Current Path Window.
Links are nodes which are attached to external files belonging to other applications. When you tap twice on a link node, or select and press the arrow right key, NodeMap will launch the file for you.
To make a node into a link, choose the appropriate option in the node type box in the view/edit dialog. You can press the link path button to specify the file, but when you make a node into a link for the first time, you will be prompted for this information.
You can choose either to link to an existing file or create a new one. File types recognised are;
Sheet
Agenda
Sketch
Record
OPL Source
PowerBase
RMRZip
NodeMap
Contacts (ER5 only - I presume this works, I only have a Series 5 with ER3, so I can't test it.
The bar at the top of the screen displays the current node name, and as much of its path as it can fit on the screen. It also shows the number of children of the current node, and contains the back button (as long as you are not viewing the root node - you cannot go any further back than this).
If you tap on the name of the current node you will be presented with the view/edit dialog for that node.
The window also contains the
symbol button which, when tapped, tags or untags all of the nodes; and on the far right is the trash button, which changes when the trash contains nodes. Tapping on it will allow you to choose to either view or empty the trash.
Overview3
NodeMap
Export as text3
Design Philosophy3
Multiple Selection3
Password Protection3
Node Popup MenuA
Tapping on a node's icon displays a popup menu of commonly used operations for nodes.
NodeMap has a special system node called the clipnode. You can cut a node to the clipboard by selecting in and pressing Ctrl-X, then paste it to a new position in the structure using Ctrl-V. This will transfer the selected node and all of its sub-nodes.
You can cut multiple node structures to the clipnode: if there is more than one node available to paste, you will be prompted to choose which node you want; or you can choose to paste them all. You can clear the clipnode by pressing Ctrl-L, or selecting the option from the Edit menu.
When you paste a node it is removed from the clipnode.
To copy, press Ctrl-C. This creates a duplicate of the selected node and all its descendants and can thus be a slow operation. Contexts, searches and Link nodes become standard nodes during a copy process.
Duplicating a node is like copying and pasting a node in one go, avoiding the clipnode completely. The selected node is cloned, its label prefixed with "Duplicate of" (although you can of course edit this), but its children are not duplicated, making it a handy function for "backing up" a single node before altering it. For a single node, it is quicker than copying and pasting.
This Application was written to scratch an itch, namely the fact that all other hierarchical note taking solutions either didn't work the way I wanted or cost too much.
In the light of this, I'm loathe to ask people to register at all. However, I have put a whole load of time into this and would like some sort of remuneration if people find the software useful.
Hence the unregistered program is limited to 250 children per node (or members per context) and 2500 nodes total; but although a context will only show 250 members, if you mess around with the Sort order you can get a different 250 each time :-)
Registration entitles you to support and free upgrades, and means that each nodemap can have up to 8999 nodes in total, and no limits on children per node.
But if you're too broke to register, that's fair enough. I know the feeling :-)
When you register, you will receive a code which you can enter by using Register on the Tools menu. This will unlock the restrictions on the program.
Registration costs
10, Please send a cheque or postal order (currently ukp only, I fear) to me, including your email address, at:
NodeMap Registration,
4, Atherton Road,
Lancaster
LA1 5SP
United Kingdom.
You may also register NodeMap securely online using your credit card at RegNet - use the URL http://www.reg.net/product.asp?ID=7591
The price is a little higher by this method, to "soak up" RegNet's handling charge.
You can set unlimited bookmarks for each NodeMap. You can either tap on the Bookmarks toolbar button, use Bookmarks on the View menu or just press the Esc key.. When you bring up your list of bookmarks, selecting a bookmark and tapping on Goto will take you directly to that point in the NodeMap.
To Add a bookmark for your current location, bring up the bookmark list and tap on Add Bookmark. If you bookmark a context or a search, then it will be prefixed with (C) or (S).
You can also delete bookmarks by tapping on (you guessed it) the Delete button in the Bookmarks dialog.
Contexts are nodes whose own children (if any) are invisible. When you make a context node current, it displays any nodes which have been assigned to that context. This means that in addition to the hierarchical structure, you can treat the nodes as an unstructured "soup", from which you can create views based on user-defined attributes.
You can make a context member current, but you cannot then go back to the context from which you came; you are transported to that point in the data hierarchy.
Contexts can be created arbitrarily at any point within the node hierarchy. A node is made into a context by selecting the appropriate entry in the node type box in the view/edit dialog.
You can assign nodes to existing contexts by tapping on the context membership button in the view/edit dialog. Each node can be a member of five contexts. The positions of the context and the node within the hierarchy do not matter; for the sake of convenience you might choose to create a number of top level context nodes, and one "data" node beneath which you add others, however I have deliberately made the system as flexible as possible.
QUICKSTART3
NodeMap
Changes3
NodeMap
ontaining this string in its label or note will be displayed. You can make a search "hit" current, but you cannot then go back to the search node from which you came; you are transported to that point in the data hierarchy
NodeMap supports add-on functionality in the form of NodeMap extensions. To run an installed NMX, choose Run Extension from the Tools menu, press Ctrl-J or tap on the Xtension toolbar button.
(Note: on the Revo version the Xtension button is not available on the toolbar, however the menu option is still there.)
As currently distributed NodeMap comes with three extensions - Dummy.nmx (which does nothing, but the included source code serves as a template for further NMXs), TextMutator.nmx (which cuts up and randomises the note of a selected node - handy for artistic inspiration!) and AgendaLink.nmx(which creates/ edits an Agenda entry attached to the selected node).
For more information, including details of how to write your own NMXs, choose Extension Help from the Tools menu.
NodeMap v1.02
(c)2000 Dave Eggleston, except event driven core based on RMREvent by Alan Richey. Many thanks to Alexandra Riley for beta testing & encouragement. :-)
Nodemap is an hierarchical note taking tool. Each note is defined as a node, which has a parent node and any number of children. This means that you can map out ideas into constituent parts to explore further; it could work to create lists, organise notes or plan out a program structure (part of the reason I wrote it in the first place :-) ).
Nodes can also be contexts, links, or search nodes.
Context and search nodes provide dynamic focus points in your data. While they do not have children of their own, they are used to display "flat" views of selected nodes regardless of their hierarchical position. Contexts are predefined categories, to which each node can be assigned, while search nodes are ad-hoc views based on a 9 character search string which are rendered on the fly.
A link allows you to link to, and launch, most standard files on your EPOC machine.
Each normal node is represented as an icon which changes to visually represent the relative age of the node and the length of time since it was last used. All nodes can sort their children in a variety of ways.
NodeMap can also have extra functionality added through the use of Node Map eXtensions (NMX).
Disclaimer At this stage the software is now considered releasable quality, but it may still contain bugs. If this is unacceptable, do not use the software. I will make every effort to fix bugs as and when they are reported to me, whoever reports them; technical support, however, will be limited to registered users.
Contact:
email nodemap@mirrorkill.f9.co.uk
http://www.mirrorkill.f9.co.uk/NodeMap/
Sketch
&Paint.app
Search nodes are similar to contexts in that they filter nodes to view regardless of their position in the hierarchy, however, they filter on the basis of a search string. This is a piece of text, up to nine characters long. Any node containing this string in its label or note will be displayed. You can make a search "hit" current, but you cannot then go back to the search node from which you came; you are transported to that point in the data hierarchy
You can adjust preferences to alter the way a nodemap works. To bring up the preferences dialog, press Ctrl-K.
You can choose to make the nodemap empty its trash node and/or clip node when you exit the program (use with care, as this could result in accidental data loss).
You can also show or hide the date on the main screen, and turn off node icon ageing.
All of these preferences affect only the current nodemap.
Node types3
%Creating, viewing, and deleting nodes3
Using contexts3
Using links3
The trash
node3
Registration3
The current path window3
Navigation3
A note on nodes3
In the interests of flexibility, nodes can have properties of all their possible states set at the same time, but they can only exist in one of the four possible states at a time.
Using search nodes3
NodeMap eXtensions3
Bookmarks3
Preferences3
)Cutting, Duplicating, Copying and Pasting3
Printing3
V1.02
Fixed Buffer text bug, buffer should now *always* be clear.
Fixed sort mode weirdness, Cursor right and left and Display Menu bugs (all in connection with childless nodes). Inconsistencies with "jumping to a letter" now fixed. Further attempts at Revo-Friendliness, including the Toggling Toolbar bug. Problems with Search nodes sorted, but had to reduce max length for search strings to 9 chars :-(
Rewrote buffering routines to use Buffer.opx, seems faster. "Show icons" now no longer turns the icons off, just their ageing. Sort modes are now inherited.
V1.01
Revo support should now be vastly improved. Changed the size of the current path window to make more room, minor adjustments to Edit Node dialog.
Alphanumeric keys now take you to the first node whose label starts with that character.
Node Position History - going back to a previously visited node, you should remain at the same position, with the same node selected.
Auto compaction of files once they grow by more than 100k.
Symbol (
) on main screen to show if node has a note.
V1.00
Yay! 1.00 time... sorted out RegNet registration service and included the details in here...
All routines adjusted to run properly on both the Series 7 Screen resolution and the Revo. No colour yet - you can all suffer in greyscale like the rest of us for now!
Generated UK Language file and recompiled source for international resources. I've already had a couple of offers to translate everything, so this had to be done, really.
Bug fix of drive dependency for the NMX files, which many people reported. Oops. :-(
I've also assigned View Bookmarks to the Esc key by request (well, the key wasn't doing anything else!) and changed the behaviour of nodes within contexts - you can now make them current and move to their point in the hierarchy, but you cannot go back to the context.
Assorted bug fixes with scrollbar/page up & down, and deleted/cut nodes appearing in inappropriate places.
Added, by popular demand, a smaller zoom level, also reduced the size of the largest font.
V0.99
Bugs in copy and duplicate routines which didn't update children properly fixed.
Bookmarks now prefix contexts and searches with (C) and (S) respectively.
(.txt)