Hello,
In DTP 2, is it possible to create a template for entering data?
I would like to use a table to recreate the Cornell Note-taking method.
Thanks,
~A
Sure. If you Google “Cornell notes” you will find several sources of templates in Word (which can then be saved as RTF and opened in TextEdit), and RTF. Some are fancier than others. You might experiment to find one to your taste.
In an example database on notes association I included a simple RTF template that was constructed using the table feature of TextEdit (this can be done within DEVONthink). That database is at homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/File … US&lang=en
Once you have a template, select it and choose File > Export > as Template.
To use a template to create a new document, choose Data > New > With Template and choose the desired template.
Note: Don’t try to create very long documents with a tabular RTF structure, as OS X Cocoa text tends to choke on long tables and get glacially slow.
Bill,
Thanks for the clarification and the example. How short should I try to keep a table?
~A
Editing such a tabular document inside DEVONthink 2 slows down from about 2 to 3 thousand words and up.
Note, however, that if you need to edit a longer document in tabular format, it can be copy/pasted into TextEdit with formatting set to Wrap to Window. There’s much less slowdown in TextEdit. Afterwards, copy/paste back into your database document.
I don’t use the Cornell Notes format all the time, but find it convenient when I’m “annotating” other documents — as in that example database — or documenting the source and my intended use of an excerpt from a reference source (including citation information), or even making notes to myself about changes that are needed to a current draft of a project. with Lookup links to specific sections, etc.
The column widths of the little table template I use can be adjusted if needed. There’s no special rationale for the widths in my template, except that they are OK on my 13.3-inch screen,although I sometimes attach my 24-inch monitor.