Smart folder that shows only groups with state ON

DEVONthink Feedback
1

In other words a smart folder that shows only “To Do” groups.

I have in one data base several projects, each with it’s subset of to do items. I’d like to create a smart folder that can show me at a glance ANY open task.

Martin

PS: why not rename “Group” to “Folder” ? 8)

2

neat idea…

3

I’ve set up red labels in my current projects as To Do reminders.

Using Tools > Search and setting the Labels operator to Red, I found all 59 items in 0.011 second.

A similar search can be done for the State operator.

4

I also use the red labels now as a work around. The problem is, that this requires extras steps in organization.

The idea of a smart folder is to not have to launch a search each time. It would be better to memorize a search – like it’s done in iTunes or Finder. If DEVON could take here some cues from Apple, that would be great.

The red appearance of item names which are shown in such a smart folder drives me nuts too. The item is suddenly red also in it’s original location. The items presents itself as being royal important (red) - yet all there is to it is that the item has a duplicate. If I were to walk around with a crown, only just because I have a twin brother - people would laugh at me.

On the subject: when I have in multiple projects a “group” (yes, I like the word “Folder” better, unless Apple has a trademark on the term and DEVON can’t use this word) - a folder called “To Do” and I label it red, then they all show up in the smart folder as “To Do” and I cannot see to which project they belong. Arrgh !

I tried to view the columns “Path” and “URL”, but DEVONThinkPro does not give me any hint as to in which part of it’s structure the item or folder resides. It would be extremely useful to obtain this information somewhere, be it in a tool tip or in a particular column. Currently I have to include in the item’s name the name of the project…

5

Smart groups work by replicating the content items. That’s why document names are presented in red italic print, in all locations containing instances of replicants.

Smart groups are updated when they are opened.

I use Tools > Search for quick identification of items that have a Label or State marking. One can see the group location of each item. Just toggle the Label and/or State to the desired description and hit Return. The logical possibilities are quite deep. For example, you can distinguish between To Do lists if you also use a query term that would be unique to each list.

6

Yeah, that bugs me too. Same with the bold blue for multiple articles with the same content. I won’t deny its usefulness (“hmm… I have this already?”), but it does make it less legible.

I wish it could be displayed as a red triangle or blue square or something next to the filename (mmm yum more columns).

DEVONthink’s replicant functionality could use an extra command or two – for instance, being able to delete all replicants but the one you’re clicking on (much quicker than copying and then deleting all replicants). I also wish there was an easy “Find all replicants” in the contextual menu or something. Those are both doable with the current functionality (and aren’t difficult, mind you) – they just require extra steps. It’d seem to me that those two things are some of the most common functions that need to be performed on replicants.

[/small gripe]

7

The concept of replicants is rather tricky. Replicants are not “twin brothers”, as one can do something to one twin without affecting the other. Nor is a replicant an alias of an original. Instead, replicants are multiple instances of one document. Changing any instance results in a change to all instances.

8

…say what ??

Maybe I’m too quick now, but when I read this it makes me think that if I work on a “replicant” inside the smart folder, that the content I’m changing won’t be reflected on the “original” ?!

OK I’ve tried it. And (grasp) it DID change the content of the original. So in “real” life it was as if I was working on an alias…

So I don’t understand the “without affecting the other” … :unamused:

And regarding the bold/red … another possibility would be to show “Aliases” in italic or with an arrow badge - just as in Macintosh :wink:

9

Replicants are not like twins. If one twin gets a salary raise, that doesn’t mean that the other one does.

Any modification to one instance of a replicant modifies all the other instances.

A replicant isn’t an alias. An alias is a pointer to an original. If a document is replicated, there are now two instances of that document, not a document and an alias. Although multiple replicants of a large document add only a small increment to the database size, there’s no way of looking at replicants and distinguishing one from the other, except by location.

10

Thanks for the explanation, Bill. Here’s something for this thread because it was mentioned here – how to know where the replicant belongs to, when viewed in a remote location such as a smart folder.

I saw this just today in EagleFiler: that application sports a very useful column called “Container”. The container would show the “parent” folder name. When working in complex data environments with multiple “to do” lists, “waiting for” lists, notes, ideas, etc. - your head will be spinning - so, to know the relationship of the item - to know it’s parent name, that would really help.

How 'bout that :smiley:

Thanks, Martin