Checkbox feature gone?

[salgud 12]

Really? I've got templates with checkboxes, very handy feature. Why do you have to delete features every time you add some? You've been doing this for years! Way to sabotage your users, just like always!

[PinkElephant 8,103]

If you have lists, use the checklist feature (yes, the one with the cute strikeout gimmick).

Checkboxes in v10 are good as a design element, but only in singular use.

Since the number of personal templates is limited to 20 anyhow, it won’t take you long to switch them over.

EN calls it a design decision, and I doubt they will change it.

Anyhow, the forum is user2user. If you want to send EN a direct comment, use the feedback function build into the clients.

[Mike P 2,641]

6 hours ago, salgud said:

Really? I've got templates with checkboxes, very handy feature. Why do you have to delete features every time you add some? You've been doing this for years! Way to sabotage your users, just like always!

Checkboxes have not gone and in addition there are now checklists. The only problem is that unless you are careful EN will convert checkboxes to checklists. The check box is available from the blue + insert menu. However if you pit it at the beginning of a line EN will convert it to a checklist so you need to add another character first. I personally use the short cut

<space><open square bracket><close square bracket>

I personally like checklists for many things because I like the crossing out of text and the ease of dragging items around to reorder them.

[salgud 12]

Thanks for your reply. How did they decide to make this so confusing? You type 50 characters in front of the box in order to prevent it from assuming it’s a checklist? And what’s the difference between a check box or a checklist? Isn’t a checklist just multiple checkboxes?

[PinkElephant 8,103]

If it is a single box, no need to type anything. It can be a box, and stays a box.

For multiple boxes one below the other, it is interpreted as a checklist, and formatted accordingly.

This means as well every line is treated as a unit - it was never easier to sort a list to your needs, by simply dragging the items into an order.

You can work against the system default, but it is no fun.

[Mike P 2,641]

19 minutes ago, salgud said:

You type 50 characters in front of the box in order to prevent it from assuming it’s a checklist?

One character is quite sufficient

19 minutes ago, salgud said:

And what’s the difference between a check box or a checklist? Isn’t a checklist just multiple checkboxes?

EN have a clear distinction for their product with very different behaviours. Checklists are designed to be a list and behave like the other lists (numbered and bulleted). The main criticism that some people have is that when ticked it crosses through the text. Checkboxes are designed ot be much more flexible with the ability to put them anywhere - except the first character in a line.

Most of the criticisms could be solved by making the strikeout optional and not converting checkboxes to checklists if you put one at the beginning of a line, There is no indication that EN are minded to do either of these things. 

While I agree that it could be confusing it is generally the lack of choice and options that people complain about in the new version. 

[salgud 12]

Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I was confused by that long string of code you said you put in to prevent it from being a checklist. So the only difference is that in a checklist when you check it off it puts strike out on that item? Sounds pretty dumb but I really don’t care as long as I can do checkboxes. As a long long long time user of Evernote, I can say that Evernote programmers have never been the sharpest tools in the shed. It has had serious problems with functionality since the new guy took over. I think that was 2008.

[Bill C 45]

 

11 hours ago, Mike P said:

One character is quite sufficient

EN have a clear distinction for their product with very different behaviours. Checklists are designed to be a list and behave like the other lists (numbered and bulleted). The main criticism that some people have is that when ticked it crosses through the text. Checkboxes are designed ot be much more flexible with the ability to put them anywhere - except the first character in a line.

Most of the criticisms could be solved by making the strikeout optional and not converting checkboxes to checklists if you put one at the beginning of a line, There is no indication that EN are minded to do either of these things. 

While I agree that it could be confusing it is generally the lack of choice and options that people complain about in the new version. 

I'd be very, very happy if Evernote just stopped converting checkboxes that are the first character of a bulleted (circle) list to a checklist.  I've been using checkboxes that way for years in Evernote as just a visual toggle on directions I use over and over again and also refer to as reference material. If I want a checklist, I will pick the checklist option instead of bullet option as it's right there with one-click on the editing tool bar (on Mac) where the checkbox is an extra click under the + menu I have to go back and redo every time it gets auto converted.  What makes this feel more like a but then a feature is that it seems to  coverts it after is saves to the server so when you switch to between notes, for example. I do some work in one note including adding checkBoxes then I go do something else and come back and they've been coverted to checklist. (annoying!). Not doing this automatic conversion keeps the product working the way it has for years while still allowing one to choose the newer checklist feature.

A work around I just started using is putting a period before the checkbox as this started really annoying me again (as I go through and revise and perform a bunch of annual procedure for the start of the school year).

[Mike P 2,641]

3 hours ago, Bill C said:

I'd be very, very happy if Evernote just stopped converting checkboxes that are the first character of a bulleted (circle) list to a checklist. 

I completely agree. LIke you I use a period or a space before the checkbox if I want a checkbox at the beginning of the line. I tend to use the square brackets hack

.[]

as I find that faster than opening the insert menu with my mouse

[PinkElephant 8,103]

I would agree to that shortcut if it would be that easy - as it is when on an US keyboard. Just keep in mind it is a finger bending exercise on a European keyboard, where the square bracket is hiding on the 3rd level behind other keys.

But not problem - I prefer the blue + anyhow.

[Mike P 2,641]

21 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

Just keep in mind it is a finger bending exercise on a European keyboard, where the square bracket is hiding on the 3rd level behind other keys.

Fortunately the UK keyboard seems to be the same as the US keyboard with not even a shift required. Thanks for pointing it out though - I will be more cautious about recommending it as a "short cut"

 

[PinkElephant 8,103]

Well, about the European keyboard ….

(put any Brexit joke here 🤐🤪)