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Do you see a need for better EN output?


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Hello everyone.

I use EN for GTD purposes and I consider this in alignment with the EN's "second brain" moniker. I ask because as a second brain, I find certain functionality missing that I consider fundamental.

Now before you consider this an EN rant, it is not.  I like EN and use it all the time.  I am not bothered by what others may consider a nuisance like extra clicks to get to a function. However, functionality that I consider fundamental can be summed up in one word - output.

I see EN as a database with lists being the equivalent to a report.  So why, I ask myself, am I limited to saved searches that all use the same column/sort spec?  Why can't each saved search have their own set of columns, arranged in their own way, with the items in the list filtered and sorted specific to that saved search?  I think this would greatly increase the value of saved searches and therefore, the product overall.

Along the same line of output, I don't understand why exporting EN data is limited to single notes.  Is there a reason why lists cannot be exported?  And why is the export limited to EN and PDF formats?  Since I look at EN as a database, I am thinking of at least an Excel output.  I understand there may be limits due to the content within the note, but still, I think even with the limitations, exporting lists would increase the value of the product.  

Taken one step further, I look at combining custom column/sort spec based saved searches with Excel-based list exports as a true winning feature.

Finally, yes, I have submitted these suggestions via Feedback - numerous times.

I am open to thoughtful responses.

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  • dvollc changed the title to Do you see a need for better EN output?
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1 hour ago, dvollc said:

I see EN as a database with lists being the equivalent to a report.  So why, I ask myself, am I limited to saved searches that all use the same column/sort spec?  Why can't each saved search have their own set of columns, arranged in their own way, with the items in the list filtered and sorted specific to that saved search?  I think this would greatly increase the value of saved searches and therefore, the product overall.

Hi.  What do you mean by "lists"?  Are we talking the output of a search?  Because if you right-click the title area of that list page you'll find that there are a variety of additional switchable options for titles,  and while only a few are sortable within Evernote,  Ctrl+A on my windows desktop will select all the items in that list and I can copy/ paste (in Legacy at least) any or all selected lines into a spreadsheet.  Each column is then sortable as required.  Haven't tried v10,  but the extra titles and some limted sorting by titles exists...

It's also possible to bulk copy and paste note links as well as the 'index' list.

1 hour ago, dvollc said:

Along the same line of output, I don't understand why exporting EN data is limited to single notes.

It isn't.  Bulk select notes,  or choose a notebook and export all its contents.

1 hour ago, dvollc said:

why is the export limited to EN and PDF formats?  Since I look at EN as a database, I am thinking of at least an Excel output.

See comments above - is there a reason Evernote should re-invent Excel for users' convenience?  (In the latest subscriber versions by the way you can view the content of an Excel spreadsheet from a note to which it is attached.)

1 hour ago, dvollc said:

I look at combining custom column/sort spec based saved searches with Excel-based list exports as a true winning feature.

A section of this forum exists for suggestions like this to be voted on by other users - the more votes,  the more likely it is to be adopted - but it will take years for any major changes to work their way through development and testing unless they're already being worked on as we speak.  If you truly need this feature now,  it's work-arounds or find another app that does what you need.

Just as a general (and final) opreration,  I also use a third-party app called Filterize which maintains my 'to do' dashboards.  I have a list for 'today and outstanding',  'coming soon' (today +1 and the next seven days) and 'All Tasks'.  Filterize will effectively conduct a daily search based on my criteria and update a Table of Contents note with the current list. - It's a combination of an automatic saved search,  and a sort to my requirements.  There's a 'free' sampler for a couple of filters if you want to try it out.

Legacy used to,  and V10 presumably,  eventually,  will have the option to sort lists in different orders depending on the notebook or (maybe) the search.  It doesn't at the moment though,  and I think the company has a couple of other priorities it might want to address first.

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10 hours ago, gazumped said:

Ctrl+A on my windows desktop will select all the items in that list and I can copy/ paste (in Legacy at least) any or all selected lines into a spreadsheet. 

Thanks @gazumpedfor the tip.  However, on my EN version 10.49.4-mac-mas-public (459555), it doesn't work.  I can select all the items in a list and I can Edit/Copy them.  However, the copy does not place them in the Clipboard as pasting to an external container like Excel, does not paste the list.  The paste produces what was last put into the Clipboard - which isn't the content from the EN list.

 

10 hours ago, gazumped said:

is there a reason Evernote should re-invent Excel for users' convenience?  (In the latest subscriber versions by the way you can view the content of an Excel spreadsheet from a note to which it is attached.)

My apologies for not being clear.  I am not looking for reinventing Excel.  I was trying to explain my desire to have an export option of a list of notes (which can be seen a a data table) to be compatible for Excel importing.  Your ability to copy/paste is not something I cannot do in my version.  My export options are limited to EN and PDF formats and when I am exporting more than one note, the multiple notes are exported as individual notes.

 

10 hours ago, gazumped said:

A section of this forum exists for suggestions like this to be voted on by other users - the more votes,  the more likely it is to be adopted

I have provided my suggestions via the Share Feedback mechanism I have available in my version.

 

10 hours ago, gazumped said:

I also use a third-party app called Filterize which maintains my 'to do' dashboards.

Whoa!  I did not know of this and first glance has me thinking how I can take advantage of it.  Thanks for sharing.

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8 hours ago, dvollc said:

 I can select all the items in a list and I can Edit/Copy them.  However, the copy does not place them in the Clipboard

Hmmn.  Same here on Windows 10.49,  which is a shame - it still works in Legacy!  You might want to feed the need for a copyable list back to Evernote - specially since it's a downgrade from Legacy capabilities.

Using a little lateral thinking I took a screen shot of a selected group of files and ran it through a Windows OCR app to generate a searchable PDF...  don't know whether that might be practical...  you'd be limited to grabbing individual screenfuls unless your imaging app can cope with a scroll.

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