freyja313 46 Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I've been using tables more and more and noticed recently that notes that render perfectly fine in the Windows client and web version may have some formatting problems when being viewed on an Android device. An example would be that the tables in Android kind of like like what they do in the Windows client when you insert a new table into an existing table cell. I'm suspicious this is due to either adding/deleting rows and columns to an existing table or the way data was copied into some cells causing the original table format to get corrupted. I did have one note that rendered poorly in Android and after I rebuilt the tables within that note from scratch they appeared fine. Since I'll sometimes copy an existing table to use as a template in a new note, I'd like to be able to find all my notes that contain tables and check them to make sure they render properly in Android. Is there any way to search for all notes that contain tables? Thanks! Link to comment
Level 5* gazumped 11,664 Posted June 4, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 4, 2014 Hi - because of the different OS and different resolutions of the various devices, it must be pretty hard (if not impossible) to deliver a completely standard layout across all devices. The only way AFAIK to ensure compliance is either to have MS Office (or another spreadhseet app) installed and use a link to an actual spreadsheet to host your tables, or to print the table to PDF and attach the PDF to your note. As regards searching for Tables, you could try raising a support request or (if you're a Premium user) the chat function on the support link (see below) - I don't think it's possible, but there may be an arcane function call that you can tag onto a "resource:xxx" search to find what you need. Link to comment
Level 5* jefito 5,589 Posted June 4, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 4, 2014 Yeah, I don't know of any way to filter for notes containing tables either; tables aren't resources, they're just HTML markup. Link to comment
Level 5* JMichaelTX 4,117 Posted June 4, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 4, 2014 Hi - because of the different OS and different resolutions of the various devices, it must be pretty hard (if not impossible) to deliver a completely standard layout across all devices. Actually Gaz, Evernote is doing this today with most of the Note content. Formatting, bullets, lists, etc are displayed across all EN clients. There is no reason Tables shouldn't be the same way -- Tables are just a very common form of HTML. It is certainly NOT impossible. Since all of the EN supported devices also support Web Browsers, which ALL support HTML Tables, it seems quite doable. Link to comment
Level 5* gazumped 11,664 Posted June 4, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 4, 2014 Hi - because of the different OS and different resolutions of the various devices, it must be pretty hard (if not impossible) to deliver a completely standard layout across all devices. Actually Gaz, Evernote is doing this today with most of the Note content. Formatting, bullets, lists, etc are displayed across all EN clients. There is no reason Tables shouldn't be the same way -- Tables are just a very common form of HTML. It is certainly NOT impossible. Since all of the EN supported devices also support Web Browsers, which ALL support HTML Tables, it seems quite doable. HTML can reflow text to fit 200 - 20,000 pixel widths; it might be harder to show a table at both extremes and somewheres in the middle without some compromises. The OP's asking about formatting problems anyway, which I take to mean "the table's there but it looks odd", and I'm generalising and I didn't flat out say it was impossible to show tables - just 'hard if not impossible to show a standard layout'. Link to comment
Level 5* JMichaelTX 4,117 Posted June 4, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 4, 2014 HTML can reflow text to fit 200 - 20,000 pixel widths; it might be harder to show a table at both extremes and somewheres in the middle without some compromises. The OP's asking about formatting problems anyway, which I take to mean "the table's there but it looks odd", and I'm generalising and I didn't flat out say it was impossible to show tables - just 'hard if not impossible to show a standard layout'. HTML tables have been around since nearly the beginning of HTML. I can't speak to Android devices since I don't own one, but I can say that HTML tables that I create in EN Win, EN Mac, and capture with Evernote Clipper and Evernote Clearly show up just fine in the iOS devices (iPhone/iPad). So, there is clear evidence that HTML based displays can properly show tables. I'm not saying that it is super easy to do it on an Android device, but it is certainly a long, long way from "hard if not impossible". Link to comment
Level 5* jefito 5,589 Posted June 4, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 4, 2014 The original poster is looking for a way to find notes with tables. If they could do that, then they could move on to identifying tables that have problems (and possibly open a support request for that, with those notes as evidence). But they really can't do that in any easy way, so I'd say that their question is answered, all theoretical considerations about HTML aside, if and until they come up with a more specific error case. Link to comment
freyja313 46 Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 Thank you all for the replies. Here's what I'm seeing: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s37/nl/3991498/66015813-2e86-47bc-939c-52f7ed1c999a Since the general consensus is there doesn't seem to be a way to search for tables, what I'm resorting to doing is tagging ALL my notes with a temporary "___TABLES" tag, then methodically looking at each note and removing the tag if the note DOESN'T contain a table in it. Whatever's left will be notes that I'll review in my Android device and then clean up accordingly. This may seem like a crazy thing to do but I admit to being a tad bit obsessive compulsive and it would drive me more crazy to have the poorly formatted tables show up on my phone. (My Costco shopping list and travel checklist both have to look purty, right?) Link to comment
Level 5* jefito 5,589 Posted June 5, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 5, 2014 Yeah, no real solution for this kind of problem, so you get stuck with a crazy workaround. Good luck. Link to comment
DutchPete 247 Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I have also been looking for a search operator to do this type of search. I just hung up from a chat session with someone from the EN team & he thinks there isn't one either, but will investigate further. Meanwhile I suggests the same work-around mentioned above. I told him that after installing EN I noticed in the Saved Searches there was one (installed by default, not by me) that was called Tables. Unfortunately I deleted it without looking at its properties thinking I would not need it. Perhaps this helps him with his search. He will contact me by email about this. I will post his answer here. Link to comment
DutchPete 247 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Evernote support feedback: I was unable to find a search operator that would allow you to search for tables. I'd like to escalate this to our technical support team for a second look. If it turns out it isn't an option, we can suggest this as a new feature. I tried a fresh install, and setting up a brand new account, but was unsuccessful in duplicating the saved table search that you mentioned seeing. A team member will respond to you as soon as they've had time to research the issue.So I will let you know once I get further feedback on this issue for which there is now an open ticket. Link to comment
Level 5* jefito 5,589 Posted June 19, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 19, 2014 Just for reference, the Evernote search language is documented here: https://dev.evernote.com/doc/articles/search_grammar.php. Nothing there that indicates that it can search for presence of tables, assuming that this is up-to-date, which is always a potential problem. I've never seen any pre-installed saved searches, though I don't do fresh installs very often. That doesn't sound quite right. At a guess, I'm thinking that the support person will eventually come up blank as well... Link to comment
DutchPete 247 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I also think he will come up with a blank. He can then convert into a feature request. Link to comment
Level 5* jefito 5,589 Posted June 19, 2014 Level 5* Share Posted June 19, 2014 Good luck with that; the search language doesn't change all that often... it kinda goes everywhere. Link to comment
DutchPete 247 Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Latest from EN support, dated 20 June: I will be happy to place this feature request to our engineering team for further review. Link to comment
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