A Question About Tag Syntax

[Analyst444 182]

I've decided to use this syntax for my Tags: Y=XXXXXXXXX, where Y is merely a letter I use to indicate what kind of Tag it is. XXXXXXXXXX is a typical Tag value.

 

My question is about the equal (=) sign. Can you envision any problem I may encounter on my Windows or iOS devices that would arise when I do a search, by using the equal (=) sign? In other words, will the use of the equal (=) sign give me incorrect search results in some cases? - - - Or can you envision any other problem I might have working with Evernote by using the equal (=) sign?

 

I raise this question because I know in some searches, special characters like a colon ( and dash (-) are used by Evernote when searching.

 

If you do foresee a problem and advise against using the equal (=) sign, can you suggest another special character (easily accessible on the standard QWERTY keyboard) that I could use without a problem?

 

 

By the way, if you are interested, here are some examples of the kinds of Tags I have:

• P means the Tag associates a Note to a particular Person
• L means the Tag associates a Note to a particular Location
• T for Topic
• S for Status
• W for When
• D for Disposition

Aside from how this structure helps me to mentally relate to a Note, the leading letter on my Tags reduces the list of potential Tags when I assign one to a Note. - - - I don't go to the trouble to Tag every Note, but when I do, this syntax makes it a little easier.

[gazumped 11,658]

It's always useful to hit Ctrl-F10 (Windows) to toggle the Search Explanation bar so you can see what Evernote is actually looking for.  I just used tag:p=fred and according to the bar,  Evernote is looking for tags which say exactly that.  So it looks like your scheme should work.  It's sensible to use a standard format for tags so they're easier to apply and to search for.  I wonder though why you're asking instead of just trying this out - have you had some problems?

[Analyst444 182]

gazumed - Thanks for responding and confirming for me.

 

I did try out that Tag syntax before I applied such Tags to over 2,000 Notes. I even read the "Search Operators" page at the EN site beforehand. However, after applying this new Tag syntax, it suddenly dawned on me that I might have overlooked something. - - - With experts like you in this forum, I thought I would just post the question.

[gazumped 11,658]

OK - glad to have reassured you!

[CalS 5,280]

Personal preference, but I have used the period . for this kind of thing. Easier for me to read and type. No search issues to-date.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

I've decided to use this syntax for my Tags: Y=XXXXXXXXX, where Y is merely a letter I use to indicate what kind of Tag it is. XXXXXXXXXX is a typical Tag value.

 

If you do foresee a problem and advise against using the equal (=) sign, can you suggest another special character (easily accessible on the standard QWERTY keyboard) that I could use without a problem?

 

 

By the way, if you are interested, here are some examples of the kinds of Tags I have:

• P means the Tag associates a Note to a particular Person
• L means the Tag associates a Note to a particular Location
• T for Topic
• S for Status
• W for When
• D for Disposition

 

I have used the period (".") for years as a separator in tags, and it has worked flawlessly.

I find it very easy to use with touch-typing, and I like its minimal appearance.

But if "=" works for you, then go with it.

 

The only thing I would add is to NOT use blanks/spaces in your Tag names, since this will force you to enclose the entire tag name in quotes when searching, etc.  I suggest using CamelCase, or word separators like "." and "-".

 

BTW, I also have used a similar tag naming convention, and it has served me well.  I think you will be very happy with your design.

 

Good luck.

[Analyst444 182]

csihilling & JMichael - Thanks for responding and your ideas.

 

Yes, blank spaces in Tag names (and even Notebooks) can be problematic in some situations.

[CalS 5,280]

You are welcome.