[Request] Note Auto-Title: Provide users a choice reg. the behaviour

[L-uAn 4]

Dear Devs,

 

On Evernote for Windows 5.x, how about the following:

 

1. The auto-title functionality for note titles, should be available to be switched on and off in the options.

Reason for this is to please both types of users: the ones who like to give titles manually, and the ones who don't.

 

2. If set to on, the note auto-title should always take effect whenever the title of a note is left blank (i.e. deleted).

And by auto-title I mean that the first line (up to a certain amount of characters) from the note body is used as the note title.

 

The use case would be: Whenever a user would like to reset the title of a note,
which for example has been created via Android/iOS and thus is named "Untitled Note" or has had its title manually set in the past,

the fastest and most simple way should be to simply delete the existing title and let the auto-title functionality take care.

(i.e. hit "F2" to jump to the title which is then completely highlighted, hit "Delete", then "Enter")

This behaviour/feature would allow the user to update the title super fast without the need to do a copy & paste from the note body and pick up the hands from the keyboard (i.e. as argued for by the new beta features "Formatting Shortcuts")

 

3. If set to off, keep the behaviour as it is now: if the note title is deleted it puts "Title" as the note title.

 

 

My further reasoning for this is as follows:

I feel that there are two types of users: one who like to set the title themselves with top priority, and the ones who don't.

For the first group, the auto-tile is an annoying feature, because they would like to know which titles they haven't named yet, so showing them "Title" as a note title if it hasn't been set yet is fine.

For the second group, they don't want to be bothered by setting a specific title for each note, and just want the software to take care of this. Having a note called "Title" or "Untitled Note" is an annoyance for them because then the software is not making their life easier.

 

Who else feels this way or differently?

 

Cheers L

[gazumped 11,664]

Hi.  Control of titles already seems pretty good to me.

 

Windows desktop now defaults to starting a new note with the cursor in the title box.  There's also a Registry hack to force a start in earlier versions.  (YMMV - now I think of it,  the hack might still be set on my laptop,  hence my current experience)  Tab to the body and start typing to see the first line as the title,  hit return and type to skip the first line and there's no title.  The main desktop app has no settings for autotitle,  though Clipper / Clearly and the mobile apps may have optional settings.  (The Android app does forinstance...)

 

I'm in the 'always use titles' camp anyway - I use intitle: searches to more or less replace dates, keywords and tags,  and titles are quicker to create than messing with one or more option menus.

[L-uAn 4]

You have the hack set, for me new notes start in the body.

 

The auto-title behaviour you describe only applies if you create a new note and leave the title empty. If you edit the title even just once, auto-title functionality stops forever. There is no way to reapply the auto-title right now.

 

I am specifically talking about the auto-title in Windows. The auto-title functionalities for Android/iOS are sort of the root cause for my annoyance with the lack of the auto-title functionality in Windows.

 

I am proposing it as an option so that it may please both factions as explained above:

Since the auto-title functionality is currently very limited as described in #2 this post, you as a "always title user" are jolly happy.

However, I, as a member of the "never type titles" group, am trying to make a case to include the auto-title behaviour as described under #2 in the original post, so that I can quick and easy reset the title of a note to its "auto title".

[gazumped 11,664]

Titles have been a bit weird recently - again,  don't know if it was purely the beta,  but we're now on 5.9.3 and the release notes mention a titling issue - some changes weren't saved (apparently) if a sync was in progress when the title was being edited.  I had a couple of cases where I'd change the title of a note,  then go on to the body to add information.. and see that the title had gone back to the previous version.  I don't know if the update has fixed that..  but despite my selfish needs being catered for,  I'll agree that a feature request for a setting somewhere to switch 'first line' titling firmly on or off is a good idea..

[jcp411 2]

Would love this feature!

[psroberts 2]

Pretty much agree, although if I'm going to choose the title I'd rather the cursor started in the title bar. Please can we have an option to manually title notes and start with the focus in the title bar!  Some of us like to title the note first, and on the odd occasion I don't, it's easy and natural to hit TAB to get to the body.

The auto-titling feature is and always has been a complete pain.

[AndyProuty 8]

The auto-title (which I like) has been buggy lately on Windows desktop 5.9.6....  Maybe a revisit with this clear option would allow both methods to be cleanly supported.

[gazumped 11,664]

So much support,  so few clicks on the counter at the top pf the page... 

[netstepinc 7]

I've been a paid Evernote user since 2008. Pasting text into a note and having the title auto generate has been my routine until recently.

To top it off, now my titles are frequently erased while I'm typing them so the only way I can reliably get a note title is to make sure the title I want is in the text then copy and paste as the title. The new non-auto title function SUCKS.

For YEARS all I had to do to get the first line of text as the title is delete the title then click out of the title box.
If I manually typed the title, it stayed that way.
Why did Evernote "fix" it to the point of breaking something that was so useful?

[gazumped 11,664]

3 hours ago, netstepinc said:

I've been a paid Evernote user since 2008. Pasting text into a note and having the title auto generate has been my routine until recently.

To top it off, now my titles are frequently erased while I'm typing them so the only way I can reliably get a note title is to make sure the title I want is in the text then copy and paste as the title. The new non-auto title function SUCKS.

For YEARS all I had to do to get the first line of text as the title is delete the title then click out of the title box.
If I manually typed the title, it stayed that way.
Why did Evernote "fix" it to the point of breaking something that was so useful?

Hi.  There is something wrong with the way titles are handled at the moment.  I'd suggest raising a bug report and submitting your Activity Log - scroll to the bottom of this page to click the 'Contact Support' button.

[L-uAn 4]

9 hours ago, gazumped said:

Hi.  There is something wrong with the way titles are handled at the moment.  I'd suggest raising a bug report and submitting your Activity Log - scroll to the bottom of this page to click the 'Contact Support' button.

I've been in touch with the support, and they told me that the functionality changed, though he couldn't pinpoint it in the change log.

I have reverted on my installed Windows versions back to 5.8.6.7519 which still has the functionality exactly as desired (i.e. deleting the Title automatically changes it to the first line of text)

[netstepinc 7]

1 hour ago, L-uAn said:

I've been in touch with the support, and they told me that the functionality changed, though he couldn't pinpoint it in the change log.

I have reverted on my installed Windows versions back to 5.8.6.7519 which still has the functionality exactly as desired (i.e. deleting the Title automatically changes it to the first line of text)

Thank you for that.
I hope they haven't decided to remove this permanently. That would be a lapse in judgement.

So our only option is to stop updating Evernote?
With the exception of a few minor things, I'm pretty happy with EN as it was prior to auto-number-list and the demise of auto titles.
If I never upgrade it, I think I'd be OK with that, but it's a bad sign when companies start "fixing" their products to the point of messing them up for their long-term users.

Why should the newbies drive the development?
My user account is in the 5M range...what are they 85M now?
It seems like comments and requests from long-term paid subscribers should be weighted slightly.

I just installed this version and EN is running as it should with auto titles.
THAT IS AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH! 
As far as I'm concerned, this is a show stopper.
The hassle of not having it outweighs the benefits of upgrading to a version without it.

Download 5.8.6.7519 @ http://cdn1.evernote.com/win5/public/Evernote_5.8.6.7519.exe 

 

[netstepinc 7]

11 hours ago, gazumped said:

Hi.  There is something wrong with the way titles are handled at the moment.  I'd suggest raising a bug report and submitting your Activity Log - scroll to the bottom of this page to click the 'Contact Support' button.

Simple solution...don't take away important features and mess up people's work flow when you "fix" Evernote.

[L-uAn 4]

Dear Evernote Team, thank you very very much for bringing back the auto tile functionality! Evernote on Windows, Release 6 is awesome!

[yappydog1 0]

AUTO TITLE from first line of text is what I would love.

it works on windows pc, but not on ipad or iphone. 

So a quick action eg. CALL PLUMBER if done on the iphone as text when set to AUTO it will enter whatever is in my diary eg. someones birthday, or if not on auto comes in as untitled.

Can we get this fixed to do as per the windows pc.

thanks 

[netstepinc 7]

I'm still on v5.8.6.7519.
Can you confirm the "auto title from first line of note" function has been added back into EN-WIN?
I'd like to upgrade, but I don't have time for a hassle if I have to revert back.

[gazumped 11,664]

5 hours ago, netstepinc said:

I'm still on v5.8.6.7519.
Can you confirm the "auto title from first line of note" function has been added back into EN-WIN?
I'd like to upgrade, but I don't have time for a hassle if I have to revert back.

Hi.  If you don't type an alternate title in Evernote Windows Desktop,  the first line of body text will also appear in the title line. (Evernote 6.3.3)

[AndyProuty 8]

I agree, this is working well on 6.3.3 on Windows for me too.

[L-uAn 4]

On 12/10/2016 at 8:18 PM, netstepinc said:

I'm still on v5.8.6.7519.
Can you confirm the "auto title from first line of note" function has been added back into EN-WIN?
I'd like to upgrade, but I don't have time for a hassle if I have to revert back.

Yes the functionality is back, maximum user satisfaction achieved