Feature Request: More functional tables!

[VincentHAN 3]

I've been using evernote for about 3 years now and I've had a great experience so far! However, the only problem that I encounter on a daily basis is that the tables function in evernote is too primitive. It doesn't allow me to merge cells or create more functional tables like excel. It'd be great if evernote could improve on this feature! 

[JMichaelTX 4,118]

I agree that, while we don't need the Excel formula feature, it would be very useful and productive to have basic table layout/management features like:

• Copy or Move (Cut/Insert) a Row or Column
• Select a Row or Column, and then apply formatting
• Sort rows in Table for specified column
• Insert a Table in the cell of another table
• Insert a Horizontal Line in any cell
• Merge Cells (lower priority)

And equally important, make sure copy/paste between Evernote and MS Excel and Word (both directions) works really well.

[DTLow 5,745]

>>more functional tables like excel

When I need excel features, I use a spreadsheet app, I don't expect to find them in a note taking app.

I do find it nice that EN has the table feature, and has made it much more functional than in earlier versions.

My wish would be that this function is extended to the iPad so that we can add/delete rows and columns.

[dyuhas 12]

The question I've always asked about the table feature is why.  Why bother?  The latest update hasn't changed my opinion and, as a matter of fact, I'm even more puzzled.  In essence tables are a tab delimited note with lines.  Apparently a one column sort is a bridge too far for the the crack Evernote programmers.  This kind of thing would never have happened if Libin was still running things <g>.

[JMichaelTX 4,118]

This kind of thing would never have happened if Libin was still running things <g>.

 

Are you kidding?  Libin is most likely, directly or indirectly, the reason Evernote has such poor support for tables.

His attitude was that if he didn't need it, then no one else really needs it.  He never wanted to give users options.  He wanted to dictate the design.

 

Since Libin left, some great things have started to happen, like providing a common note editor across all platforms, and the Evernote team really listening and responding to user's requests and complaints.

 

See The Evernote Editor

[dyuhas 12]

You seemed to have missed the obvious clue I left to indicate that I was kidding.

If I had a nickel for every time Evernote has said "we hear you and will improve" then I'd have a handful of nickels. What exactly is the point of making a modest improvement to the table feature? It was useless before and after the improvement. What other software has a table that can't be sorted on at least one column? How about, instead, make sync bullet proof - which it is most certainly is not.

This kind of thing would never have happened if Libin was still running things <g>.

 

Are you kidding?  Libin is most likely, directly or indirectly, the reason Evernote has such poor support for tables.

His attitude was that if he didn't need it, then no one else really needs it.  He never wanted to give users options.  He wanted to dictate the design.

 

Since Libin left, some great things have started to happen, like providing a common note editor across all platforms, and the Evernote team really listening and responding to user's requests and complaints.

 

See The Evernote Editor

[DTLow 5,745]

Wow, you seem very upset by this lack of features.

I have to agree, spreadsheet apps have so many more features, and word processing apps also have so many more features and I could go on about calendar and database apps.

It's almost as if EN developers view their product as a note taking app.

[dyuhas 12]

Wow, you seem very upset by this lack of features.

I have to agree, spreadsheet apps have so many more features, and word processing apps also have so many more features and I could go on about calendar and database apps.

It's almost as if EN developers view their product as a note taking app.

"Lack of features?"  There no "features" in Evernote tables. It's essentially a tab delimited note with horizontal and vertical rules.  And that's it.

 

If Evernote is just a note taking app, then why include tables?

 

If you like the useless Evernote table, you would have loved Info Select, an early PIM.  It's no longer around because of feature bloat and abysmal support.  Sound familiar? 

[DTLow 5,745]

So, would you be less upset if EN changed the name "Table" to TDNWHAVR (tab delimited note with horizontal and verticle rules)

[rcpinnegar 0]

I would also love to see tables become more powerful in Evernote. I wouldn't mind having spreadsheet functionality. But I also would like more control over horizontal alignment within cells. I keep my grocery list in Evernote and just started experimenting with a new format that includes a table. But all of the cells horizontally align to the center, which isn't a default I'm accustomed to and is very visually distracting.

[dyuhas 12]

18 hours ago, rcpinnegar said:

I would also love to see tables become more powerful in Evernote. I wouldn't mind having spreadsheet functionality. But I also would like more control over horizontal alignment within cells. I keep my grocery list in Evernote and just started experimenting with a new format that includes a table. But all of the cells horizontally align to the center, which isn't a default I'm accustomed to and is very visually distracting.

Don't hold your breath. Evernote's response to complaints about the table feature, for years, was "we're limited by html." Then they weren't. 

[DTLow 5,745]

2 minutes ago, dyuhas said:

But all of the cells horizontally align to the center, which isn't a default I'm accustomed to and is very visually distracting.

I found that strange too - more so since on the Mac, the cells were alligned to the top.  When I went to the ipad, my table looked so different.

[Neil Rutledge 12]

I would be absolutely elated if I could simply do some of the following:

• Press up or down...and actually move up or down a cell
• Highlight a selection of cells in a column...without selecting every damn cell in every row/column in between
• Cut and paste from a selection of cells into another selection of cells
• Change the background colour of a cell without digging through a context menu and two pop-up windows....

We definitely don't need bloated features of a spreadsheet application...we just need tables that are simple to interact with.

[DinoDinette 0]

On 15/03/2016 at 8:07 PM, rcpinnegar said:

I would also love to see tables become more powerful in Evernote. I wouldn't mind having spreadsheet functionality. But I also would like more control over horizontal alignment within cells. I keep my grocery list in Evernote and just started experimenting with a new format that includes a table. But all of the cells horizontally align to the center, which isn't a default I'm accustomed to and is very visually distracting.

You're kipping your grocery list, some need evernote to work and the tables become even more frustrating. I so agree with you. No one seems to take this into consideration...