Checkbox shortcut indents checkbox

[steve_montana 1]

Hi, while I was trying the beta editor, I noticed that adding a checkbox with the [] shortcut, indents the checkbox. When opening the note in the desktop or mobile client, the indented checkbox will even have a dash in front of it (this is not shown in the web editor). Adding a checkbox by clicking the button in the ribbon does function as expected.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,950]

Hi, and welcome to the forums. I can confirm that this is the case in the beta editor. When I did a test checkbox and then looked at the note in the Windows desktop program, the checkbox had a bullet in front of it, and the bulleted list formatting icon was activated. When I deactivated that icon, then the checkbox also de-indented back to its normal position, both in the Windows program and (after a sync) in the Web beta. Definitely a bug.

[PhixItPhil 3]

Hi all. Well, here it is 8 months later and the checkbox indent/bullet bug still exists. Apparently, the beta editor has been released recently, with that bug! I'm sure this is not high on the bug list, but it sure is an annoyance to those of us that use the checkbox extensively for project and to-do lists. Here are my observations and comments about the check box when using the web editor.

• I have confirmed in the current editor the bug that steve_montana mentions in the beta editor. Using the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+Shift+C, creates an indented checkbox. This then appears as a bullet item in the Android mobile app.
• Checkbox is no longer in the editor ribbon. Now it is in the Insert pull down menu. Please move back the the ribbon.
• When opening a new line, "Enter", from a line with the checkbox, a new checkbox is not automatically created. Instead, a checkbox has to be manually inserted, mouse move to insert button, then click on the checkbox. This is  too much effort, especially to execute for each line in a longer list. Previously, if I did not need a checkbox on my next line, a simple and quick "Backspace" keystroke deleted it. Please restore the automatic checkbox on a new line feature.
• Another user in this forum suggested a multi-click check box with blank, a check mark, and an x for the box status selections. I like this suggestion and second his recommendation.

These features and improvements may benefit somebody, but certainly not this user. Please create and restore a more user friendly checkbox functionality.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,950]

Hi, @PhixItPhil, and welcome to the forums. Thanks for catching this and researching it so thoroughly. I can confirm every one of these points, in v. 6.18.0. I would add that there is an item in the editor ribbon labeled "Checklist." It has the exact same function as Ctrl+Shift+C or [], producing a bulleted list with checkboxes on other platforms. None of this seems like a step forward; and what is the difference (and why should there be one) between a check list and a checkbox?

The Web editor beta is currently in a state of rapid flux, with updates every week or so. That may explain why some things get out that seem not quite ready for prime time. Doesn't really justify an invisible bullet list in a checklist, though.

[PhixItPhil 3]

Hello Dave-in-Decatur, and thank you for the quick response. So, will Evernote be addressing these issues and bugs at some point soon? Should I send these to them via their feedback mechanism?

I hadn't noticed the checklist button on the ribbon and agree, it does not accomplish what I was expecting, a non-indented checkbox, or multiple, with automatic new line checkbox feature. I want the old checkbox button back. How do I make this request?

Another discovery on my part, when creating a new note, there is a To Do template that can be selected. The layout of this template is something that I would likely use. However, it too suffers from lack of the automatic new line checkbox feature. So, what's the point? Do the developers ever use their part of the product? Do they listen to feedback from customers?

Thanks for you time.

Phil

[Yang Xiaozhou 0]

I can confirm that the inconsistency of the checkbox function on web client and on Mac desktop app is still present. 

The web client checkbox function produces a list of checkboxes with bullets in front. While the bullets are not shown on web client, it shows in my Mac desktop Evernote app.

This inconsistency makes the organization of checklists across platform very inconvenient. Please fix the bug!

Edited September 15, 2020 by Yang Xiaozhou
typo

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,950]

Hello, @Yang Xiaozhou, and welcome to the forums. This is indeed a serious bug. It is also possible to insert checkboxes from the Insert (blue +) menu, but while those do not have bullets, they are just single boxes; they do not function as a list. See also the discussion here:

 

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,950]

FYI, I've submitted feedback on the bullets issue through the Web client feedback button (found at the bottom of the left sidebar, I just discovered), and by emailing support.

[Paul A. 614]

I've read through this thread a couple of times and I don't believe anything that has been mentioned is a bug. People seem to be confused about a few things, so let me try to reduce the confusion by summarizing and explaining:

On the new web client, the new iOS client, and the (still in beta as of this writing) desktop and Android clients:

1. The old checkbox functionality (where one could add a new line to create a new checkbox) has been replaced with a checklist. The checklist is both more descriptive of its intended functionality and works far better - checking an item off puts a strikethrough through the text, checklist items can indent and un-indent logically just like bullets (the old checkboxes didn't work well indented), and the new checklist items can be re-ordered easily (hover the mouse pointer to the left of the checklist box to see a an indicator which allows you to drag the checklist wherever you want it).
2. Because people naturally will at times need a checkbox that doesn't have the above features, Evernote has added a new item called "checkbox" which has no intelligence. It's simply a checkbox, which can checked off or not, and can be inserted anywhere. It doesn't indent intelligently, new ones won't be created with a new line, etc.
3. The checklist is indented to the exact same level as a bulleted list or a numbered list, because it simply is another form of these lists. The extra indentation allows room for the "drag" symbol to appear to the left of the list when hovering your mouse cursor to the left of the item, to facilitate easy re-ordering via dragging.
4. Since the "checklist" is a new item which only exists in the new clients, it renders as a combination bullet and checkbox on the old clients. This is not a bug - this is simply a limitation of the old clients not supporting a new feature. This will cease to be an issue when the new clients roll out on all platforms.

 

In summary:

• Once the new clients roll out on all platforms, there will no longer be any rendering issues with checklists rendering as a combination bullet and checkbox.
• Use the new checklists for checkboxes in a list. Checklists = the old checkbox. Use the "new" checkboxes anywhere else you want a checkbox that isn't part of a list.

 

Did I miss any scenarios or issues people are having? Let me know, and I'll try to answer those if I can.

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,950]

Thank you for the clarifications, @Paul A.. Begging your pardon, but I was not confused about anything about how the new checklist works or how it differs from the checkbox. What is interesting is this:

On 9/19/2020 at 11:36 AM, Paul A. said:

Since the "checklist" is a new item which only exists in the new clients, it renders as a combination bullet and checkbox on the old clients. This is not a bug - this is simply a limitation of the old clients not supporting a new feature. This will cease to be an issue when the new clients roll out on all platforms.

Is this based on inside knowledge of what's going on in the not-yet-upgraded clients, e.g., Windows and Android? You mention the betas of those two platforms--are you using them? If so, are the bullets gone from the new checklists there?

I will say that, while this may not technically be a bug, assuming you're correct about the relation to the older clients, from the point of view of users who have no inside information about the relation of the upgraded to the non-upgraded clients, it functions very much like a bug.

[Paul A. 614]

18 hours ago, Dave-in-Decatur said:

Thank you for the clarifications, @Paul A.. Begging your pardon, but I was not confused about anything about how the new checklist works or how it differs from the checkbox. What is interesting is this:

I know you know the difference, but it seemed some other people were confused. 😀

18 hours ago, Dave-in-Decatur said:

Is this based on inside knowledge of what's going on in the not-yet-upgraded clients, e.g., Windows and Android? You mention the betas of those two platforms--are you using them? If so, are the bullets gone from the new checklists there?

Confirmed by Evernote staff when the web editor first released and also via use of the new beta apps. Correct - checklists show as checklists on the new clients, and not as bullets with checkboxes, as they natively support checklists just like the new web editor and new iOS app.

18 hours ago, Dave-in-Decatur said:

I will say that, while this may not technically be a bug, assuming you're correct about the relation to the older clients, from the point of view of users who have no inside information about the relation of the upgraded to the non-upgraded clients, it functions very much like a bug.

I agree - the communication has been oddly lacking with respect to this. I would have expected a support article at the very least (perhaps it exists now, to be fair - I haven't searched recently.) My guess is they kept optimistically thinking the new clients would be ready much sooner and focused their resources there.

[Brian242 0]

For a grocery list, one used to add an item, which created a checkbox on the next line, then (literally) check the box (meaning you want to buy it), and then uncheck the box after the item it is in your grocery cart.  Now . . . to add an grocery item, you create the checklist and type the item ("Milk"), and after "checking" the box (meaning you want to buy "milk"), a line is through the item.  A line through the item on a check list means the item is bought/done/completed.  That is the opposite of why "Milk" was entered on the list.  Hmmm.  I don't know anyone who creates a checklist, places a line through an action item, and then erases the line after the task is completed.  

 

[Shutterbug231 0]

Looks like I'm late to the party here - have used Evernote for many years.

When using Windows desktop app (v10) to edit notes with checkboxes, while in Windows, everything looks fine, going to the Android app shows the checkboxes removed and changes them to a bullet. (Android version 9)  Can't use for a checklist anymore as items all items are now a bullet..  Is there a workaround?  I can highlight everything in Android and add checkboxes again, but loose what was checked before, making the checklist function worthless between phone and desktop.  This has been going on for a number of months, but didn't experience it before. Kindof driving me crazy!

[Mike P 2,637]

32 minutes ago, Shutterbug231 said:

When using Windows desktop app (v10) to edit notes with checkboxes, while in Windows, everything looks fine, going to the Android app shows the checkboxes removed and changes them to a bullet. (Android version 9)

The pre version 10 of the Android App does not support checklists only checkboxes. You will need to use checkboxes. Remember though that V10 will not allow you to put a checkbox at the beginning of a line - it will automatically convert it into a checklist. A number of workarounds have been proposed on the forums but the simplest is just to add any character before the checkbox. This is most easily done using the text shortcut. e.g. 

.[]

 

[agsteele 2,944]

1 hour ago, Shutterbug231 said:

Going to the Android app shows the checkboxes removed and changes them to a bullet. (Android version 9)

You have a problem between your Android app and desktop.

You say that you are running EN v10 on Desktop and you have Android 9 which means you will be running EN v6 on Android. Checklists don't play happily of you switch between v6 and V10.

So your options are force v10 to use check boxes as @Mike P has suggested, revert to Evernote Legacy on your desktop but that loses some of the new features, or upgrade your mobile to run at least Android 10 which will give you ENv10. 

[YavorK 0]

The checkboxes issue not working between android and web is still the case. Evernote is good but really.. how can this issue still be not fixed for more than two years?

Pretty much everybody would use checkboxes and there is no workaround.