(Archived) How Tuesday: How to create a table of contents

[gbarry 2,658]

[idoc 400]

This is very cool indeed.  I just realized that you could create a table of contents for every notebook that you have and simply conduct searches on that table of content (by using ctrl F).  For example, if I search for the word "Vanguard" in my WORK notebook I get hundreds of notes that I have to scroll through.  This is tedious even though I will eventually find the one that I want.  However, if I make a table of contents of my WORK notebook using the system mentioned above, I can then do a quick Ctrl-F for Vanguard and I instantly see all of the hits on that table of contents.  I can quickly scroll down that page until I find the hit that I'm interested in.  Actually an easier way of searching when you know you'll get a lot of hits.

[spg SCOTT 736]

This is almost required I feel if you want a shared notebook to have any structure to it.

Something I have made use of in my own notebook.

I think these short videos on simple (to us at least) topics are a really useful way of showing off more features to everyone. I get the feeling that sometimes people are using a small subset of all of EN's features, simply because they don't know about them.

[gbarry 2,658]

That's the aim.  Phil Libin actually did this randomly in a presentation during one of our group meetings (the bulk notelink creation trick) and half of us were like "WAIT WHOA WHOA WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!"

[jbenson2 2,147]

I agree - the short videos are immensely helpful.

Hope to see more in one central how-to location and mentioned on the Evernote home page.

 

I suggested this a couple years ago: copy the structure used by LastPass.

It's a great way to learn the specific options that are of interest.

And to brush up on the more complex tasks

It is a more user-friendly way of learning how to use the program.

 

https://lastpass.com/support_screencasts.php

[gbarry 2,658]

That's clean.  I'm going to run that format by a combination of our video and education teams.  I know there's interest in reformatting the videos page of our website, it's just backburnered at the moment.

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

Obviously, no one at Evernote (besides Phil) is reading my website or posts if this is news to you! Now you can see why I was up in arms when Mac broke the bulk note link feature. What did all of you think I was going on about when I kept posting about the bug?

[rmw1 12]

Grumpy...I have been using this technique for about a year thanks to your post on indexing...I use it to create Indexes not Table of Contents...

[rmw1 12]

I should have said Thanks to Grumpy for showing me the technique...

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

I should have said Thanks to Grumpy for showing me the technique...

Thanks!

Now you remind me that I ought to thank the person who taught me! Except, I don't recall where I came across this. I surely didn't come up with the technique on my own.

Most of what I do is borrowed from great ideas that I have come across here or there, and my only claim to originality is that I have put it together in a particular way (at times, a little bizarre, to be honest). Anyhow, a blanket thanks here to everyone on the forums, the Internet, and at Evernote for teaching me all of this stuff.

And, of course, thanks to GB for posting this video! In the future, feel free to name me as the source of all inspiration, even if I can't lay claim to inventing all of these techniques

[cctiger2 21]

I've also been using this trick for some time.  No idea where I first discovered it.  

 

One more tip to make this trick even more useful:  

 

If you sort your note lists by "Date Created" the table of contents note can get lost further down the list as you add to the notebook.  To prevent this, set the "Created Date" of your table of contents note to something WAY in the future to keep it ALWAYS at the top of the notebook - no mater how many other notes you add.  

 

To manually edit the Date Created or Date Updated - click on the little "i" in the upper right of the note (mac version - sorry, I dunno where it is in the windows version) and manually change the dates to whatever you like.

 

I use the same trick to keep "templates" on the top of the notebooks I use them in, or on any other note I want to make sure stays on the top of my  notebook list.  (Though it occurs to me, reminders would now let me do something similar... hrm... more to ponder...)

[sunsuni4 5]

This is great, but is it possible to update a note with table of contents automatically?

 

For example, I add a note to a specific notebook (or move from another notebook, actually Inbox) with a huge number of notes, and I have a note there with an Index or Table of Contents, it would be cool to have a feature that automatically add a note link to newly added note.

In todays situation using a GTD like process of management I have to spend a lot of time cleaning Inbox.

 

I try to use evernote as personal knowledge base (like wiki) and missing some features wikis have. Generally speaking this stuff [[WikiWord]]. It could become a link pressing on which I can choose a note to link to. And if I use it in text it can be that link that I already set up. Right Click could edit the link for the defined word.

[jefito 5,589]

This is great, but is it possible to update a note with table of contents automatically?

Nope, not in the Evernote clients. That would require some sort of rule-based action system to be available and Evernote doesn't really have that, at least not in a general, user-configurable package (I've been wanting this for a long time). Probably the easiest way is to have a simple way to identify and order the notes in your collection and just select them and make an entirely new table of contents. Not optimal, I know.

 

I try to use evernote as personal knowledge base (like wiki) and missing some features wikis have. Generally speaking this stuff [[WikiWord]]. It could become a link pressing on which I can choose a note to link to. And if I use it in text it can be that link that I already set up. Right Click could edit the link for the defined word.

Yeah, a feature like that could be useful. Not sure if it's in the cards any time soon, if at all, though.

[ZZZ 135]

This is great, but is it possible to update a note with table of contents automatically?

 

No, but that would be a beyond awesome feature, for individuals, and especially for businesses.

[Shiraz Mistry 3]

This is great, but is it possible to update a note with table of contents automatically?

 

This was my feeling too this morning as I considered using either an index or Table of Contents.

 

Let's see what Evernote comes up with in a new version or feature. Please add this to the next feature update.

[maregrin 1]

Hello,

 

Running Evernote in Google Chrome, when I right-click on a note, I have the following choices only:

Open note in a separate window

Print

Edit

Delete

Add shortcut

 

Where do I find Copy note link ?

 

[jefito 5,589]

Hello,

 

Running Evernote in Google Chrome, when I right-click on a note, I have the following choices only:

Open note in a separate window

Print

Edit

Delete

Add shortcut

 

Where do I find Copy note link ?

Not sure that that exists in the web client.

[Newdaddy 7]

Oy, this would be a great feature to get into the mobile clients! (This and, as I said in some other thread, color/size/font selection for text.) If not in the mobile clients, then at least in the web interface, that could be used on a phone or iPad.

[Newdaddy 7]

In general I think Evernote should be working towards migrating as much of its functionality to mobile clients as possible. In the not-to-distant future, its likely (it seems to me) that the majority of users will only or chiefly be using mobile platforms. If the mobile client(s) seem lobotomized compared to the desktop version, or even if it merely appears that the mobile versions are being less well supported, that is going to turn off users.

Not nagging here (I hope), just stating the obvious. We shouldn't have to advocate for each desktop feature we'd like to see in the mobile versions - it's in Evernote's own best interests to keep them in step. Also I'm going to guess it will be less expensive, long-term, to support versions that are more similar than dissimilar.

[cynwren 9]

I've been doing the one-link-at-a-time version of this to create what I was calling index notes, e.g. for meetings with lots of handouts or for talks I was giving where I needed to jump out to various docs.  But somehow I hadn't picked up on the batch process for quickly creating a TOC.  Will be playing with this a lot now!!

 

And yes, I would love to see this fully functional on mobile devices.  I'm delighted that can use a TOC (index) note on my iOS devices, but am frustrated that I can only create them on my desktop or laptop.  I do a lot of meeting prep my iPad, and often end up muttering under my breath and writing myself a reminder to create a linked note when I get home/back to my desk.

[markg 26]

By accident I found a really fast way of doing this. Double click on your Table of Contents note to open it in a new window. Then just drag the reference notes across to it from your main Evernote window. This automatically creates links without you having to go through pull down menus, etc. Try it...

--

Cheers

Mark

www.reallifeselling.com

 

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

By accident I found a really fast way of doing this. Double click on your Table of Contents note to open it in a new window. Then just drag the reference notes across to it from your main Evernote window. This automatically creates links without you having to go through pull down menus, etc. Try it...

--

Cheers

Mark

www.reallifeselling.com

Indeed

Here is a screencast if you want to see it in action.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s74/sh/7b9aee3d-4001-4ff9-afa4-709646ca5ef2/64dd1fecc797ff890c2c7800b0597698

However, Evernote has added a Table of Contents button that makes this process superfluous in some cases (but not all -- often, I want to make a list of notes within an existing note, not create a new note).

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s74/sh/a808397a-bdee-41b3-954e-e144a45f306c/73b2abd6645d4f70d75e1a231cade1a8

[Martin Packer 162]

This is rather nice (and thanks to Linda (surname?) for doing the video).

 

One thing though: I wonder if it's possible to drag and drop the links within the TOC (Table Of Contents) note to reorder them. I suspect it's a bit more cumbersome than that.

 

I store my notes in "last updated descending" order - which probably ISN'T the order I want the TOC to be in. And even if Evernote remembers the order you clicked on I'm not sure that's the order I want the links to stay in.

 

The above most notably for Batch Mode. (Actually it's not Batch as in JCL.) :-)

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

This is rather nice (and thanks to Linda (surname?) for doing the video).

 

One thing though: I wonder if it's possible to drag and drop the links within the TOC (Table Of Contents) note to reorder them. I suspect it's a bit more cumbersome than that.

 

I store my notes in "last updated descending" order - which probably ISN'T the order I want the TOC to be in. And even if Evernote remembers the order you clicked on I'm not sure that's the order I want the links to stay in.

 

The above most notably for Batch Mode. (Actually it's not Batch as in JCL.) :-)

You just resort stuff. If you want it by date updated, then sort accordingly before creating the TOC or dragging the notes into a note (see the screencasts I linked for the one-button TOC creation method). The TOC has the same limits as the app when it comes to sorting (no manual sorting), so if you have a special order, then you'll have to move stuff around within the TOC note.

[Martin Packer 162]

@GrumpyMonkey I guess I'll just have to try it some day. It's either very easy - as dragging works nicely in a note - or very fiddly.

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

@GrumpyMonkey I guess I'll just have to try it some day. It's either very easy - as dragging works nicely in a note - or very fiddly.

Very easy! And, if you try out the table of contents button, you don't even have to drag the notes -- the table of contents note pops up and you are all done.

[Sugeeth Krish 475]

Alternatively, you can do this. 1. Select all notes and then right click :copy link

2.paste in new note. This creates a table of notes.