Keyboard shortcut to edit current note?

[Mellevsen 2]

Is there a keyboard shortcut for just editing the current note in the Windows desktop client?

 

The KB article "What are the keyboard shortcuts in Evernote for Windows" has shortcuts to set focus to just about everything EXCEPT the editing area! I've discovered that if I first press F3 to add a tag, and then press either Esc or Tab, focus moves to the editing area, but this is a kludge at best.

 

What am I missing?!

[gazumped 11,652]

Hmmn.  Can't see that there is one - unless someone more knowledgeable can suggest something?  The only option I'd see is AHK or something similar to jump to the edit space.

[jefito 5,589]

Actually, F2 to jump to the title (think "rename"), and then Enter takes you to the note body. Maybe a bit less kludgey than the other one.

[Mellevsen 2]

That's strange - when I press F2, then Tab, the next selected control is the left-most pane containing shortcuts, notebooks, etc. For me, F3 ("add a tag") is the control before the editing pane.

 

Even more strangely, it seems as though there are multiple tab groups eg. if you select the Note List, then keep pressing Tab, it's only 4 presses to get back to the Note List, and it never selects the Note Title. In other words, depending on what you currently have selected, it's impossible to tab to quite a number of controls.

 

Very weird and non-intuitive design!

[jefito 5,589]

Tabs have never really been fully fleshed out in the Windows client, not for years. I used to work on an application that did that, to an excruciating degree, and while that's a good thing, it can be a little ridiculous trying to tab around a UI that has over 100 tab stops available (and changes with context). And it was crazy-making to develop, at least in our system.

 

But I digress: earlier I said (less briefly): F2, then Enter. Not F2, then Tab.

[April1974 2]

I was searching this forum for an answer to the same question - thank you all for informed discussion. From this, now I understand that:

 

Hitting Tab in Note List View with a focus on one note will let you cycle through 1. note list 2. search pane, and 3. note title.

 

Once in a note title, hit Esc to enter body text. Hitting Esc again in the body text will let your focus go back to the note in note list. 

 

So basically use Tab and Esc.

 

BUT ... now I have another, related question.  When I clip a webpage using WebClipper and add it to desktop client, the client usually shows a new independent note in a new window, with a cursor in the body text.  I often want to edit note title.

 

However, this time, when I click on Esc and Tab neither of them work.  Tab only pushes away texts in the body, and worse, Esc will close the window. I tried F2 but it does nothing for me - in this independent window and also in the regular view of the desktop client.
 

Does anyone know a way to move the cursor in this independent window out of the body text area into note title area, without using a mouse?   

 

[CalS 5,280]

I think you may have to click into the new window.  If you click into the body of the note in the new window, F2 will take you to the title.  The new window is not included in the esc - tab cycle you reference.  At least it works that way for me.

[April1974 2]

I see everyone mentioning F2 but I swear it does not work for me.

 

I use Windows 7, and the latest Firefox and Evernote and Webclipper.

[jefito 5,589]

Are you using the web application or the native Windows application? The web application is the one that runs in your browser; F2 doesn't work there.

[April1974 2]

Desktop client, windows app!

[jefito 5,589]

Sorry, F2 should work in the Windows desktop application. Is it possible you've overridden it in your Windows settings? Does it work as it should in Explorer? I.e., select a file in Explorer, press F2 to rename the file. Do you use a program like AutoHotKey or PhraseExpander to hijack keyboard shortcuts?

 

I'm kinda grasping at straws here, really.

[April1974 2]

Dear Jefito, I have no problem using F2 in "notebook list" to rename a notebook - or for the purpose of remaming files in Windows Explorer. But I can't use F2 to rename notes in "note list" and neither in the subject/note title of a note itself. 

 

I don't recall changing settings to override shortcut for Evernote.  But let's say I did it - how can I check & change what I did?

 

I swear F2 doesn't work for me.  I can't believe it's just me having this problem. ....

[CalS 5,280]

To be specific so as to avoid confusion, F2 from the note list moves focus to the note title, F2 from the note body also moves focus to the note title.  The note title area is where you change the title of the note itself.  This is the behavior you are NOT seeing?

 

In any case have you tried closing EN and starting it back up?  I have had instances in the past where some of my hot keys have gotten "hosed" who knows how and an exit/restart has fixed the problem.  

[April1974 2]

Ha! Scihilling! It WORKS!!! I closed it and restarted it and now it works!!!!

 

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

 

I'm so happy!!!!!

[CalS 5,280]

You are most welcome.  That many smiley faces has definitely made my day!

[Mellevsen 2]

Thanks Jefito for the clarification on your key sequence - sorry I misread your original post.

 

Regarding tab order, I too am a professional software developer (with several decades experience in fact), and I've always given the UI the highest priority in every client application I've worked on, because that's primarily what systems get judged on (OK, maybe UI comes after crashing ;-) ). I well understand "tab order hell" makes for hard decisions, but that doesn't excuse any developer from thinking about it each time they make a system change which affects tab order. It's also worth mentioning that tab order becomes even more important when there are no keyboard shortcuts to facilitate direct access to commonly-used features.

 

The prima facie case for using Evernote is to edit notes, yet there is apparently no keyboard shortcut for doing so. Stranger still, there are keyboard shortcuts to many ancillary features (eg. tags, title renaming, etc). But still nothing to facilitate the app's primary purpose. That's just plain weird! An unpredictable and apparently-neglected tab order simply makes the matter worse.

 

If anyone from Evernote is reading this, please can you lodge a feature request to review the Windows client's keyboard shortcuts ASAP?

 

The last thing I want is to offend the often-overworked developers, but we the users really need just an hour of 2 of their expertise to fix this functionality gap. Evernote is such a great idea, and it needs only a tiny bit more effort to make its execution just as great :-)

[DEK 1]

csihilling

Csihilling,

 

I have the same situation as jefito's, only a little worse.  F2 does nothing** for me in the Evernote client for Windows.  I have verified that my F2 key works well for other purposes, like renaming files in Windows Explorer or putting Microsoft Excel into formula editing mode.  I have restarted Evernote, and that didn't help.

            

**  Well, almost nothing.  It never takes me to the Note title.  But if my focus is on the name of a Notebook in the left-hand pane, it triggers the action of renaming the Notebook. Which isn't very useful.

 

Do you have any more ideas?

 

Much appreciated.

 

[jefito 5,589]

csihilling

Csihilling,

 

I have the same situation as jefito's, only a little worse.  F2 does nothing** for me in the Evernote client for Windows.  I have verified that my F2 key works well for other purposes, like renaming files in Windows Explorer or putting Microsoft Excel into formula editing mode.  I have restarted Evernote, and that didn't help.

            

**  Well, almost nothing.  It never takes me to the Note title.  But if my focus is on the name of a Notebook in the left-hand pane, it triggers the action of renaming the Notebook. Which isn't very useful.

 

Do you have any more ideas?

 

Much appreciated.

 

You don't think that renaming a notebook is useful?

 

OK, so you've selected a notebook, not a note; F2 *should* rename the notebook. Ditto for tags in the left-hand pane. And also for shortcuts, if they're shown in the left panel. It would be crazy-making to have it jump to the note title in these cases.It would be as if you had selected a folder in the left Explorer pane, and pressing F2 jumped to rename the first file in the folder: surprising behavior.

 

Again, my experience is that if you select a note in the note list (or reminder list for that matter), and press F2, then the title field of the note is selected, and you can rename it immediately..Or if you're editing the note, same thing: F2 to rename the note. If it isn't doing that, then something is wrong, and it's hard to say what that might be.

[CalS 5,280]

csihilling

Csihilling,

 

I have the same situation as jefito's, only a little worse.  F2 does nothing** for me in the Evernote client for Windows.  I have verified that my F2 key works well for other purposes, like renaming files in Windows Explorer or putting Microsoft Excel into formula editing mode.  I have restarted Evernote, and that didn't help.

            

**  Well, almost nothing.  It never takes me to the Note title.  But if my focus is on the name of a Notebook in the left-hand pane, it triggers the action of renaming the Notebook. Which isn't very useful.

 

Do you have any more ideas?

 

Much appreciated.

 

Do you have any other software which might be controlling the F2 key?  Other than that, try restarting your machine.  I have lost function keys before, don't know why, and a restart has fixed it.  FWIW.

[DEK 1]

 

csihilling

Csihilling,

 

I have the same situation as jefito's, only a little worse.  F2 does nothing** for me in the Evernote client for Windows.  I have verified that my F2 key works well for other purposes, like renaming files in Windows Explorer or putting Microsoft Excel into formula editing mode.  I have restarted Evernote, and that didn't help.

            

**  Well, almost nothing.  It never takes me to the Note title.  But if my focus is on the name of a Notebook in the left-hand pane, it triggers the action of renaming the Notebook. Which isn't very useful.

 

Do you have any more ideas?

 

Much appreciated.

 

Do you have any other software which might be controlling the F2 key?  Other than that, try restarting your machine.  I have lost function keys before, don't know why, and a restart has fixed it.  FWIW.

 

Restarting the computer did the trick.  Much thanks.

[Egholm 2]

You are most welcome.  That many smiley faces has definitely made my day!

 

Ditto!! Thanks for the suggestion of restarting EN! Solved it for me, as well

 

I've been annoyed of this problem for two weeks now (and obviously haven't restarted anything)

[42birken 4]

The prima facie case for using Evernote is to edit notes, yet there is apparently no keyboard shortcut for doing so. Stranger still, there are keyboard shortcuts to many ancillary features (eg. tags, title renaming, etc). But still nothing to facilitate the app's primary purpose. That's just plain weird! An unpredictable and apparently-neglected tab order simply makes the matter worse.

 

Well, actually, there is a shortcut: From the list I just press "Enter" and I'm right in the note. If I press "Ctrl+Enter" the note opens up in a new window, also with the cursor in it ready for editing.