Mind map for vimwiki?

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I am using vimwiki to take note , and using Xmind to arrange thoughts. but I 
was wondering if I can edit mind map with vimwiki .

After searching the web and vim.org sites with none related scripts . I decide 
to make a  mind map script .

it was like this:
                  +->  child   
                  |
Main  +->   a     +->  child      +-> other  
                  |     
                  +->  child 2

After reading the vimwiki table scripts , I made some simple key-mapping to add 
nodes , child nodes and connecting lines.
But I found it hard to solve the formatting of insert nodes with which both 
parent node and child node have parallel nodes.

e.g. The original mind map :

      +->   a
      |
Main  +->   a     +->  child      +-> other  
      |           |     
      |           +->  child 2
      |
      +->   a

After inserting a parallel node at "other" node 
in my thoughts It should became:

      +->   a
      |
Main  +->   a     +->  child      +-> other 
      |           |               |
      |           |               +-> other  2 
      |           |     
      |           +->  child 2
      |
      +->   a

But with my scirpts , it can't be done.
I can only adding the connecting lines betweet nodes manually to solve this.

There's another problem that "| |" in vimwiki makes a table , and 
this ruins the mind map. I was using a "`|`" pattern instead , but it cause a 
lot of column position problems. 
maybe use another fiile extension and syntax will make it easier. 

mind map is very useful in taking notes , arrange ideas , studing and writing  
and other stuffs.
but with my scipts I can only make some simple mind map . 

Will vimwiki have the mind map feature in the future ? I'm very expecting that 
feature..

Original issue reported on code.google.com by cst...@gmail.com on 13 Mar 2011 at 11:54

[GoogleCodeExporter]

another simpler style:

awefw -|- aeffaeff  -|- aefaefaewf  
       |             |- aefaefawef
       |- afaefaefa
       |- aefaefefa -|- afaefafa
                     |- aefaefaefaef
                     |- aefawefwaef  
                     |- thoughts 

Original comment by cst...@gmail.com on 14 Mar 2011 at 4:48

[GoogleCodeExporter]

another even simpler method is using indent.

aefafaef
    faefaef
        faefawef
        faefawef
    afefaf       
    faefaef
         faefawef
         faefawef
         faefawef

the advantage is that no scripts is needed, and no multi_byte char bugs.

the disadvantage is that it's not very well visual displayed. 
maybe add color to the indenting may make it looks better.

Original comment by cst...@gmail.com on 14 Mar 2011 at 5:20

[GoogleCodeExporter]

it looks like list to me:

* aefafaef
    * faefaef
        * faefawef
        * faefawef
    * afefaf       
    * faefaef
         * faefawef
         * faefawef
         * faefawef

Original comment by habamax on 14 Mar 2011 at 5:58

[GoogleCodeExporter]

You should probably put the whole "mindmap" in {{{...}}} as a code block, this 
will not only avoid problems with accidental tables, but also make sure that 
the HTML output will resemble what you see in your editor.

The examples you gave are just simple trees. Lists can be used to express this 
relationship:

- awesf
  - aeffaeff
    - aefaefaewf
    - aefaefawef
  - afaefaefa
  - aefaefefa 
    - afaefafa
    - aefaefaefaef
    - aefawefwaef
    - thoughts

In your way of writing it, better use of space is achieved (saving a few 
lines), but there are at least two problems with it:

* it is much harder to type and maintain (in the list form, it is easier to 
change or move branches around)
* the loss of generality seems, well, catastrophic (in the list, you can still 
put longer notes or explanations in nodes, and the structure of the tree is not 
damaged by that)

Aside from wanting to see the connecting lines, it is not really clear what 
"the feature" you want is. Perhaps you should think instead how to use CSS 
(plus some JavaScript perhaps) to make the generated HTML for unordered lists 
look closer to your "mindmap" by automatically adding lines/arrows/folding for 
subtrees. I guess that such a style could be useful to many people using 
Vimwiki if it works well.

Some wikis allow the use of .dot syntax for description of graphs, but this 
requires installation of supporting tools 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphviz).

Original comment by tpospi...@gmail.com on 14 Mar 2011 at 7:00

[GoogleCodeExporter]

the connecting line is the only feature of "mindmap". it is another view of 
lists ,though.
The mindmap softwares: Xmind , freemind etc. are still maps of lists with 
connecting lines .

The problems is true, that's why I use lists method instead.

I rarely use the HTML, and was using vim directly to edit and view . 

 .dot syntax graphs seems impossible to implement in vim

Original comment by cst...@gmail.com on 14 Mar 2011 at 11:24

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Talk about the lists. 
will vimwiki support lists with sequence number ? 
Not only the headline in generated HTML files,but also normal lists in vim wiki 
files . 
The only needed feature is auto generated sequence number 

1. faefea
   1.1 faefwef
   1.2 afeafewf
2. faefaefef
   2.1 faefaewfeawf
   2.2 faefeafaewf

the sequence number filed can be Roman numeral or alphabet either.

Original comment by cst...@gmail.com on 14 Mar 2011 at 11:51

[GoogleCodeExporter]

It could be done, I believe.
But this is another issue to be filled in.
(I have limited time to do vimwiki at the moment, unfortunatly.)

Resolving links problems is top priority, but that list feature could be very 
nice to have. Care to fill in issue?

Original comment by habamax on 14 Mar 2011 at 11:58

[GoogleCodeExporter]

BTW, you can turn table auto formatting off and do your "mindmaps" the way you 
like.

let g:vimwiki_table_auto_fmt = 0

(gww and gqq would still work)

Original comment by habamax on 14 Mar 2011 at 12:05

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PS
As far as I know good mindmaps are handmade, written and pictured by hand on a 
paper. 
:)

Original comment by habamax on 14 Mar 2011 at 12:12

[GoogleCodeExporter]

thanks, and the second method is not effected by the table auto formatting .

I will fill in another issue with the list with sequence number. 

yeah , but I need to take notes of these mindmaps written by hand. 

Original comment by cst...@gmail.com on 14 Mar 2011 at 12:33

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[deleted comment]

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Now I can't see what should be done regarding this issue.

Original comment by habamax on 14 Mar 2011 at 1:15

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For mindmapping in Vim, I think http://www.vimoutliner.org/ is a good starting 
point.
See "freemind and graphviz output with otl2tags.py" 
http://lists.vimoutliner.org/pipermail/vimoutliner/2008-September/002274.html
I don't think it would be too hard to make vimwiki and vimoutliner play nice 
together.

Original comment by jean.jor...@gmail.com on 27 Mar 2011 at 5:28

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Original comment by tpospi...@gmail.com on 3 May 2011 at 7:17

• Added labels: Type-Enhancement
• Removed labels: Type-Defect

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Original comment by habamax on 23 May 2011 at 7:13

• Added labels: Priority-Low
• Removed labels: Priority-Medium

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Original comment by habamax on 27 Apr 2012 at 9:09

• Changed state: WontFix