Feature request: ability to show notes in Subfolders panel

[mpodshivalin]

Let's imagine that we have a following folder/notes structure:

Notes
|-- Markdown Cheatsheet (note)
|-- Work (folder)
    |-- Passwords (note)
    |-- Contacts (note)
    |-- Active work (folder)
        |-- ToDo List (note)
        |-- Meeting agenda 26.11.2017 (note)
    |-- Archive work (folder)
        |-- Meeting 20.01.2017 (note)
        |-- Meeting 20.02.2017 (note)
        |-- Meeting 20.03.2017 (note)
|-- Life (folder)
    |-- ToDo List (note)
    |-- Trips (folder)
        |-- 12.2017 trip (note)
        |-- 04.2018 trip (note)
    |-- ...
|-- Random documents
    |-- How to generate SSH keys (note)
    |-- ...

Currently we have 2 separate panels to switch between notes:

• Subfolders panel
• Note list panel

So I'll see this interface:

If I need to switch from work ToDo List to life ToDo List to quickly add something, I'll have to:

• Navigate to Life (folder)
• Open ToDo List (note)
• Navigate back to Active work (folder)
• Open ToDo List (note)

This is not very convenient not only because of the number of actions, but because I have to explicitly remember the name of the folder I need to navigate to. I have tons of notes in different folders, so using "All notes" or history wouldn't be convenient either, so I propose to add the ability to show notes directly in Subfolders panel (thus making it possible to use only one panel instead to two), so it would look like this:

Maybe it's not to everyone's taste, but in my case switching between notes would be much easier this way.

Todo

• [x] check if selected item is a note for all operations on selected items
• [x] make note filtering work (note search)
  • [x] text search
  • [x] tags
• [x] context menu for sub-folders
• [x] create new sub-folder via context menu
• [x] create new note in sub-folder via context menu
• [x] remove selected sub-folder via context menu
• [x] rename sub-folder via context menu
• [x] show sub-folder in file manager via context menu
• [x] show last used note at startup
• [x] sub-folder switching
• [x] make notes visible when they are in the root directory
• [ ] check if current item is a note for all operations on current item
• [ ] context menu check if note or folder is selected
• [ ] widget in note edit at multi-selection: check if notes or sub-folders are selected
• [ ] sorting of notes / sub-folders?
• [x] note sub-folder renaming via F2 or click on the folder name
• [ ] hide sub-folders if notes were hidden
• [ ] Option to show sub-folders on top in note tree (maybe, TBD)
• [ ] It would be nice to be able to move notes to other subfolders within the same note folder
• [ ] Create a way to expand all sub-folders (#2520)

[pbek]

I'm sorry, that didn't work out for 1000s of notes...

But you either can:

• use the bookmarking function to switch between notes (take a look at the keyboard shortcuts)
• use the keyboard keys or mouse keys to jump forward or backward in the note history
• use the note view dialogs to view multiple notes if you don't want to edit them

[pbek]

19.10.11

• you now can choose to show your notes together with your subfolders in a tree
  • you can enable this in the Panels settings
  • this is work in progress and by far not fully implemented yet!
  • the note tree will only be shown if subfolders are enabled for your current note folder

[Airgunster]

It's funny, but in my case it's all in opposite. I have a lot (~300) of notes in a few folders and showing them all would be too much overhead since it will create a lot of visual clutter to navigate between folders (otherwise I'll need to collapse/expand these folders all the time). But thanks for the enhancement anyway!

[pbek]

@Airgunster that exactly was the reason a note-tree wasn't implemented in the first place. :smile_cat: https://github.com/pbek/QOwnNotes/issues/790#issuecomment-347018021

[mpodshivalin]

@pbek wow, thanks, I'm actually still looking forward to this feature, so it's good news for me :) I'll check it out soon

[pbek]

More to come in 19.11.0...

[pbek]

19.11.0

• improvements where made to the note / sub-folder tree mode
  • note search by text and filtering by tag is now working
  • if you right click on an item you will now either get the context menu for a note or a sub-folder depending what item you have clicked
    • you can create a new note or sub-folder via context menu
    • you can show a sub-folder in file manager via context menu
    • you can remove selected sub-folder via context menu
    • you can rename the current sub-folder via context menu, by clicking it twice or by pressing F2
  • if you click a sub-folder the current note sub-folder will be changed to it

[pbek]

There now is a new release, could you please test it and report if it works for you?

[pbek]

19.11.1

• improvements where made to the note / sub-folder tree mode
  • on application startup the last opened note will be loaded from the correct sub-folder

[pbek]

There now is a new release, could you please test it and report if it works for you?

[mpodshivalin]

Sorry for the delay. I've tested this new functionality and it is awesome :) However I've noticed one problem. Notes aren't visible when they are in the root directory:

[pbek]

Thank you for the feedback!

[lassana]

It looks like Context Menu no longer works for folders in this mode (QOwnNotes 20.3.5, macOS 10.15): right click does nothing (it works for notes just fine, though).

[pbek]

@lassana do you mean context menu check if note or folder is selected on the todo list on the top of this feature request? :grin:

[lassana]

@pbek , Nope. I've enabled Instead of a note list use a note tree with all the subfolders (if they are turned on for the note folder) option, restarted the app and right mouse click no longer works for folder items in the note list.

[pbek]

Instead of a note list use a note tree with all the subfolders (if they are turned on for the note folder)

yes, that's what this feature request is about. but it is "work in progress" (see todo list above) :grinning:

[fabianski7]

By using the subfolders tree, you can sort the folders and notes in alphabetical order or by last change, but you cannot do this for just one of them. I believe that sorting the notes by last modification and the subfolders in alphabetical order is the preference of most people. Perhaps this option could be added?

That's the default behavior when you're using one panel for notes and another for subfolders. The folders are organized alphabetically and the notes by the last modification.

[pbek]

I played around with sorting yesterday and found no easy way to sort folders and notes differently in the tree. It will be tricky to add that (without major regressions).

[pbek]

20.8.4

• improvements where made to the note / subfolder tree mode
  • the notes of the note folder root are now shown
  • if your right-click a sub-folder the sub-folder context menu is now shown

There now is a new release, could you please test it and report if it works for you?

[lassana]

20.8.10 fixes the context menu issue for me!

[pbek]

I guess 20.8.4 did, or what was your previous version, @lassana?

[lassana]

@pbek you're probably right, my previous version was like 20.3.x or smth

[digg33]

Just writing to add to this chain about #2149 that I opened, it would be nice to have an option to show all sub-directories in the notes folder separately above files in the tree view. This is an option seen in e.g. file managers were directories appear above files

[pbek]

it would be nice to have an option to show all sub-directories in the notes folder separately above files in the tree view

@digg33, and where are the notes of those sub-folders shown?

[digg33]

@pbek Please have a look at the screen shot below. This is how the Note list panel looks when in Tree mode and sorted alphabetically.

What I would like is to have the folders above the files:

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions

[pbek]

Thank you

[davuses]

It would be nice to be able to move notes to other subfolders within the same note folder when using note tree, currently notes can only be moved to other folders, the folder containing the note itself and its subfolders are not listed as destination options

[pbek]

I added that to the "task list" above.

[tbsp]

Is this feature a part of the main QOwnNotes release? I've enabled "Display note subfolders as full tree" in Settings->Interface->Panels->Note subfolders panel, but still don't see notes inside their sub-folders.

[pbek]

Have you enables subfolders for your note folder?

[tbsp]

Yes, though I can't remember where I enabled that (and can't find it again). Inside the "Note list panel" section I just found "Instead of note list use a note tree with all the subfolders (if they are turned on for the note folder) (work in progress)". Enabling that appears to do what I expected. Sorry for failing to find it earlier!

[pbek]

23.12.4

• the collapse-state for the note tree in the experimental note tree mode is now stored (for #790, thank you, @discapes)
• the matching of the correct heading in note links was improved

[pbek]

24.9.6

• The accidental note selection when selecting a note subfolder in the experimental note tree mode was fixed (for #3072)
  • This was also causing the wrong subfolder to be used when a new note was created

There now is a new release, could you please test it and report if it works for you?