Previously, I had discussed how Chandler might allow for users to capture thoughts on a new memo that might filed under the Now, Later, Done system along the time axis and perhaps, by automatic default, along an unassigned category branch along the Cactus plane. The user could then sit down when more time is available to then re-organize these captured thoughts into other areas of Chandler such as email, Datebook, and hopefully, at some point, a word processor such as Writer.
Previously, I had suggested that the user should be allowed to drag and drop a memo title bar onto another application launch button such as Email app to convert the captured memo into a new email compose window, or to drag the title bar onto the Triage app button for triaging the memo, or onto the Cactus app button for filing along the cactus plane. However, upon reflection, I guess it is kind of awkward to drag a title bar onto a button in the launch bar. A much more convenient way for sorting out roughly captured memos may to present some organizational radio buttons along the top border of the memo similar to how Mac OSX presents three radio buttons on top of each window for opening, closing, and maximizing the window. In our situation, we might offer three radio buttons along the left side of the top margin for assisting with triaging of memos. For example, a red radio button, when clicked on sends the memo to the Now box. A yellow radio button, when clicked on sends the memo to the Later box, a green radio button, when clicked on, sends the memo to the Done box. (Actual colors would be user defined of course). For sending roughly captured memos to other subapplications of Chandler such as email, we may allow for a double user interface option for this. One option would be to allow the user to right click on the title bar of the memo and the contextual menu could offer to send the memo to other sub applications. For example, one right click option might send the memo into a new email composition window. Another option might be to send the memo into a new Writer document. Another option might be to add the memo to the end of an existing Writer document, in which case, the Cactus window may need to be opened up to allow the user to look up an existing Writer file (or an existing memo). A simultaneous second system for sorting out memos into other areas of Chandler might be to adopt a convention for the Chandler subapplication launch bar. One convention might be that if a subapplication launch button is simply clicked on, then the subapplication launches where the user left off last time. However, if the user has a memo window already open, and presses say Shift-click on the launch button, then the displayed memo contents are then copied onto a new composition window within that subapplication. For example, if the email sub-app launch button is Shift-clicked when a memo is open, then a new email composition window could be opened with the contents of the memo copied into it. As another example, if a word processor button such as Writer is eventually adopted to integrate with Chandler, then Shift-clicking on its launch button when a memo is open could copy the contents of the memo onto a new Writer document. Furthermore, if the memo is to be copied on to the end of an existing Writer document, the user might then Shift-click on the Cactus view button in the launch bar while the memo is open. This could then allow the user to select the Writer document (or even a pre-existing memo) within the cactus that the contents of the unclassified memo will be added on to at the end. The radio button modification of the top border of the Memo window described previously for the Now, Later, Done triaging might also be extended to other Chandler sub applications as well. For example, with the email display window this could allow for quick triaging of displayed emails into the Triage subapp. Ditto for the Writer document display window as well since, all to often, word processor documents tend to become tasks with due dates. --Selva __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Open Source Applications Foundation "Design" mailing list http://lists.osafoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/design
