Some questions about highlighting

I never really tracked with the changes to highlighting a while back, where your highlights are now stored in a Notes file. I'm now trying to wrap my head around it and clean up all my Palettes and Notes files and associate them properly so that new highlighting I apply goes in the right file.

One question I have is this: if you are looking at a highlighted passage in an open resource, how can you find out what Notes file that highlight is stored in? (I've got dozens of them, and they're a jumbled mess.) If you didn't attach a Note there, but just a Highlight, there's no Note Indicator to click on to jump to the corresponding Notes file. So how else can you find where it's stored?

Next question is: is there any way to set the default Note Indicator color per Notes file? When I change a single note indicator color and click "Use this style by default" it appears to change it from that point forward for all Notes files.

Finally (and this will probably have to be a suggestion): it's really annoying that you can't select multiple notes at a time and change the Note Indicator color on all of them at once. Am I missing something, or is this really not possible?

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Dave Hooton

One question I have is this: if you are looking at a highlighted passage in an open resource, how can you find out what Notes file that highlight is stored in? (I've got dozens of them, and they're a jumbled mess.)

I would look at the Notes file list in the Visual Filters icon and turn them off and on to check the effect!

If you are searching for them, they are classed as Annotations in the Locator Bar; not much help if you have lots of Notes!

Next question is: is there any way to set the default Note Indicator color per Notes file?

Again, the functionality is lacking. There might be a suggestion on UserVoice by now.

Finally (and this will probably have to be a suggestion):

Yes!

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524235#Comment_524235

One question I have is this: if you are looking at a highlighted passage in an open resource, how can you find out what Notes file that highlight is stored in? (I've got dozens of them, and they're a jumbled mess.)

I would look at the Notes file list in the Visual Filters icon and turn them off and on to check the effect!

That was a good suggestion!

I was able to immediately find what I was looking for by doing a search limited to "My Content" for something unique within the highlighted text.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524240#Comment_524240

The easiest way to determine which file the highlight note is in? "Edit" the note with the iOS app. It tells you which note file it is in.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524250#Comment_524250

The easiest way to determine which file the highlight note is in? "Edit" the note with the iOS app. It tells you which note file it is in.

Not an option for me. I don't have the iOS app, only Android, but I prefer using the full Windows desktop app.

That's the first time I've heard of a feature (other than things necessary for mobility) that was available in a mobile app but not the desktop app.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524254#Comment_524254

I don't have the iOS app, only Android

I don't know if it works on Android or not. It very well may.

I prefer using the full Windows desktop app.

It depends on what I am doing... but I certainly don't want to have to pick up my iPad when I am using my desktop! I agree. [:S]

That's the first time I've heard of a feature (other than things necessary for mobility) that was available in a mobile app but not the desktop app.

There is another one, related to highlighting. On the desktop, you control the highlighting behavior at the pallet level. On the iOS app (I don't know about Android), you control it at the app level.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524256#Comment_524256

That's the first time I've heard of a feature (other than things necessary for mobility) that was available in a mobile app but not the desktop app.

There is another one, related to highlighting. On the desktop, you control the highlighting behavior at the pallet level. On the iOS app (I don't know about Android), you control it at the app level.

I actually consider being able to control it at the palette level a feature that is missing on the mobile app, then. The way I use Logos, each palette I've created (once I clean everything up) will correspond to a different Notes file, and I like being able to set that on a per-palette level. I have one highlighting style for "Typos Reported" for example, and it's going in a palette by itself so it can be assigned to a particular Notes file. That way I can keep all my typo reports together, even though they could be in any of my resources.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524262#Comment_524262

I actually consider being able to control it at the palette level a feature that is missing on the mobile app, then. The way I use Logos, each palette I've created (once I clean everything up) will correspond to a different Notes file, and I like being able to set that on a per-palette level.

Will every pallet send notes to a DIFFERENT note file, or can two pallets send notes to a single note file? If it is the former, there really is no difference. You would set the master to "pallet specific note file" (which is the default, by the way). I personally prefer to have it set up so that notes go into the "most recently used note file" (which I call "sticky"). In other words, all notes go into the last used note file until you change note files. Personally, there needs to be the option for "resource specific note file."

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524265#Comment_524265

I personally prefer to have it set up so that notes go into the "most recently used note file" (which I call "sticky").

That's the way I used to do it, and that's how I ended up with the mess I've got. I've never remembered to keep track of what Notes files I have open, and I was always creating new ones for testing purposes and opening others to look for something just temporarily and then forgetting to close and re-open the main one that I wanted all my notes to go into. So I've got notes here and there and all over the place, and I'm having to move them around to make things more organized.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524268#Comment_524268

The "sticky" method can indeed be very tricky. [;)]

The "sticky" method is best for people who typically highlight as they are reading through a single resource and who use "resource specific note files" OR for those who are reading through a number of resources to study on one project and who want ALL of the notes to go into a project specific note file. Those two scenarios make up 90% of my note taking usage, so it's a "no brainer" for me. Anyone who is reading through a resource and wants to send notes to multiple files on the fly will need to seriously consider their options.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524305#Comment_524305

The "sticky" method can indeed be very tricky.

The "sticky" method is best for people who typically highlight as they are reading through a single resource and who use "resource specific note files" OR for those who are reading through a number of resources to study on one project and who want ALL of the notes to go into a project specific note file. Those two scenarios make up 90% of my note taking usage, so it's a "no brainer" for me. Anyone who is reading through a resource and wants to send notes to multiple files on the fly will need to seriously consider their options.

Well, I don't mind the concept of using resource specific note files. The problem is I'm so scattered in my reading, I might jump around from reading a chapter of one book to five paragraphs of another, to looking up something quickly in another (but finding a really awesome quote while I was in there). I'd still have a lot of juggling to do to make sure that all my notes and highlights went to the right Notes files. It really seems to me there ought to be a way to have the "resource specific note file" option work automatically so that it really would be a no-brainer. Have it be a setting in the resource's panel menu (and an app-wide default setting) that makes all Notes/Highlights done in this resource go to such-and-such a file. Resources that didn't have that set (or were set to use the Palette's default) would work differently. For example, in my Bible, I might not want to use a "resource specific note file" but rather use topical note files (that I could turn the VFs on/off for separately) -- e.g., one for sermon prep, one for insights from devotional reading, one for my project of highlighting all the biblical text that appears in the Revised Common Lectionary (so that I see what is left out), etc.

JT (alabama24)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524652#Comment_524652

It really seems to me there ought to be a way to have the "resource specific note file" option work automatically so that it really would be a no-brainer.

I have argued this from day one. I've even had some friendly-but-intense discussions with some of our fellow MVP's over the issue. I wonder if any have changed their minds? I don't even remember which ones it was! [:)]

FWIW– I think the "resource specific" note files should be visible in a separate view. There also needs to be a "set as resource specific file" so that I don't have to spend hours and hours redoing my highlights once Logos figures out what they should have done in the first place. [:P]

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524654#Comment_524654

I have argued this from day one. I've even had some friendly-but-intense discussions with some of our fellow MVP's over the issue. I wonder if any have changed their minds? I don't even remember which ones it was!

The intense discussions can be found in the beta forum from October 12, 2011 (v4.5 Beta 1).

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524688#Comment_524688

I have argued this from day one. I've even had some friendly-but-intense discussions with some of our fellow MVP's over the issue. I wonder if any have changed their minds? I don't even remember which ones it was!

The intense discussions can be found in the beta forum from October 12, 2011 (v4.5 Beta 1).

It took me a while to find the thread you were referring to, but I think it was this one:

http://community.logos.com/forums/t/39471.aspx

And here's another thread that discusses it:

http://community.logos.com/forums/t/39459.aspx

Fortunately both of those threads are locked so the arguments can't continue on. Or maybe they can here... [:P][:)]

DominicM

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524692#Comment_524692

Arguments - no..
Passionate debate maybe

Rosie, may not work anymore due to being almost 3 years old, but http://community.logos.com/forums/t/14126.aspx or http://community.logos.com/forums/t/13655.aspx if it does will change all your blocks to your desired color.. not sure I have source still, will need to check archive tapes

We also need a better way (Like Ol!vetr33) of showing a list of notes by MarkupStyleName(colour/icon), is a pain right now extracting anything usable

Milford Charles Murray

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/524701#Comment_524701

Peace, Dominic! *smile* quite interesting ... yes! BUT! quite scary also ...

Would love -- like Rosie! -- to clean up my notes and highlighting a bit -- but my notes are so precious to me that I'd hate to put them in jeopardy ... Maybe right now I should stick to the old-fashioned way, eh??? ... one at a time! Labourous - but effective!

Ward Walker

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/528165#Comment_528165

Since Highlights became Notes, I've wanted some kind of Note Management Module--for example, the ability to ask for all, or certain, highlighting within one note file that was applied to a specific resource to be migrated to a different Note file.

My Highlighting Notes file is so large, I no longer can figure out how large it is. The delays to apply highlighting can be significant, at least for the first highlight or two in a given session.

I can imagine there might be a couple other rules that would be useful to be able to apply.

Rosie, the problem you speak of would really be a problem when the number of Notes files became non-trivial. Perhaps there would also need to be a rule to search a collection of Notes files--and to potentially just compile a report so users could validate their rules would have the effect they want before they consent to a migration.

Geo Philips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/528177#Comment_528177

So I was looking at Logos notes storage in Notepad++ but the format is kind of incomprehensible. I was assuming it was some sort of XML based format, whereby it might have been possible to build a migration tool. But alas..........

Actually, it looks like an SQLlite database.

DominicM

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/585214#Comment_585214

Actually, it looks like an SQLlite database.

that would be a correct assessment