Comments on: Drafting hacks: In long docs view only a section at a time http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/ A survival guide for the 21st century researcher Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:37:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeromy Anglim http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-139330 Jeromy Anglim Tue, 31 May 2011 11:19:50 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-139330 My preference is to use a text editor with code folding. This has the benefits of something like Outline View in Word, but with the freedom to define arbitrary folds based on content. I use Vim and LaTeX. I fold on LaTeX sections, subsections and so on. I also have some custom folds for paragraphs which don't actually print anything but allow me to see the paragraph level structure of an article. Vim has a lot of really powerful folding shortcut keys that are great once they become part of your muscle memory. My preference is to use a text editor with code folding.
This has the benefits of something like Outline View in Word, but with the freedom to define arbitrary folds based on content.

I use Vim and LaTeX. I fold on LaTeX sections, subsections and so on. I also have some custom folds for paragraphs which don’t actually print anything but allow me to see the paragraph level structure of an article.

Vim has a lot of really powerful folding shortcut keys that are great once they become part of your muscle memory.

]]> By: Luc P. Beaudoin http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-87817 Luc P. Beaudoin Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:51:04 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-87817 If you have access to a Mac, I recommend OmniOutliner for drafting. I drafted my thesis in an outliner called More II (early 90's) and then converted the document to Word. I switched to OmniOutliner a few years ago, and it is the most important application for my conceptual productivity. I do almost all my drafting in OO these days, not just for papers, but for all my planning, note taking, etc. It's not a final drafting tool, however. Thanks for your blog! If you have access to a Mac, I recommend OmniOutliner for drafting.

I drafted my thesis in an outliner called More II (early 90′s) and then converted the document to Word. I switched to OmniOutliner a few years ago, and it is the most important application for my conceptual productivity. I do almost all my drafting in OO these days, not just for papers, but for all my planning, note taking, etc.

It’s not a final drafting tool, however.

Thanks for your blog!

]]> By: jose http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-78683 jose Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:48:27 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-78683 Hi Emre, Thanks for posting this. Actually, I borrowed a mac and tried Scrivener. I didn't care much for the approach, I'm too used to each sublevel being an outline in itself (tab indentation marking ideas), and Scrivener is not supporting that. I do think that some notetaker built on top of LyX could be a killer idea! Hi Emre,

Thanks for posting this.
Actually, I borrowed a mac and tried Scrivener. I didn’t care much for the approach, I’m too used to each sublevel being an outline in itself (tab indentation marking ideas), and Scrivener is not supporting that.

I do think that some notetaker built on top of LyX could be a killer idea!

]]> By: Jane http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-78374 Jane Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:02:44 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-78374 Word 2004 for Mac has a Notebook Layout view which has this feature - not sure why it is not in the Windows version... Word 2004 for Mac has a Notebook Layout view which has this feature – not sure why it is not in the Windows version…

]]> By: Emre Ayca http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-78285 Emre Ayca Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:42:29 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-78285 sorry for bothering again but <a href="http://www.oak-tree.us/blog/index.php/2009/05/13/lyx-outline" rel="nofollow">this page</a> gives a better sense of LyX a-la Rob Oakes best wishes sorry for bothering again but this page gives a better sense of LyX a-la Rob Oakes

best wishes

]]> By: Emre Ayca http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-78280 Emre Ayca Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:32:03 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-78280 I am also searching for a good note-taking software for linux. None of them is good enough for my purposes, and actually I am very fond of Scrivener from what I see and read about it. I tried adapt Celtx to a writing software, tried to use it for scrivener-like index-card organisation, etc. but it did not work for me, naturally of course as it is a media pre-production software aimed at script writing of all sorts. But it runs on all os, for those who are interested: http://celtx.com/ I should note that my own interest in mac started as I found out scrivener while surfing the web for a good writing software and I started saving money to buy a mac - in this part of the world you unfortunately pay three times higher the actual price of the macs sold in the US, and hence they are not as widespread. so I wish I knew some coding:) last note: and of course there is always LyX, my all times favourite: http://www.lyx.org/ and a certain Rob Oakes, who loves both LyX and Scrivener like me but knows coding unlike me, tries to connect these two: http://www.oak-tree.us/blog/index.php/2009/03/04/perfect-tool I hope it works in a near future (and as an early tester I must say the results are impressive:) I am also searching for a good note-taking software for linux. None of them is good enough for my purposes, and actually I am very fond of Scrivener from what I see and read about it. I tried adapt Celtx to a writing software, tried to use it for scrivener-like index-card organisation, etc. but it did not work for me, naturally of course as it is a media pre-production software aimed at script writing of all sorts. But it runs on all os, for those who are interested: http://celtx.com/

I should note that my own interest in mac started as I found out scrivener while surfing the web for a good writing software and I started saving money to buy a mac – in this part of the world you unfortunately pay three times higher the actual price of the macs sold in the US, and hence they are not as widespread. so I wish I knew some coding:)

last note: and of course there is always LyX, my all times favourite:
http://www.lyx.org/
and a certain Rob Oakes, who loves both LyX and Scrivener like me but knows coding unlike me, tries to connect these two:
http://www.oak-tree.us/blog/index.php/2009/03/04/perfect-tool
I hope it works in a near future (and as an early tester I must say the results are impressive:)

]]> By: Jose http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-78080 Jose Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:02:16 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-78080 quick update: after tesing under wine and crossover, rightnote is not a good solution under linux. It doesn't keep formatting when copying from the web, nor the url the snippet came from. What's a good notetaker on linux? I tried, and found not good enough: tomboy, basket, tuxNotes, zim, ... this is a crucial piece of software for me. quick update: after tesing under wine and crossover, rightnote is not a good solution under linux.
It doesn’t keep formatting when copying from the web, nor the url the snippet came from.

What’s a good notetaker on linux? I tried, and found not good enough: tomboy, basket, tuxNotes, zim, … this is a crucial piece of software for me.

]]> By: Jo http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-77745 Jo Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:50:18 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-77745 I would like to add my resounding "yes" to the suggestion of Scrivener. I use it for my dissertation and it's an incredible tool for narrowing focus, organizing, and--dare I say it--actually finishing. I would like to add my resounding “yes” to the suggestion of Scrivener. I use it for my dissertation and it’s an incredible tool for narrowing focus, organizing, and–dare I say it–actually finishing.

]]> By: Sylvain Rouanet http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-77730 Sylvain Rouanet Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:49:59 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-77730 I spend a lot of time to look and test software for drafting. After these trial I use Keynote for many years. Rightnote is a paying clone of Keynote. To put it simple in a keynote you can create as many tab as you wish. And each tab had a hierarchical tree. Using this I can put all my ideas, datas, citations, to do list ... in a single keynote without ever having more than two or three page of text on the screen. Ok this software blook old ut he is really useful you can even use it with on a usb key. With it, firefox portable, zotero and your netvibes or google reader account you're really ready ;-) Ps : forgive my approximative english I'm not a native speaker. I spend a lot of time to look and test software for drafting.
After these trial I use Keynote for many years.
Rightnote is a paying clone of Keynote.

To put it simple in a keynote you can create as many tab as you wish. And each tab had a hierarchical tree.

Using this I can put all my ideas, datas, citations, to do list … in a single keynote without ever having more than two or three page of text on the screen.

Ok this software blook old ut he is really useful you can even use it with on a usb key. With it, firefox portable, zotero and your netvibes or google reader account you’re really ready ;-)

Ps : forgive my approximative english I’m not a native speaker.

]]> By: Jose http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/comment-page-1/#comment-77724 Jose Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:28:18 +0000 http://www.academicproductivity.com/2009/drafting-hacks-in-long-docs-view-only-a-section-at-a-time/#comment-77724 @Geraldine: interesting idea. Ideally, one could have onenote and word open side by side, for drafting and final. In fact, they have done just that on office 2010: notes in onenote are linked to positions in the word document. This could be a killer feature. And the new onenote has equation support (!). Still, I miss better integration onenote/word. Copy/paste will not keep the headings even (h1, h2...). That is ridiculous. I'd like my doc to morph into a collection of notes/word doc back and forth seamlessly. Right now, import/export is all but seamless. A bit like what one has with latex/pdf but having onenote/word would be good. @Geraldine: interesting idea.
Ideally, one could have onenote and word open side by side, for drafting and final. In fact, they have done just that on office 2010: notes in onenote are linked to positions in the word document. This could be a killer feature. And the new onenote has equation support (!).

Still, I miss better integration onenote/word. Copy/paste will not keep the headings even (h1, h2…). That is ridiculous. I’d like my doc to morph into a collection of notes/word doc back and forth seamlessly. Right now, import/export is all but seamless. A bit like what one has with latex/pdf but having onenote/word would be good.

]]>