Outline-making freeware?

  • Thread starter Thread starter J44xm
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J44xm

Are there any applications that exclusively (or almost so) create
outlines? That'd be helpful to me ... Thanks much.
 
Are there any applications that exclusively (or almost so) create
outlines? That'd be helpful to me ... Thanks much.
Click to expand...

EccoPro has a nice outliner. It's a PIM, but has the option of hiding the
calendar and contact pieces, leaving you with a nice notebook for storing
outlines. Split window, custom columns, collect and copy, etc.

http://www.compusol.org/ecco/index.html

When you install it, it will take a l o n g time searching for installed
software. Just let it cook (over night, maybe) and it will install. A real
jewel.

Keith
 
["Daniel"; Mon, 22 Dec 2003 07:09:52 GMT]
1. Keynote
2. Freemind
3. Treepad
Click to expand...

Thanks, Daniel and Keith, for replying. Out of these programs, I do like
Treepad the best, and I'm keeping it. But what I really was looking for
was something that makes actual outlines, like:

I. Nintendo
A. Gamecube
1. Super Mario (Bros.)
a. Super Mario Sunshine
b. Super Smash Bros. Melee
2. The Legend of Zelda
a. The Wind Waker
B. Nintendo 64
1. Out of ideas
a. Another sub-level
(1) Like this, see?

Ideally, it'd be pretty configurable, too. (You know, like customizable
indention or number levels.) Anything like \this\ out there? <:-)
 
J44xm said:
Thanks, Daniel and Keith, for replying. Out of these programs, I do like
Treepad the best, and I'm keeping it. But what I really was looking for
was something that makes actual outlines, like:

I. Nintendo
A. Gamecube
1. Super Mario (Bros.)
a. Super Mario Sunshine
b. Super Smash Bros. Melee
2. The Legend of Zelda
a. The Wind Waker
B. Nintendo 64
1. Out of ideas
a. Another sub-level
(1) Like this, see?

Ideally, it'd be pretty configurable, too. (You know, like customizable
indention or number levels.) Anything like \this\ out there? <:-)
Click to expand...

I am under the impression that programs which organize texts in tree
structures, such as Treepad and KeyNote, have taken over from outline
software. In the old (DOS) days I used PC-Outline which did exactly
what you described, but I have never found a similar program for
Windows.

L.F.
 
I am under the impression that programs which organize texts in
tree structures, such as Treepad and KeyNote, have taken over from
outline software. In the old (DOS) days I used PC-Outline which
did exactly what you described, but I have never found a similar
program for Windows.
Click to expand...


I used PC outline too... However, I think what he is looking for is
not a program that organizes text but rather a word processor that has
an outline feature....
 
EA said:
I used PC outline too... However, I think what he is looking for is
not a program that organizes text but rather a word processor that has
an outline feature....
Click to expand...

OpenOffice supports up to nine outline levels in a list hierarchy and
you can choose out of 8 styles. However I don't know if it's possible
to collapse the hierarchy, and it's a 64 Mb download. There must be
other free word processors which can do this (I hope).

Fran
 
J44xm said:
Thanks, Daniel and Keith, for replying. Out of these programs, I do like
Treepad the best, and I'm keeping it. But what I really was looking for
was something that makes actual outlines, like:

I. Nintendo
A. Gamecube
1. Super Mario (Bros.)
Click to expand...

The word outline has been used to mean different things.
Today most people think it means something like what you get in
Keynote, Treepad, etc..

You are obviously talking about a real outline text editor, and I have
been looking for one too for many years.
(Ever since I could not use the one in PC-Tools anymore because
PC-Tools never became compatible with windows.)

You are talking about the kind of editor you get when you put MS-Word
into the outline mode, I guess.

That one is good, but it is not freeware, it cannot save real and
clean text files.

If you find such a real outline text editor, tell me about it :-)
As far as I know, it doesn't exist.

Sorry I couldn't be of any real help, but at least now you know how
difficult it is to find such a program.

One possible way to solve the problem could be to use MS-Word and find
a good enough cleaner program to create pure text files. A converter
program, MS-outline <--> real txt files.

Another posibility is to take a text editor which has an extensive
macro system, and create an outline editor in that macro language.

I have not explored big unix editors like Vi and Emacs, maybe somebody
has created an outline editor in those environments.
 
J44xm said:
Thanks, Daniel and Keith, for replying. Out of these programs, I do like
Treepad the best, and I'm keeping it. But what I really was looking for
was something that makes actual outlines, like:

I. Nintendo
A. Gamecube
1. Super Mario (Bros.)
a. Super Mario Sunshine
b. Super Smash Bros. Melee
2. The Legend of Zelda
a. The Wind Waker
B. Nintendo 64
1. Out of ideas
a. Another sub-level
(1) Like this, see?

Ideally, it'd be pretty configurable, too. (You know, like customizable
indention or number levels.) Anything like \this\ out there? <:-)
Click to expand...

Well, I still use Staroffice 5.2, and it does it quite well.
Openoffice now has an "Outline" mode that does what you are looking
for.
You could check this out at:
http://www.oooforum.org/

and if you decide, dll OpenOffice at:
http://www.openoffice.org/
 
["Daniel"; Thu, 25 Dec 2003 18:57:59 GMT]
Well, I still use Staroffice 5.2, and it does it quite well.
Click to expand...

I'll look into it. I'm basically looking for something like the outlines
made via Word's paragraph-numbering options, but better. Thanks, all.
 
Treepad the best, and I'm keeping it. But what I really was looking for
was something that makes actual outlines, like:

I. Nintendo
A. Gamecube
1. Super Mario (Bros.)
a. Super Mario Sunshine
b. Super Smash Bros. Melee
2. The Legend of Zelda
a. The Wind Waker
B. Nintendo 64
1. Out of ideas
a. Another sub-level
(1) Like this, see?

Ideally, it'd be pretty configurable, too. (You know, like customizable
indention or number levels.) Anything like \this\ out there? <:-)
Click to expand...

Not to beat a dead horse, but EccoPro will create this kind of outline. I
use exactly this format for my sermons, so I know it works. And it is
highly configurable. An outliner with columns, forms, etc. - it is very
flexible. If I can help, drop me a note off list and I'll talk you through
it.

Keith
 
Keith Gardner said:
Not to beat a dead horse, but EccoPro will create this kind of outline. I
use exactly this format for my sermons, so I know it works. And it is
highly configurable. An outliner with columns, forms, etc. - it is very
flexible. If I can help, drop me a note off list and I'll talk you through
it.
Click to expand...

It is a big download for people on dial-up. 5-6MB.

Can you tell us if it really can produce real text files?
Does it import real txt files, export real txt files?
Are those txt files outlined with spaces or tabs to look like they do
in the program?
 
Not to beat a dead horse, but EccoPro will create this kind of
outline. I use exactly this format for my sermons, so I know it works.
And it is highly configurable. An outliner with columns, forms, etc. -
it is very flexible. If I can help, drop me a note off list and I'll
talk you through it.
Click to expand...

Have you a download link for EccoPro.
 
On Sat, 27 Dec 2003 15:41:18 GMT

Simon> Have you a download link for EccoPro.

ftp://ftp.netmanage.com/support/pub/utilities/EC401/

--
Chuck Mattsen <[email protected]>
(Remove CLOTHING before replying)

Random Thought/Quote For This Message:
Silence is more eloquent at times than words.
 
Can you tell us if it really can produce real text files?
Does it import real txt files, export real txt files?
Are those txt files outlined with spaces or tabs to look like they do
in the program?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by "real" text files. If you can clarify, I'll
try to answer you question. Ecco will import and export comma delminted
files, tab delimited files and text files with CR/LF paragraph delimiters.
(See Database -> Import/Export) They are indented with tabs.

I have TreePad, KeyNote, Word2003, and payware outliners such as
Inspiration, NoteMap, etc., but I like Ecco's outliner best and use it
daily.

Keith
 
Keith Gardner said:
I'm not sure what you mean by "real" text files. If you can clarify, I'll
Click to expand...

Text files are files which can be created and opened by plain text
editors, like Notepad.
Or inserted into a plain text news editor and the outlining formatting
looks like it should. Plain text = real text files = .txt files

If a text file has indented text it looks like this:
This is indented text, first level
This text is indented two levels
This is more text indented two levels,
using two tabs or four spaces, for example.
try to answer you question. Ecco will import and export comma delminted
files, tab delimited files and text files with CR/LF paragraph delimiters.
(See Database -> Import/Export) They are indented with tabs.
Click to expand...

It sounds like the tab delimited export format could be useful for
importing and exporting real .txt files.

But I guess it normally saves in another format than it can export in,
a proprietary format?
I have TreePad, KeyNote,
Click to expand...

Treepad and Keynote are not outline text editors which work with real
text files. They use a completely different file format.
Word2003,
Click to expand...

If that works like Word97 it cannot save to txt files without losing
all the formatting, all the outlining. So it is useless for creating
real txt files.

Can you open the outline files you create in Ecco with Notepad and the
outline formatting looks like it should?

Can you export in one of the export file formats and it looks okay in
Notepad?

When you are working in Ecco, can you select a part of the text and
promote or demote that block one or more indent steps?

Can you hide all text below a certain indent level, so you see only
the first level, or the 3 first levels, for example?

That is how a real outline text editor should work.
 
Text files are files which can be created and opened by plain text
editors, like Notepad.
Or inserted into a plain text news editor and the outlining formatting
looks like it should. Plain text = real text files = .txt files

If a text file has indented text it looks like this:
This is indented text, first level
This text is indented two levels
This is more text indented two levels,
using two tabs or four spaces, for example.
Click to expand...

That's what my sermons look like if I export them.
It sounds like the tab delimited export format could be useful for
importing and exporting real .txt files.
Yes.

But I guess it normally saves in another format than it can export in,
a proprietary format?
Click to expand...

True. you can't read .eco files with a text editor.
Treepad and Keynote are not outline text editors which work with real
text files. They use a completely different file format.
Click to expand...
Actually, you can edit TreePad files created by the free verson of TreePad,
all they have is a tag at the start of each node, but even that is plain
text.
Can you open the outline files you create in Ecco with Notepad and the
outline formatting looks like it should?
No.

Can you export in one of the export file formats and it looks okay in
Notepad?
Click to expand...
The first line of each topic is indented properly, but subsequent lines are
aligned with the left margin in my text editor. It doesn't include the
outline numbering either. Is there something specific you are trying to
accomplish by porting the outline to a text editor?
When you are working in Ecco, can you select a part of the text and
promote or demote that block one or more indent steps?
Yes.

Can you hide all text below a certain indent level, so you see only
the first level, or the 3 first levels, for example?
Yes.

That is how a real outline text editor should work.
Click to expand...
Plus, collect and copy, split window to view two different portions of the
outline at the same time (which neither Inspiration or NoteMap can do),
columns with outlines and column filtering to give you the ability to bin
sort like Grandview could do, display the contents of multiple folders in a
single outline...

Keith
 
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