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Opal Feature Requests

Does anyone have a pressing need to read text files into outlines? I started working on this, only to run up against the fact that it's more complicated now than it was in 1987. These days you need to worry about file encoding (Mac, Windows, Unicode) and line endings (Mac, Windows, Unix). All doable, but it complicates the UI.

I haven't needed this feature myself, so I'm thinking of dropping it in 1.0.

I kinda thought I'd be doing that as a matter of course.  I would kinda expect that ability in a nonbeta release.

I believe I've used this occasionally.

Would cut and paste text still work - I definitely use this.

Jim

How about a Service to create an entry from a selection? BBedit, Notational Velocity and other similar apps do this.

David Dunham said:
>Does anyone have a pressing need to read text files into outlines? I started working on this, only to run up against the fact that it's more complicated now than it was in 1987. [...]

I think that importing text files is pretty important to an application that tries to be a no-frills outliner. However, I agree that it is probably more important to get version 1.0 out the door. Perhaps you could leave text importation to a 1.1 or 1.2 update (paid customers would rejoice).

Can Opel import or export OPML files?

Best wishes,
Clint

> Can Opel import or export OPML files?

Yes. Though currently I ignore the collapse state.

(So many people miswrote the app as ACTA that I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Opal is misspelled too :-)

> How about a Service to create an entry from a selection?

Probably not for 1.0, though I've added this to the possibilities list. (I find the Services menu pretty awkward to use -- you typically have to navigate through two hierarchical menus -- and in fact I'm not sure if I ever have used it.)

David Dunham wrote:
>(So many people miswrote the app as ACTA that I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Opal is misspelled too :-)

Oops! My apologies. I guess I was so excited by seeing this wonderful new Acta replacement, that I got a little dyslectic.

Nevertheless, keep up the good work on Opal, or Opel, or Oprah, or whatever the name is!

Best wishes,
Clint

Not a problem, and it's always possible the outliner will be released under another name.

BTW, I'm pretty sure text import will be in 1.0.

> it's always possible the outliner will be released under another name.
Acta X is one possibility, and everybody who got off on Acta would know what it is immediately.

;B

David Dunham wrote:
>BTW, I'm pretty sure text import will be in 1.0.

Yippee! A wise choice.

Best wishes,
Clint

As one who appreciates semi-precious stones, I love your icon of an opal! It's very well done.