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Lukas/CortexFutura

Lukas/CortexFutura

Joined Mar 3, 2023 Last seen Nov 9, 2023
Posts 7 Comments 3

⁨Lukas/CortexFutura⁩'s Posts

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Lukas/CortexFutura Lukas/CortexFutura Jul 31, 2023

Command to Re-Run Initializations

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Explain the problem as you see it

When adding an instance field that has its initialization set to "random node with this supertag" to the day tag, the random nodes only show up on days that don't "exit" at time of adding the field to the supertag. That is, when I've already visited the daily node for tomorrow when I add the field to the #day tag, I won't see random nodes until two days from now.

Why is this a problem for you?

I want to be prompted by a random couple of fleeting notes/zettels every day to get my creative juices flowing. But right now any day that already has a daily node won't get this, because of the way fields are initialized.

Suggest a solution

I see two solutions to my problem:

1) Create a command that allows me to re-run initializations on any field
2) Add a RANDOM N search operator to live searches that shows N random results from the total result set of the live search

1 ⁨1⁩ ⁨comment⁩
Lukas/CortexFutura Lukas/CortexFutura Jul 14, 2023

Insert cloned copy of a node should allow dynamic node selection through ${Field.Field} syntax

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Explain the problem as you see it

It is currently not possible to have one button that dynamically inserts content depending on the value of a specific field.

In the example below we have different insurance categories that come with different procedures to assess their risk.

Screenshot 2023-07-14 at 09.33.43.png

We also have consultations with people, where we select the type of insurance that the consultation is about and then go through steps to assess risk:

Screenshot 2023-07-14 at 09.37.33.png

It's currently not possible to dynamically import the steps for risk assessment using the "Insert Cloned Copy of a Node" command. Instead, we need to either create a different command for each insurance type or a supertag for each insurance type that come with the SOPs included.

Why is this a problem for you?

By creating unique commands or supertags for each insurance type we're creating a lot of duplicate work that is unnecessary. In the concrete use case that inspired this idea there are like 200 insurance policy types – that's not fun to create that many supertags or commands.

Suggest a solution

It should be possible to use the ${Field.Field} selection syntax that works in Tana Paste in the "Node to Insert" field of the "Insert a cloned copy of a node" command.

Right now, the following command

Screenshot 2023-07-14 at 09.43.21.png

returns this:

Screenshot 2023-07-14 at 09.43.54.png

It would be much better, if it instead returned this:

Screenshot 2023-07-14 at 09.45.14.png

0 ⁨0⁩ ⁨comments⁩
Lukas/CortexFutura Lukas/CortexFutura Jun 5, 2023

IS_VOICENOTE search parameter

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Explain the problem as you see it

I want to have a set of commands that automatically show up on any voice note. Right now when I'm in my inbox I have pull up any voice note commands through the command line, which is much less convenient than automatically showing a button on each voice note.
I could go through and tag every voice note myself as #voice-note and have commands associated with that – but that's busy work that I should not need to do.

Why is this a problem for you?

I have to remember all the voice note specific commands that I have instead of being prompted by the voice note itself.

Suggest a solution

Allow a search parameter IS_VOICENOTE that I can put into the >Node filter parameter of my voice notes that makes command buttons automatically appear next to my voice notes.

2 ⁨2⁩ ⁨comments⁩
Lukas/CortexFutura Lukas/CortexFutura May 23, 2023

"Move to" command should allow moving to day a node was created

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Explain the problem as you see it

Right now the Inbox node is becoming a second "Library" node – unless you are fastidious about cleaning it out every day, it is basically impossible to move nodes added there to the day node of the day they were created. Ideally the Inbox node should be extremely easy to keep empty and in a state of "Inbox Zero".

Why is this a problem for you?

Inboxes should be empty, and I would like to keep the convention of treating the day node as my main gathering point of things added on a specific day. Right now I can move nodes easily to the library node or today's today-node. But when I open up Tana on a Monday morning I want to move the nodes I have added through Tana Capture on the weekend to Saturday/Sunday – which right now is impossible to do automatically.

Suggest a solution

Allow me to set up a command like this, where I can move any node to the day node of the day it was created.

Screenshot 2023-05-23 at 11.44.31.png

1 ⁨1⁩ ⁨comment⁩
Lukas/CortexFutura Lukas/CortexFutura May 23, 2023

Insert cloned copy of node should allow multiple nodes to be cloned

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Explain the problem as you see it

I want to add multiple nodes as part of a Standard Operating Procedure into a field. Right now, I have to indent the steps under a node if I want to include them all, because Tana otherwise only inserts the first node.

Why is this a problem for you?

This is annoying because it forces me to over-structure my input when it is not actually necessary.
Consider the following example:

Screenshot 2023-05-23 at 11.32.46.png

I want the steps to be added into the field "Analytical Summary", but if I set it up like in the screenshot only "Abstract/Unity" gets added.

Only if I indent all the steps below a "meta step" can I get them all into the field:
Screenshot 2023-05-23 at 11.34.37.png
Screenshot 2023-05-23 at 11.35.22.png

This should not be necessary.

Suggest a solution

Change the command "Insert cloned copy of node" to "Insert cloned copy of nodes"

0 ⁨0⁩ ⁨comments⁩
Lukas/CortexFutura Lukas/CortexFutura Mar 3, 2023

Line breaks inside a node

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Explain the problem as you see it

Tana does not allow using line breaks to structure the content of a single node

Why is this a problem for you?

Whether it's a verse of a poem, or a single tweet – line breaks can have meaning and help in structuring thinking.

The only current way of noting "these two lines of text belong together and/or form a cohesive thought" is one of the following:

  • Put both lines into a single node, no line break. Horrible to read.
  • Put both lines into separate lines as sibling nodes. Unclear that the lines belong together and should be referenced together.
  • Put both lines into separate lines, with one line the "parent" node of the other line. Creates artificial hierarchy that is not necessarily implied by the text. Impossible to see content of both at a glance.

This artificial restriction is strange because Tana does not place any other restrictions on the size or shape of a node. I can put thousands of characters into a single node without a problem, but I am offered no way of structuring a node that contains even just 240 characters.

Suggest a solution

Allow line breaks inside a node

24 ⁨24⁩ ⁨comments⁩
Lukas/CortexFutura Lukas/CortexFutura Mar 3, 2023

Export of single node and its children as a document

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Explain the problem as you see it

Right now it is ~ impossible to effectively share writing done inside Tana outside of it.

Why is this a problem for you?

Whether it's writing academic papers or quarterly reports, eventually my writing needs to leave Tana and will be sent out to others via email, collaborated on in a Google Doc, or turned into a PDF.

Without an effective way of getting my writing out of Tana, it will always create significant friction in my work – or make it even impossible to use Tana as the central hub because the friction is not worth it.

Suggest a solution

I should be able to export any node and its children into a plainly formatted (i.e. no bullet points) text document in different file formats:

  1. Markdown (especially important for further processing in academic work -> LaTeX)
  2. MS Word
  3. Google Doc

Ideally, this would work through and Cmd+K command "Export to..." and then being offered a choice between the different formats.

16 ⁨16⁩ ⁨comments⁩