Missing Features
 

Hello,

First let me say that this is a lovely designed and thought out program.... however it seems to be missing several things that would make it really useful. Now I have only been working with it for a few hours so I may have completely missed some stuff. It appears that it is very good at reminding you what to do but does not have much to help you get it done.

There is no integration with address book. I attempted to drag a vCard to a call task with no luck.

There appears no way to actually link a file. Although I did stumble on an "x" that double clicking on gave me a warning that it could not find an attached file, however I was unable to figure a way to actually link a file or make a file a task. (I did see that you could add a pdf to the body)

Web archive. Much needed.

It would be great if right from a task you could add an address, phone number or a vCard, link a file or add a web archive.

I do realize I can copy stuff as a clipping but I really believe there should be a more elegant way. It's there and others have implemented it.

Thanks,

Steve

Dragging and dropping file icons on top of actions places a link in the notes field of that action for me.

You can drag a record from the address book or a web archive file icon into a note in OF, then right-click the reference in OF to get back to the address book or Safari. (Perhaps I don't understand your comment related to "Web archive".)

Maybe the Address Book, web archives, file links, etc. need to be more visually obvious in what they do, perhaps something like the lozenges OmniOutliner uses to denote attached items.

First thanks to all.

Am I correct that Focus will only allow a link to a web page not store a web archive. If so I really believe it should have the ability to archive web pages. If you are somewhere without an internet connection all that information is unavailable.

I guess I was getting the links into the notes just didn't see anything visual that would alert me. The web link is blue and underlined and the cursor does change to a finger, maybe other links should do the same. It would also be nice if you could highlight a piece of text and add a link to it. Going along with this if you type a name, have the ability to search that name in AB from Focus.

I would also like to see the linked vCard opened not just highlighted. Maybe that could be an option for those that prefer it the way it is.

Thanks.

[QUOTE=iBsteve;25017]Am I correct that Focus will only allow a link to a web page not store a web archive. If so I really believe it should have the ability to archive web pages. If you are somewhere without an internet connection all that information is unavailable.[/QUOTE]

Many of us think the opposite: OmniFocus should be a lean application that handles our projects and actions, while linking to programs that are more robust at storing the data that we use to work on our projects.

Many applications, from DEVONthink to Zotero, handle web archives. Why should Omni code web archive support into OmniFocus, instead of allowing us to link to those programs? Every time data is added to the OF database, it gets larger and more in danger of corruption.

And if you really want a whole web page in OmniFocus, just "select all" and then use the OmniFocus clippings service. You'll get the web page in your inbox.

I respectfully disagree. I don't want to have a slew of programs just to a accomplish a few simple things. I am not talking kitchen sink here. The way other like kind programs handle this is a selectable preference to add a web archive or just a url. I would like that choice.

Selecting all and saving in the inbox does not often capture the page but gives you a lot of jumble.

One last thought. If you really wanted to keep with a forced minimalistic philosophy why allow the saving of emails or even clippings?

[QUOTE=brianogilvie;25064]Many of us think the opposite: OmniFocus should be a lean application that handles our projects and actions, while linking to programs that are more robust at storing the data that we use to work on our projects.
[/QUOTE]

I agree. Otherwise people will ask why aren't pdf files stored within the app's database (I'd imagine pdf files with info related to projects are common), why aren't Word files stored (certainly Word files that relate to projects are common for many people in business), etc. etc. Where would it end. (Someone recently ask for Jott integration - I never even heard of Jott until then.)

This is OF, not DEVONthink Office Pro, which *is* an information manager. OF is a GTD/task manager. I don't want the kitchen sink.

[QUOTE=pvonk;25134]I agree. Otherwise people will ask why aren't pdf files stored within the app's database (I'd imagine pdf files with info related to projects are common), why aren't Word files stored (certainly Word files that relate to projects are common for many people in business), etc. etc. Where would it end. (Someone recently ask for Jott integration - I never even heard of Jott until then.)

This is OF, not DEVONthink Office Pro, which *is* an information manager. OF is a GTD/task manager. I don't want the kitchen sink.[/QUOTE]
I do think the answer is that those other files exist on your computer. That web page does not. Also I have just noticed that when you link a file you have the option to link to it or embed it. What is the problem with having a choice?

Address book integration is poor
 

Right now, it's too much work to get an address book reference into OmniFocus! Open address book; find address; fuss with window positions to make dragging feasible; and then do the drag.

When running Windows, I use Intellect as my contact manager/e-mail client - not that well known but does certain things very well, including very easy integration with contacts.

This is a real shortfall in OmniFocus's functionality right now, like it or not.

My ideal would be to type a name or nickname, right click and be able to select fields from Address book for pasting, e.g. phone or e-mail. I wonder if a script could take care of this sort of thing ...

[QUOTE=Usable Thought;25141]Right now, it's too much work to get an address book reference into OmniFocus! Open address book; find address; fuss with window positions to make dragging feasible; and then do the drag.[/QUOTE]

I have Quicksilver installed. I hit my hotkey, type a few letters from my contact, and then use the arrow key to select the info I want (address, phone, email, etc.) and then hit command-C. Dismiss Quicksilver and hit command-V to paste.

It's not a solution to your problem, but it's an elegant workaround.

[QUOTE=Usable Thought;25141]Right now, it's too much work to get an address book reference into OmniFocus! Open address book; find address; fuss with window positions to make dragging feasible; and then do the drag.

When running Windows, I use Intellect as my contact manager/e-mail client - not that well known but does certain things very well, including very easy integration with contacts.

This is a real shortfall in OmniFocus's functionality right now, like it or not.

My ideal would be to type a name or nickname, right click and be able to select fields from Address book for pasting, e.g. phone or e-mail. I wonder if a script could take care of this sort of thing ...[/QUOTE]

I agree UT. That would be a great feature.

[QUOTE=brianogilvie;25216]I have Quicksilver installed. I hit my hotkey, type a few letters from my contact, and then use the arrow key to select the info I want (address, phone, email, etc.) and then hit command-C. Dismiss Quicksilver and hit command-V to paste.

It's not a solution to your problem, but it's an elegant workaround.[/QUOTE]

Just tried this out. Pretty neat - thanks.

Storing a web archive in OF
 

Many posters assume that the OP wanted to turn OF into a database, but that's not necessarily so and a straw man. A user may want to clip a page as additional information for an action and have that live only with that action.

I think the inability to do this at present is first and foremost a weakness of OS X's clipping services. OF allows you to create a clipping from rich text or a file, because those are the two things that OS X Services allow it access to.

Thus, if your browser does not provide a web archive representation, for you to drag into OF, then it would require a lot of extra coding, possibly browser specific, to add this feature. Probably, OF would have to download the page directly and create a web archive out of it.

Until Omnigroup can contemplate such a feature (and assuming it's even desired by other users), it seems like an ideal job for a third party application, applescript, or automator workflow. I wish I could recommend one to you...

One thing I can recommend, is use the save as web archive feature in your browser, then activate your downloads stack (or open your downloads folder) and click and drag the file into the notes section of an action in OF. Alternatively, select the file in the Finder and use the clipping service to send it to a new action.

I would like to mention that Yojimbo has a very elegant scriptlet that sits in your browser bookmarks. Click on it and boom a web archive is placed in Yojimbo.

adding an action with an attached webarchive programmatically
 

[QUOTE=iBsteve;25269]I would like to mention that Yojimbo has a very elegant scriptlet that sits in your browser bookmarks. Click on it and boom a web archive is placed in Yojimbo.[/QUOTE]

I hadn't thought of using a bookmarklet for clipping to OF, but that's a good point. Yojimbo implemented a URI handler "x-yojimbo://CreateItem?" for that. ( javascript:window.location='x-yojimbo://CreateItem?kind=WebArchive&name='+encodeURIComponent(document.title)+'&location='+encodeURIComponent(window.location); )

Regarding adding features to a URI handler in OF, you may also be interested in this thread:
[url]http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=4970[/url]

Still, the key step (however the interface is implemented) is a routine that actually fetches the webpage and saves it as a web archive. Yojimbo has implemented a browser and maybe they just get this from Cocoa (?).

In the mean time for OF: there used to be an automator action (search on automator world) that would save a web archive to the downloads folder. Assuming that can step can be attained, I think you'd just need an applescript that builds a <furl> or <hfs > data type with the URI for the web archive, sticks it on the pasteboard, and creates a new action in OF from this data (using AppleScript?). When I have some more time, I'd be glad to implement, but maybe some other intrepid scripter can pull it off more quickly.

Thanks OOWRITER for the correction on the "bookmarklet" and the thoughts.

My feeling– it is a developers obligation to provide good tools to provide the user the easiest and most comfortable way to work. Again not the kitchen sink. Although it's nice to have scripts and add-ons you should need nothing but the program and what those developers provide to accomplish what you need. Anything that comes from the outside is gravy. All of the suggested work arounds I see in these forums should not be needed for the basic running of a for profit tool. And yes I do realize this is alpha.

Thanks,

Steve S.

[QUOTE=Usable Thought;25141]Right now, it's too much work to get an address book reference into OmniFocus! Open address book; find address; fuss with window positions to make dragging feasible; and then do the drag.[/QUOTE]

Learning how to drag and drop more effectively in OS X will help you here. There is no need to move windows around. You can begin dragging any item or selection, then use Exposé or Command-Tab to switch to the program you want to drop it in. With a little practise this is quite easy to do in one motion.

This even works across Spaces.

[QUOTE=Usable Thought;25141]Right now, it's too much work to get an address book reference into OmniFocus! Open address book; find address; fuss with window positions to make dragging feasible; and then do the drag. [/QUOTE]

What about Exposé?

I open address book, find and select address, drag selected text -- and in the same motion, I move my cursor to the upper-left corner of the screen, which reveals other open windows. I position the cursor over OF, then hit the spacebar with the other hand to bring OF to the front, and voila....

The procedure sounds more complicated, when described in words, than it is to implement. After the text is selected, the rest takes about 2 seconds.

[QUOTE=iBsteve;25269]I would like to mention that Yojimbo has a very elegant scriptlet that sits in your browser bookmarks. Click on it and boom a web archive is placed in Yojimbo.[/QUOTE]

Yes, it does -- and so does Journler, which I believe, respectfully, is a much better app than Yojimbo. (I own a license for both.) :-)

Here's a 3rd-party podcast with an overview of Journler's features. Note that it's 6 months old, and additional features have been added since then:

[url]http://www.tuaw.com/2007/05/24/tuaw-podcast-24-journler/[/url]

When viewing a web page in Safari, in the Print dialog box's "PDF" menu, both Journler and Yojimbo add menu commands there. So with your own keyboard shortcut (defined in the "Keyboard & Mouse" preferences), you can save a web page directly to Journler or Yojimbo with one command.