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taking OF to a new level Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
After what, 2 years?, I'm beginning to see how to get the best out of OF and am nearly finished re-designing my context list and re-assigning my project/action matrices.

I have a lot of items in there, and the program is sluggish so I want to clear out inactive, completed, or simply informational items

A key priority is how to get these items out of OF into a suitable database so I'm looking for directions from the panel.

I need an OSX app that will assign these items to categories. and will also allow some sort of linkage to OF so that when I look up, say, the next vehicle service, I can then easily find the previous service history on the other app.

I'd love to use a second OF, but I lived with a dual OF for a year while struggling with the UK tax collector and while it did a good job, was fiddly to launch both databases concurrently. I'm not sure what happens with the backups when both are open, either. In any case, TPTB say that OF isn't really designed for multiple 'bases.

So - suggestions for a linkable DB, please? ( Or point me to a previous discussion where this has been well covered)

cheers

pete
 
Don't discount the value of Finder, even if Apple wants you to forget it is there, for file storage and organization. Link a folder from Finder containing service records sorted by date with the most recent at the top to a repeating action in OF by just dragging (you'll see the black curved arrow). Double-click on the link when you want to follow through on that action. While I haven't done this myself, I suppose you could do the same with a folder stored on DropBox, or Google Drive, or iCloud. I wonder if such a link would work from my iPhone.
 
You can link to Evernote notes or directly to files in the Finder. I do both for different purposes.
 
For strict databased apps, I've found Tap Forms to be reasonable and nicely done. It might work for what you need, and it provides nice iPod/iPad options. Unfortunately, I am not able to generate a URL field in the desktop database, for example as a way to generate a call back to an Omnifocus task in the equivalent of omnifocus:///task/jPjrPBY-hgj ... . I've posted a request about this to its Forum. You could also always go full-bore with Filemaker Pro as needed. FWIW, Tap Forms has more to offer than Bento.

Another alternative that you may find helpful, although it is not a strict database app, is Curio. It does allow links back and forth, has project management tools, and supports internal access to Evernote. Curio does not have iPod/iPad versions.

As alternatives or supplements to the Finder, many folks on this forum seem to be using DevonThink. I also have played around with Leap.

--
JJW
 
pjb: using Finder has been suggested before and this time it lights a few more neurons :-)
I have started applying this idea, thanks

pete
 
hobartimus: I have Evernote since it links simple notes with my Android phone - I guess this a good time as any to experiment and see what else it can do, thanks :-)

(later)

!!! yes it links with OF beautifully. I think this might be the route to travel

<gets a bit excited>

Now to design and test some useful structures in Evernote

pete

Last edited by peterlemer; 2012-11-02 at 01:03 PM..
 
DrJJWMac: I've had a look at all these and am amazed at how many tools have sprung up since I last looked! I use Bento quite a lot for lists of data, but couldn't find a way to link a bento record to OF so I moved on to the others. I was most intrigued by Tap Forms, but couldn;t find a way to test it short of buying it, and I get that it is much more flexible than I need. Thanks for the stimuli, though - and I shall keep those tabs alive for a week or so
 
the ideal situation would be to keep all information in the one library - IOW OF! And the reason I am hunting around for external info storage and retrieval is because my OF is getting slow.
So I figure that removing some of the inactive data would speed things up.
However, I'd like to know more about why OF is getting slow. Which part of the program places the greatest load on processing power? Can I reduce this lag by simplifying my structures?
 
 


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