For Keyboard Control of OneNote

[srd]

While Tablets are very cool and all, it no longer looks like they're going
to take over the world. Why? Overall, keyboard remains the most effective
instrument for writing on the computer. As MS's contribution to all
notetakers, including keyboarders, all of the commands should be capable
of application from the keyboard by customisable shortcuts. The highest
priority should be given to those commands integral to notetaking.

Although this is barely to be believed, it is true that users cannot apply
highlighting from the keyboard. The bar is complete, absolute. No
combination of keystrokes, no matter how convoluted, will place
highlighting on text. Note flags cannot replace highlighting, because note
flags apply to entire paragraphs. Along with allowing a simple keyboard
hotkey to be assigned to apply the primary highlighting color, OneNote
needs to make it easier to select units smaller than the paragraph or the
container yet larger than letters, words, or small groups of words. Yes,
you guessed it, there needs to be a straightforward command from the
keyboard to select the current SENTENCE.

MS, you have the tablet market locked up. Its mouse capabilities are
unsurpassed too. a It's time to throw some indulgences to the keyboarders.
We are the consumers you need if OneNote is to become more than a niche
product.

 

[Rainald Taesler]

While Tablets are very cool and all, it no longer looks like they're
going
to take over the world. Why?

Quite a number of reasons.
An important one: People just don't know about the functionality.

Overall, keyboard remains the most effective
instrument for writing on the computer.

For *writing*, no doubt.

.... As MS's contribution to all
notetakers, including keyboarders, all of the commands should be
capable
of application from the keyboard by customisable shortcuts.

You are only too right.
It's one of the most basic principles of GUI design that each and any
action also is available with keystrokes.
Sometimes it's not easy to fulfil the requirements (especially because
of the lack of Hotkey-combinations not yet used).

MS, you have the tablet market locked up.

"locked up" ???

There's quite a number of important areas where ON is not really
tablet-ready :-(

Its mouse capabilities are
unsurpassed too. a It's time to throw some indulgences to the
keyboarders.
We are the consumers you need if OneNote is to become more than a
niche
product.

At present I'm using ON far more on my desktop than on my TabletPC.
But it would not be possible without using the mouse.

Rainald

 

[Erik Sojka (MVP)]

Hyperbole aside, you can easily manipulate text using the same KB
shortcuts from Word and other programs: Shift/Ctrl and the arrow keys.

Once text is selected, Ctrl-D brings up the Font Task Pane, from which
you can apply most formatting. Highlighting of text is indeed missing
from this list, and you should log a bug about this missing feature.

That this (probably) infrequently-used feature is not KB accessible is
probably an oversight, and not part of some grand scheme to annoy you

 

[Erik Sojka (MVP)]

I spoke too soon

From the built-in help in the Keyboard Shortcuts topic:

To do this:Highlight selected text.
Press: CTRL+SHIFT+H

 

[srd]

I spoke too soon

From the built-in help in the Keyboard Shortcuts topic:

To do this:Highlight selected text.
Press: CTRL+SHIFT+H

Excellent. I am using OneNote 2003 and fooling around with 2007 when I
have the time. This isn't implemented in 2003, so I'm glad it is included
in the new version.

I have 2007 on a disk image, so it isn't available to me at the moment.
From recollection (conceivably faulty), however, it is not the case that
all the Word shortcuts are available in OneNote. Ctrl-click is not
available to select a sentence. (Granted, that one involves the mouse.)
Shift-end is not available to select a line. Another important mouse
control is not available,ctrl-doubleclick, to extend a selection from a
word. This one is I think used a lot by people who do a lot of writing.

Any natural inclination of OneNote users to eschew highlighting would
surprise me. When you read a text, do you highlight entire paragraphs? To
me the ideal initial highlighting is restricted to important words, a
pain to do on paper, but I would hope computer technology would make it
easier. If people are using note flags (i.e. paragraph highlighting) in
place of ordinary highlighting, they can't be satisfied with the
highlighting they are doing, because it is probably then inferior to what
they would do on paper. (Of course I could be atypical.) Has MS researched
this?

When collecting material to suport some writing, typically I first to read
and highlight in essentially the same manner I would on paper--parts of
sentences, occasionally sentences. Then in reviewing the material with a
view to organizing it, I apply note flags much more selectively to crucial
material. (NoteFlags are a breakthrough when it comes to organizing
material under an outline. You assign each primary to a note flag and then
mark the notes as you go along. When you accumulate them in a notes list,
you have a preliminary outline. Then you can apply the same logic to the
second level in each primary topic.)

Highlighting is important in notetaking. Billions of students do it. MS
should give some more thought to its implementation in OneNote. For the
time being, though, I'm glad Ctrl-H will be in OneNote 2007.

Stephen Diamond

 

[Erik Sojka (MVP)]

OK, maybe not all of the features from Word are present, but the basic
ones exist, and you can indeed select and highlight one
letter/word/sentence/paragraph in a few keystrokes.

 

[srd]

Where I wrote ctrl-double-click in the previous message, I meant
double-click drag. It is so familiar that one doesn't even take cognizance
of what involved. Of the one's I mentioned, this one is not really a
luxury. That is, I would contend it is a "basic one."

 

[srd]

Hyperbole aside, you can easily manipulate text using the same KB
shortcuts from Word and other programs: Shift/Ctrl and the arrow keys.

Don't show your irritation with the hyperbole; you will only cause
exacerbation. I want to avoid having one point here getting lost. It is
that _particularly_ in a notetaking program, shortcuts should be
customizable. It would seem more important than having this ability in
Word. This, however, is not a criticism. The program is young, and one
expects some signs of its immaturity.

Once text is selected, Ctrl-D brings up the Font Task Pane, from which
you can apply most formatting. Highlighting of text is indeed missing
from this list, and you should log a bug about this missing feature.

This issue remains. But I've decided I don't do bug reports. If the bug is
important enough to correct, it will be important enough to take
cognizance from these boards. The bug reporting site is a frustrating
hassle. Once the bug is reported here, putting it in the bug list is a
purely ministerial and clerical procedure. Why should I bear the cost of
MS's overhead?

That this (probably) infrequently-used feature is not KB accessible is
probably an oversight, and not part of some grand scheme to annoy you

You aren't confusing me with Grant, are you? I could well think the
Connect site is part of a nefarious scheme, inasmuch as customers are
being induced to bear Microsoft's costs, where they do so with no greater
efficiency than Microsoft. A Microsoft employee could just as easily make
the transfer as I. When I report a bug, it isn't a "personal" request. If
it's in my interest to see it fixed, it is much more in Microsoft's, and
in any event, these costs ought to be spread among all consumers, not
allocated to the persons already donating their time. Funny I never even
thought about this now. The outrages we tolerate...

But no, the previous and now partly corrected limitation on highlighting
is not, unlike the above, intended to irritate me. Partly it has to do
with the tablet-orientation. But also what I see as a smart development
path emphasizing the distinctive OneNote features emphasized, and the
standard features everyone expects delayed a little. This helps the
program establish its identity, while everyone knows certain features
common to Office will necessarily be introduced in the next major version.
So something like Windows clipboard, which is actually very germane to
notetaking and reorganizing notes--is left out, but to paraphrase Bill,
has an 80% chance of being seen in the next major version.

Stephen Diamond