16 replies to this topic

[Outis]

Hello,

I really enjoy the user notes for the bibles. However, it would be really nice to be able to have notes for everything.

I took a class this summer on Luther's 'Bondage of the Will.' And I was quite impressed with what one of the other pastors was able to do. He had the bondage of the will on his pc laptop and was able to make notes on the text. I thought it was an elegant solution. He didn't have to worry about 'marring' the original text with his own comments. But he had his notes at his fingertips whenever he wanted them.

This would be a really, really good feature to include in the future!

[rev.ken.han]

I often thought about this too, and agree this would be a good thing. In the mean time you can create a user tool and takes notes in it. It won't flow with the text (I don't think that's possible?) the way notes on biblical texts flow with the bible, but a dedicated user tool can work for this purpose.

[RobM]

I often thought about this too, and agree this would be a good thing. In the mean time you can create a user tool and takes notes in it. It won't flow with the text (I don't think that's possible?) the way notes on biblical texts flow with the bible, but a dedicated user tool can work for this purpose.

I've done something like this this semester. I've organized my notes to follow that of the book/module (Walke & O'Connor) we're using and I create title lines (for the browser) that correspond to it as well. Also, I make links to various parts of the module. And now with zones it is even easier to see my notes alongside the module.

[R. Mansfield]

Of course, this request has been discussed many times, but I believe it's taken on even newer emphasis in recent months thanks to the explosion of digital books in general beyond Bible software.

Not being able to take notes on Accordance modules beyond biblical texts used to not matter much to me until I got my iPad. Then, reading other books through the Kindle app and through Apple's iBooks, allows the reader to make notes freely. Now, I come back to Accordance and am sometimes frustrated that I can't do the same thing.

The reality is that I never have read an entire book in Accordance from beginning to end on my laptop. I've used these modules for reference--for looking up information. But with Accordance moving to the mobile space, there are a number of the titles I have in Accordance that I'd be glad to read on the iPad's higher resolution screen. I believe that's where an inability to add notes is going to become a real deficit.

I realize that adding one's notes to a title like Luther's Bondage of the Will as described above is more complex for the developers than adding notes to a biblical text which has reference points thanks to versification, but obviously there's got to be some kind of reasonable solution available since it can be done in Kindle, iBooks, nook, and other digital platforms.

[Outis]

Of course, this request has been discussed many times, but I believe it's taken on even newer emphasis in recent months thanks to the explosion of digital books in general beyond Bible software.

Ahh, I didn't know that this was a recurring request. I don't mean to 'flog a dead horse.' But, it would be a nice feature.

[R. Mansfield]

Ahh, I didn't know that this was a recurring request. I don't mean to 'flog a dead horse.' But, it would be a nice feature.

No, I feel it's good to keep bringing it up now and then

[J. T.]

In lieu of this request, I would also like to see an option to define what fonts are selectable from the text palette. For example, I use the Accordance fonts and Book Antiqua for my notes. It is frustrating and time consuming to go from Yehudit to Book Antiqua when taking notes. It would be nice to have the option to create one's own font book for the text palette.

N.B.: If this has been suggested before, which I suspect it may have been, please excuse or otherwise delete this entry.

For now, I am working on Applescripts as workarounds.

Edited by James T, 07 October 2010 - 08:41 PM.

[Joel Brown]

In lieu of this request, I would also like to see an option to define what fonts are selectable from the text palette. For example, I use the Accordance fonts and Book Antiqua for my notes. It is frustrating and time consuming to go from Yehudit to Book Antiqua when taking notes. It would be nice to have the option to create one's own font book for the text palette.

N.B.: If this has been suggested before, which I suspect it may have been, please excuse or otherwise delete this entry.

For now, I am working on Applescripts as workarounds.

As another possibility, I always like to copy/paste to use fonts. So, the next time you need to switch, just copy a word from your other font, start typing, then delete what you pasted. Still a workaround, but to me its faster than using the popup menu always or writing scripts.

[Steve Lo Vullo]

As another possibility, I always like to copy/paste to use fonts. So, the next time you need to switch, just copy a word from your other font, start typing, then delete what you pasted. Still a workaround, but to me its faster than using the popup menu always or writing scripts.

Easier yet, just click on a word with the desired font, use the shortcut Command-[ , click where you want to type, then use the shortcut Command-] .

[J. T.]

Easier yet, just click on a word with the desired font, use the shortcut Command-[ , click where you want to type, then use the shortcut Command-] .

I don't see how this easier, for you still have to edit an entire note and change the fonts via the palette. Take for example my Mellel set up. I can move from Sylvanus, to Yehudit, to Helena, to Book Antiqua by assigning these fonts to command + a number key (0-9). When i just need to type two to three words in a given language, it is actually quicker for me to access the font via the assigned Macro than to remove my hands from the key board, select a portion of a text, and then paste into a note. I can save a little time in writing the scripts with a "successful" recording in QuicKeys. Sometimes the recording needs some tweaking, but overall it gets the major steps recorded.

N.B.: I am thinking especially of making notes on methods of early biblical exegesis. Say for example, I am reading Genesis 1:1 and want to include within my note a portion (e.g. constituent) of the Aramaic Translation or Greek, etc., then I could easily switch to Yehudit or Helena, etc. This is particularly helpful for creating a module for teaching notes — then my notes are not only accessible to me while teaching, but I could also print these out for students to have in a nice parallel column — thanks to such a Great Accordance Team!

Edited by James T, 07 October 2010 - 09:29 PM.

[Steve Lo Vullo]

I don't see how this easier, for you still have to edit an entire note and change the fonts via the palette. Take for example my Mellel set up. I can move from Sylvanus, to Yehudit, to Helena, to Book Antiqua by assigning these fonts to command + a number key (0-9). When i just need to type two to three words in a given language, it is actually quicker for me to access the font via the assigned Macro than to remove my hands from the key board, select a portion of a text, and then paste into a note. I can save a little time in writing the scripts with a "successful" recording in QuicKeys. Sometimes the recording needs some tweaking, but overall it gets the major steps recorded.

James, I think you misunderstood the process I described. Using these shortcuts, there is no need to edit the entire note (or any part of it, for that matter), or use the palette whatsoever (except the first time a font is chosen for that note). Nor is there any pasting of text required. Once you have typed in any font, that font, as well as its style (bold, italic, etc.) can be copied with the keyboard shortcut I described to any place in the note without pasting any portion of text.

Edited by Steve Lo Vullo, 07 October 2010 - 09:44 PM.

[J. T.]

James, I think you misunderstood the process I described.

I think I am too. Maybe I am overlooking something, but I am not sure how you are changing the formatting and style without having defined the specifications previously. Thanks for being patient with my ignorance.

Edited by James T, 07 October 2010 - 10:36 PM.

[William Cross]

No, I feel it's good to keep bringing it up now and then

Agreed. I gave away my copy of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology after I purchased it on Accordance. Now I am reading through it with a friend and find the need to underline and write margin notes. Underlining is no problem, but margin notes are. I know I can take notes in a user tool, but they are not connected to any part of the text.

I also have been spoiled by iBooks ability to automatically compile and index all of my notes and highlights as I read a book. Coming back to Accordance and wanting to do all of that with the Grudem text is disappointing.

[spambait11]

In the spirit of bringing this thread back to life, I want Evernote sync-type functionality with Accordance Notes. I want to be able to sync Accordance Notes between my office and home Macs, and I want to be able to "upload" these notes (even via Dropbox) to my iPad so that I can refer to these notes on my iPad when giving sermons. I agree with posters above who observe that note manipulation is a great next step for Accordance esp. since Accordance has so many great textual resources. Currently my workflow goes from Accordance to Evernote, sometimes through Scrivener or TextEdit, then to Dropbox, and lastly to iA Writer on the iPad. This is way too many steps as I would like to use Accordance exclusively from Mac to iPad.

By the way, the reason why I refuse to use Evernote directly on the iPad is because while the font size can be increased through pinch zooming, the text won't screen wrap: I hope the Accordance iPad app addresses this very deep flaw. Also to make things even simpler , I prefer to use plain text and unicode fonts for Hebrew and Greek to avoid compatibility problems.

[johnlee]

(After a few searching, I eventually found out this previous discussion, which stopped a year and a half before...)

Few days ago I purchased the 3rd ed Mounce Greek, and want to study it once again. (Last time I studied it during seminary using a hard copy 2nd ed.) And soon I found that I NEED to write my own note if I want my study would be fruitful.

Also, as there are more and more non-Bible-text resources coming out, e.g. Counterpoint series, adding user note to this kind of module would be excellent!

[Julie Falling]

I agree that highlighting is insufficient and that being able to include notes would be wonderful. I, too, have been frustrated with not being able to do so in Accordance.

(I have been very unhappy with some of the sloppy formatting of some Kindle books (Translating Truth has charts that are basically unusable), and iBooks selection is growing but still not as extensive. When I've checked in the past, I've also found iBooks tend to be more expensive. I do, however, really like being able to add notes.)

[JonathanHuber]

Similarly, notes for non-biblical texts would be great too. I tried making a notes file for the apostolic fathers and ran into some errors.