Version 3.4.x - By Michael J. Hammel   <mjhammel@graphics-muse.org>

Future Plans




As incentive to users to pay for their use of XNotesPlus, here is a list of proposed features and udpates to XNotesPlus.  While these aren't cast in concrete, it is a basic plan for where I want XNotesPlus to go.  If I can get enough users to pay for the software (or a company to sponsor development), I may be able to work on it full time.
 

This is the current plan for future releases.
Michael J. Hammel
December 2001


Version 3.5
   3.5 Add Spell Checker config to GUI installer
   3.5 Add keyboard bindings to buttons in Todo List, Address Manager, Address Editor
   3.5 Due Date dialog in Todo List needs "No Date" option.
   3.5 Address notes to Xnotes, Xnotes to address notes

   Package and deliver 3.5 B2

   3.5 Check security by running "its4" on all source code (possilby - check its4 license)
   3.5 Add full pilot-xfer support (install files, list files, etc)
   3.5 Print individual or multiple records for each Pilot feature
   3.5 Add postscript handler for envelopes (like my biz card ps code) - ???
   3.5 Move to vcard formats?  See http://www.imc.org/pdi/

   Package and deliver 3.5 Final

---------
Version 3.6
   3.6 Look into making pilot functions asynchronous.
   3.6  Real calendar feature - drop ical
         Calender uses notebook
         page 1:  day schedule with GtkCalendar plus Todo List; clicking on todo item pops open Todo
            List dialog with that items category shown and that item highlighted.
         Page 2:  week at a glance; use table and drawing widget - draw colored gant chart
         Page 3:  month at a glance - each day with scheduled items has Morning (before 12pm),
            Afternoon (12-5pm), Evening (6-midnight) lines with dots for each line up to a max of 5.
         pilot-link already has data structure for download/upload.  Just need
            to write read/write routines in new xn-cal.c

---------
Version 3.?

   3.? Add Syncal requirements to documentation
      Add notes about use with DateBK3 and DateBK4 packages (see syncal web site)
      Do I care about this?
   3.? write real documentation in PDF and HTML format
   3.? Move to vcard formats?  See http://www.imc.org/pdi/

---------
Version 4.0
   4.0  Make it run as a GNOME applet
   4.0  Look at adding Coldsync support if pilot-link hasn't added USB support
      http://www.ooblick.com/software/coldsync/
      http://www.ooblick.com/software/coldsync/doc/conduits_toc.html
   4.0  GTK 2.0 port
   4.0  Make Insert Calendar add a GtkCalendar widget below the note.
   4.0: Change main windows menu to be more fun:  pinup board for xnotes, something similar for other
         tools.
   4.0:  Add "Scribbles" - simple drawing areas
      draw primitives: rectangles, circles, arcs, lines, freehand
      double buffer
      read PNG, TIFF, GIF, and JPEG formats
      Emailing notes now sends Scribbles as uuencoded compressed TIFF files
      Scribbles named the same as notes, saved in "scribbles" directory
      Don't know how I can upload images to Pilot
            PilotSketch?
            AALib - convert image to ascii and upload as a note?
      Might look into the LibArt library for drawing support.
      Also look at GdkRGB and Imlib packages
      Look into GdkPixbuf or GtkCanvas - probably the best method as it will be rolled into Gtk+ 2.0
   4.0: Add Work Manager - manage time sheets
         Needs to be connected to both Todo Lists and Calendars
   4.0: Make the individual notes menu bars hideable.
   4.0: Make scrollbars hideable.
   4.0: preferences dialog and rc file:  save state information
      use XML file formats for this, I think.
      look at libxml - 
      current insert date format
      data directories
      cascade options
         uniform sized notes
         cascade by projects
      ToolTips state
      save on exit state
      Notice dialog state
      Print options
      Pilot options
         include/exclude xnote header lines
      Allow user to make notes stay on top or beneath all other windows (is this possible?)
      Allow user to specify removing window borders - how do you deal with moving/resizing notes?
      Levels of Undo to save
   4.0: Better import features
      File import should read some other file format, say Word or RTF files.
         See http://www.wotsit.org/ for file format specs (also in src/X/xnotes)
      Email should import external mail programs address databases by calling
         external programs that write the database in Pilot CSV format to 
         standard out.  This is configurable via a colon seperated list of
         programs to call at init time.
   4.0: cascade by projects, if set
   4.0: new Find Text search options
      search all/selected notes
         prompt user to bring forward any notes with matching text.
      Replace text option for Find Text feature
   4.0: Add better print support, including Postscript output
      Print dialog must be callable from various places, like the Envelopes dialog
      and from individual notes.  Probably need to use both lpc and lpstat, like 
      Gimp plug-in, to find which printers are available.
      look at src/X/motif for printer widget/support
   4.0: Add Cut/Copy/Paste/Undo options for Erase.
   4.0: Gnome and KDE aware
   4.0: move all text strings to englishUS-text.h to make translation easier.
   4.0: Projects
      allow changing project name
      allow deleting projects
   4.0: Replace text/ Replace All option for Find Text feature
   4.0: Add GtkHtml widget for HTML help files.
         config.h option has to be added to make this optional
   4.0: look into disabling close/delete options for window managers.
   4.0: Sort xnotes by title for exporting to Pilot Memos
   4.0: Add support for scanning business cards?  Needs driver for one of those business card scanners.
   4.0: Simple calendaring functions?  calender.c has support, but which features need calendars?
   4.0: note sized to fit in the pilot correctly.

   4.x: Save current insertion points for notes
      this requires change to note file headers
      use insertion point to position text windows when reopened
      This will work once GTK 2.0 comes out, which will require major updates to XNotesPlus anyway
   4.x: Font support for individual notes - also requires GTK 2.0

---------
Version 5.0
   5.0: Groupware Release
   5.0: linked Address databases - personal and workgroup addresses
      xnotes+ can show either, or merge personal with workgroup addresses
   5.0: Client server architecture
         default server runs on muse.com
         notes are stored on server so they can be accessed from anywhere


Michael J. Hammel
December 3, 2001
mjhammel@graphics-muse.org
http://www.graphics-muse.org