06.02
Greetings everyone! This is the 3rd article of the Pagico 4 Sneak Peak series, and this time we’re going to focus on a very little but useful application: the Pagico Helper (short for Helper).
The helper is a tiny little new application that will be shipped together with Pagico 4. It’s job is very simple: allowing you to enter new information into your Pagico database quickly and easily. And with the helper, you can write new notes, tasks, or even import files into your database without launching Pagico.
Simple, Unobtrusive, and Fast.
Some screenshots of it on Windows:
Here’s how it works:
- Click on the Pagico Helper icon in the menu bar, and select what you’d like to do;
- Start writing your note, task, or add files by drag and drop;
- Click “Save” to finish. The window will automatically disappear when it’s done.
- Go ahead and forget about what you’ve just typed.
- All the information is stored in your Inbox* in Pagico.
We’ve designed the Pagico helper to be:
- As lightweight as possible: the helper has a very small footprint so that it does not slow down your system;
- As simple as possible: the helper doesn’t even have a preference for you to tweak (uh-oh, nothing to learn).
* Inbox?
Just to give you a heads-up on the new Inbox: the new Inbox is visible and accessible in any database. So you can easily insert stuff from Inbox to any database.
In the near future, we’ll definitely have a separate post for the new Inbox as well.
Hope you’ll like it!
*drool*
when can i get my sweaty hands on the first test build?;
Hi Andy,
Thanks for keeping track of our updates! The first test build *should* be available in late june or early july, but again this is just a wild estimation. Stay tuned!
Hey Meng,
Will Pagico get support for iPhone sync? I would really like that.
@Loke,
There will be a web-based interface for data syncing, and will be accessible for smart phones such as iPhone. But a dedicated iPhone client will have to wait until the Pagico 4 is finally settled down (meaning all the network services are up and running, and the Pagico 4 is happily working without bugs).
fair enough ;]
Glad that its coming eventually;
@Meng
Back from vacation. I suggest to do it other way around (oh yeah, make it the only preference tweak option
) :
single click or drag and drop to Helper icon – automatically opens the Quick add area storing automatically in Inbox. Categorization is secondary (meaning it is a task, note, contact or file) or can be combined with auto recognition/auto suggest feature.
@Jozef,
Thanks for the great idea! And that’s actually what we planned to do. But it turns out that it’s too tricky to make this feature across all platforms and not cluttering the user interface. So we went ahead and created something deadly simple, as in most of the time I believe users know what they’re about to write (a task, or import files).
I know what you meant is to have only one text input box and let Pagico Helper figure out what the user is writing (text or task) by analyzing user’s input. This is cool, but not a safe and intuitive feature, meaning that the Helper can’t guarantee to have the correct results if user wrote some complicated task (with description, start date and due date).
Of course we can make this feature perfect by devoting a lot of time and make a real time syntax-based auto-completion (just like the MS Visual Studio), but I think for now we’ll spend our precious time making the Pagico 4 better, and creating a nice set of APIs so that other developers can develop their own Pagico Helpers too. That actually, might be even better, right?
@Meng
Right. What I meant is that INFO comes first, categorization after. If I sit at the meeting and there they throw at me info like contact info, tasks, ideas, general info etc. I definitely first record that info and right after I determine the action coming out of it (+ categorization).
You are right that it would be too much of a programming do auto recognition by Pagico. But that would be only nice addition. What I meant that if you tell me your email address I write down: meng@pagico.com and THEN CLICK ON CREATE NEW…contact (task, topic…you name it). Auto-completion is only suggestion that could speed up the process (like file is automatically data), but do not forget that user will know always the best what connection this new info should have (which might be many times not just classical, but also unconventional or multi categorial).
As I wrote before in emails: enter info first, then categorize later including the info type/connection (so either new task, contact, topic, note etc. or connected to already existing one).
Simply: throw in things into quick add, then with mouse+click highlight and then hit button assign (categorize) or have system suggest something. Again: “Call Mr. Smith tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. about file report.xls”. System might suggest to auto assign Mr. Smith, tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. and report.xls to categorize or assign if those are already in the database, but only user will know that this whole sentence is actually task linked to various database data or new info. Therefore quick add should include Mutli-input: like you have it with title, notes, start & due date. All those should be with auto-fill. Then it would be super easy for user to enter multi/classic/unconventional info:
contact field: Mr. Smith (almost everything is connected to some person(s))
date/time: tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.
file: report.xls
All this info be separatelly assigned (or created in case they do not exist in DB yet) with option to “sum up” this multi-entry into one TASK.
And thats it. Pagico only suggests with auto-fill (like you have in search box) if info typed already exists in Database (lets say I type Sm and it gives me all *sm* right away for quick assign or avoiding double entries like Mr. Smith and Mr.Smith, J.Smith etc.)
Conclusion: New Note/File/Task or “blablabla” is a new Note/File/Task. Let user decide. But I personally think that the later approach is more logical, simple and common in real life. What do you think?
Thanks for response and comments.
sorry if this is not the correct spot to leave this particular suggestion.
I’m wondering if Pagico 4 will have a feature similar to microsoft entourage’s ‘my day’.
with a quick keyboard shortcut, i can see a list of to-dos for that day or upcoming days without ever starting entourage.
a similar feature would be great in order to have a quick glance at a few key things that pagico keeps track of.
i definitely like the idea of the pagico helper and it seems that this might sit in the same menu bar and work together with this.
thanks.
Hi Chris,
Hmm, a “My day” from the Pagico Helper. That’s a nice idea! It’s definitely going to be a planned feature! We’ll see if we can have some spare time before the official release of the Pagico 4. If not, then it’ll be added as a minor update in Pagico 4.
Thanks again for the nice idea!
@Jozef,
Many thanks again for your time and ideas! I appreciate it very much!
And regarding to your comment, I think right now this model is not too bad either: you start writing stuff, and categorize them later in your Inbox, where you can assign notes, tasks and files to selected topics and contact profiles.
Also, as much as I liked the idea of an all-acceptive uesr interface, I’m still concerned that making the UI all-acceptive will render the UI complicated, involving unnecessary clicks for simple jobs (i.e. adding a quick task and note), although it logically works better in sophisticated scenarios.
What do you think?
Thanks!
@Meng
First, congrats on progress. Definitely simple jobs have to stay simple and long processes have to get shorter. Basically CREATE & ASSIGN made simple. Pagico helper then should allow both. And then please make it more neat New note, New task, New File…What’s that
? Rather use some nice graphic icons instead which upon hover of the mouse show description + further selection (if available) like New File >> .doc/.xls/etc. (Best would be, if one could use system and simply drag and drop .exe file that should be opened – and then categorized in Pagico – to quickly create new file of any program available in OS. Possible?)
This way quick add should include all choices native to Pagico with sub-items including New Contact and New Topic. Creating sub-item would look like this then: Pagico Helper >> Contact >> New Task.
Then each entry in contact info should create “tag” to be used in other contacts (so I do not have to alway enter tel:, address: etc. for each contact). It would also allow single entry – avoiding e.g. telephone be written in numerous ways or misspelled: tel.:, tel:, tele:, phone:, etc.
Lastly, your comment on …unnecessary clicks for simple jobs…tell me what is faster:
1. click Pagico Helper + New Note then write the note
2. click Pagico Helper or Drag and Drop anything there then categorize from click menu (Task, Contact, Note, Topic, Email (?!) I think that gives in same amount of clicks more, like writing a phone number on my mobile first and then assigning the name (especially in time pressure more efficient then the other way around). Postpone the obvious for later to track the crucial ASAP
I would do both: Quick add either through create new “something” or “something” is xxx
Sorry for length of my comment again
Take care.
One more important thing: Option to have a little quick add Pagico helper box always on (as well as auto hide).
I do lot of research and get various information from various sources. Would be a really great help if I could store small bits of information – like table, name, paragraph, screen clipping – and quicky categorize them right away (to topics, contacts, tasks, etc.).
Again Quick Add & Quick Assign is a must!!!