06.14
Greetings everyone! Today I’m excited to introduce you to one of the most important enhancements in Pagico 4: the new unified data view. In Pagico, we’re all talking about data. So with this whole new data view component, I’m sure your data management experience will be better than ever. 
Data View?
Generally, the “data view” is the UI component with which you can store and use your data (lists, notes, and files, etc). So in Pagico 3, you are constantly dealing with 3 different types of data views: 1. the data view in topics; 2. the data view in contact profiles; and 3. the data view in QuickNotes.
They all have different features and UIs. For example, in topics you can create lists, drag them around, and add new files, etc. Have you ever wished that you can write activities in topics?
In contact profiles, you can add tasks and write activities. Have you ever wished that you can create lists in profiles?
The data view in QuickNotes only supports notes. Needless to say, you definitely wanted to add files, and lists, etc.
As you can see, all the three data views are not perfect, and all of them have different UIs. So the users need to learn how to use each of them, which is really not ideal. 
The new Data View component in Pagico 4
In Pagico 4, we’re getting rid of all of these, and bringing you only one type of DataView, which supports notes, lists, files, and all the other goodies. Just take a look at the screenshot below.
This screenshot is taken from a topic in Pagico 4.
What’s new?
- Improved UI!
- All items can be colorized.
- Text notes can be assigned with a date (to become an activity)
- Create tasks and lists (compared to contact profiles which only accepts tasks)
- Standalone files (compared to contact profiles which only takes files with activities)
- Items can be copied to elsewhere (other topics or contact profiles)
- Start dates and due dates in lists are shown in columns
- List items can be moved to another list by dragging and dropping
- All items can be archived AND un-archived (Yay!!)
- Check the “show archived” checkbox to show archived items
- Archived items can be searched
- The “link to related topic/contact” browser is also greatly improved
- Link to other topics or contact from search results by dragging and dropping
- Greatly enhanced exporting feature
- File names will remain the same after imported
More importantly, all of these new features and existing features will be available to your Inbox, topics, and contact profiles in a unified interface! Oh, did I mention that you can also export contact profiles as well?
All right, now let me end this article with some more close-up shots of this new Data View component. Hope you’ll enjoy it, and please do let me know if you like it! 
nice!
Just make sure that when I add doc with special characters in its name (like german umlaut) it won’t lock up my topic – 3.3 pagico does that.
cheers,
@Andy,
Thanks for the note! I’ll definitely make sure that doesn’t happen in the P4.
@ Meng
Hi Meng, Congratulations on implementation of this new feature. Makes things simpler and gives more freedom to user. Really super! Now there is one more step (quite challenging one though) to do:
each data piece (lists, notes, and files, etc) can have its own tag(s) and links to other data pieces (lists, notes, and files, etc not just “link to related topic/contact”!!!). Therefore “topic view” is more of a unifier of the data pieces united under one theme = topic. Will it be then also possible to see links & tags of only selected data piece(s)?
Additionally, for this new function: List items can be moved to another list by dragging and dropping would be useful to allow “open in a new window” feature. Or you have it solved otherwise?
Lastly move to/assign feature in addition to copy. Simply again: reusable data pieces in database = exist only once but have various inter connections. No data piece should exist in database twice, so I do not really understand “copy to…” function instead of more logical relational database function “relate to…” Again: what is the fastest way to assign all relations in this case?:
“Call Mr. Smith about file report.xls from project XYZ tomorrow at 10:00.”
But anyway, great progress Meng. Keep up a good work!
@Jozef,
Yes, tagging individual objects would be our next goal (technically it’s already there, thanks to our re-factored API and database system). So, it won’t be too far ahead.
Thanks for your comment!
@Jozef,
I was thinking about and very interested in your comments on the “Copy To” feature, that you mentioned that all the object in your database should be referenced but not duplicated, which makes sense. But what if you modified the content of the data object? That way you actually modified the “original” object which will affect all the parent topics / profiles.
What do you think about that?
Thanks!
@Meng
Well, I was already thinking about that. Seems to me interesting, that you put unique UID to every file which makes it possible to have a file of the same name under one topic. Program Mind Manager has an interesting “Save as…” feature which auto-names the saved file with a version. Example:
first save: report.mmap
second save (save as…): report(1).mmap
third: report(2).mmap
Possible Pagico approach: If I change the file for project XYZ which I already used before in previous project XY, original file should be kept in project XY and updated file in project XYZ (Auto-Note feature of Pagico would come handy now:
first save: report.mmap tagged (or topic-ed) XY
second save: report.mmap tagged (or topic-ed) XYZ with note: changed on DD/MM/YYYY + possible comment from user, eg.: added column FIRST NAME, to distinguish changes from original file report.mmap. These “file logs” should be archivable to hide older changes.
Now do you see how note/date/topic/tag/contact assignation is crucial for EACH OBJECT in Pagico database?
Note: if file is changed outside of Pagico, then importing the changed file of the same name should have auto-note: imported on DD/MM/YYYY to refer to possible change of the file, or even better ask the user if this file is different from already existing one (changes made?) or is totally the same.
@Meng
Oh yeah, and I still see a big power in Notes as such with embedded references (hyperlinks) or complete objects. Then search feature should be available upon entering some special character, eg. “<”. So if I write: “” is added automatically.
= Auto-note from user’s activity in comparison to auto-assign from note 
If “open in a new window” feature would be available, then I would just click on “open ‘Mr. Smith’ in a new window” and continue there: task – call tomorrow at 10:00 about “<” then type in pop-up search box: report.xls (select the one from topic XYZ if there are various versions of file report.xls).
This would actually conclude in a note: “Call Mr. Smith about file report.xls from project XYZ tomorrow at 10:00.” Well, that is an inversive approach to the quick notes
ALL CREATE/ASSIGN approach. Come on Meng, you can do it!
@Meng
Just a little correction in my terminology: by auto-note I meant auto-activity log.
@Meng
And hurry up with this 4.X release(s) for I have already suggestions for 5.0 release!
Just to give you a little hint: The most precious are information in proper connections that create our KNOWLEDGE. It does not matter on which platform they were created, by which software, but rather their relevancy and usefulness to the user…
@Jozef,
Thanks so much for the comments!
You see, as much as I loved the idea (of referencing the same data object from multiple places), it’s really confusing on the users part — which file am I modifying, will it affect other topics / profiles or not, etc etc. And the only plus is that the data storage is more efficient so I don’t have duplicates on my hard drive, which is not that good compared to its impact on the user experience — users are talking about TBs when getting new drives, right?
On the other hand, when you do add a file to a topic / profile, it’s probably for sure that you’re going to modify that file. So we’re still creating duplicates after all. Therefore, although technically it’s very easy to achieve, I till need to carefully think about it before implementing it — the last thing we’d like to do is to confuse users.
What do you think?
@Meng
Well, you are right. Once the file changes (by user) it should be auto-duplicated. But not before! New file name would be then the same (if it is still possible in 4.0 release) with activity-log: modified on dd.mm.yyyy at hh:mm (or even open on… log would be nice:-).
Then if file has multi-reference, instead of simple: Are you sure you want to delete this file? Would appear: This file refers to ….(locations)
Would you like to (for either delete or file change):
1. delete/change only this reference in … (location)
2. completely delete/change file from all Pagico locations
3. cancel operation
+ would be good If one could add/edit activity log of a file. I have files that keep changing every 2 weeks or so and would really need to see the progress of that file with its own activity log (auto assigned by system – modified on dd.mm.yyyy and my note reflecting the change). Would be much simpler to keep then only most recent version and maybe first one. All those changes in between would be recorded by Pagico & Me.
Somehow multiple existence of one file confuses me more, then single existence. Duplicate has its meaning, as well as simple referencing. Let user decide what he wants to do with file. All I ask is to make it an option. Hopefully user recognizes the difference between MOVE, DUPLICATE(COPY) & REFER TO. Convinced to put it in beta?
@Meng
Hah, just came to my mind: wouldn’t this be solvable via simple text note (but then each object should be able to include a note) where I would include reference hyperlinks (via UID)? Or could be even a list(s) of references (instead of tasks).
+ does note really have to take always the whole width of the Pagico screen?