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Could somebody please explain how "applies to filtered nodes" works?

j-lon
2016-05-27
2016-05-29
  • j-lon

    j-lon - 2016-05-27

    I'm confused about what is supposed to happen when I select the button labeled "applies to filtered nodes".

    The documentation states the following:

    Toggle Apply to filtered (visible) nodes, i.e. add an additional filter condition, to further narrow the results

    When I engage my first filter, it removes the nodes that don't match, which is what I expect.

    So if my first filter condition is Core Text contains the text "quick filter", then it removes all nodes that don't have that text.

    But when I push the button above, and then add another filter, it does not remove any additional nodes that don't match the filter. It simply moves focus to a node in the current filtered set which contains the filter criteria.

    So for example, if my second refining filter is core text contains "press", then it toggles among the nodes with text "press quick filter," but I continue to see the remaining nodes that only contain the phrase "quick filter."

    Is this how it's supposed to work? My instinct was that the second, refining filter, would remove additional nodes from view, so I'm left with only the nodes that match the second filter query (i.e., nodes contain the phrase "press quick filter").

    Or am I doing something wrong?

    JL

     
  • Dimitry Polivaev

    Press the quick filter button. Pressing only the enter key you use the toolbar for search and not for the filtering.

     
  • j-lon

    j-lon - 2016-05-27

    Okay. So the refining filter only works when you first engage a filter you've created with the compose filter button and then actuated from the dropdown list. But you can't (a) engage a quick filter and then quick filter the first quick filter or (b) use the Filter selected nodes button and then refine your search with a second quick filter.

    Is that correct?

    JL

     
  • j-lon

    j-lon - 2016-05-27

    Actually, never mind. It's a little bit confusing, but now I get it. Looks like both (a) and (b) do work.

    That's slick, once you understand it.

    Wonder if there's some way to make that process clearer in the UI.

    Once you engage the QF button the first time, its state changes, so it's not completely intuitive (at least to me) that pressing it again with a new search will winnow down the found set further.

    My assumption was that it's either toggle on or toggled off.

    Don't have a better idea for how to make that clearer. But it might be worth thinking about.

    Also, is there any way to build a saved filter based on the filter state currently on the screen?

    So let's you do a series of quick filter actions and get things to a particular found set of nodes. At that point, you'd push a button and it would give you a dialog box to name the filter and save it with the other filters.

    JL

     
  • Dimitry Polivaev

    Originally the quick filter button was no togge. Some people requested that clicking on the button again should disable filter. Current logic is that clicking on the button again disables filter only if the filter condition was not changed in between and applies the new filter in another case.

    I could change this logic if there was a broad consensus about it.

     

    Last edit: Dimitry Polivaev 2016-05-28
  • BLOOD WOLF 3

    BLOOD WOLF 3 - 2016-05-28

    i would suggest to have AND/OR logic implemented and let the QF-logic as it is.
    My use of QF button is:
    I search for a term, press QF and hide all no-fits. When I enter another term und press QF again, then it do a search again over all nodes and get the fits. Its a Quickfilter.

    With AND/OR one could have a quickfilter search for multiple criteria. May be do a && / || ??
    Filter composition is one thing I do not use because my search terms are mostly unique and I find it to complicated. I also do not really understand filter scripts - what possibilities do one have here?

     
  • Dimitry Polivaev

    To the left of the filter drop down box on the filter tool bar there is a "applies to filtered nodes" button. If it is pressed you have &&, otherwise new filter is applied to all nodes.

    || is not implemented here, only in the filter editor dialog where you can use boolean operators

     
  • Dimitry Polivaev

    How important is having || in quick filter?

     
  • BLOOD WOLF 3

    BLOOD WOLF 3 - 2016-05-29

    it's a nice to have and would allow to filter quickly without have to move two times into the text box and use the mouse all the time moving from one button to other.
    Its not as important as other features you might working on, so decide yourself, Dimitry.
    just would like to have an all-mighty-search-box directly in the UI :)

    Thx for your efferts and time btw.

    tony

     
    • Dimitry Polivaev

      I usually do features either supported by many users here in forum or needed for contributions, documentation and spreading freeplane like in case with transparent colors. In just few cases I develop new features for myself.

      Now you know how to increase the chance of your idea to be implemented.

       
  • Volker Börchers

    Even as a Freeplane developer I find the GUI for filtering and searching very difficult to use. Many buttons scattered over the toolbar complemented by several rather inaccessible dialogs. Normally I try to avoid using it. I know that technically the filter and search functionality of Freeplane is really excellent - if it only were easier to use! One idea: I guess that most buttons should not be visible unless you start a search or filter operation (like in Firefox or Chrome where a special toolbar pops up). - Usability experts somewhere?

    Volker

     
  • Dimitry Polivaev

    You can switch filter toolbar on and off using control+F .