Suggestions for Improvements

Your suggestions for future versions of EssentialPIM

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pmtaft
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Suggestions for Improvements

Post by pmtaft »

Hi. I've been using EssentialPIM Pro for a little more than a year and one-half; I was forced to find an alternative to ECCO Pro which I loved ... I used it for more than a decade. Unfortunately it died a slow death. After an extensive search and many "try outs" I settled on EssentialPIM Pro. It has grown on me and there is a lot to like. It is quite malleable and much of it can be set the way it works best for me. I waited quite a while before sending you a list of suggestions ... I wanted to make sure I understood your program before doing so. Below is my list of suggestions (some may be duplicates of other users suggestions). I apologize for its length, and the fact that my Word outline didn't display properly in this box.

2. Suggestions:

a. Allow choices for start and end times for events should be in increments of 5 – 60 minutes (selectable, with 30 minutes as the default).

b. Tasks should have available subtasks with different due dates at a minimum … even better, give the subtasks all the same variables as the main tasks.

c. I would like to have drag & drop ability in all sections where text is entered, especially in Appointments & Tasks. Currently I cannot drag & drop text from an Appointment Event Title text to note detail area, or vice versa.

d. When Appointments and Tasks are open and being edited, they have quite minimal word processing tools available. I’d like to see them have the same array of word processing tools (e.g. bold, italic, underline, strike-through, subscript, superscript, alignment, font, font size, etc.) as the Notes section.

e. Appointments have a very meager toolset for using and editing Templates:
i. The dialog window that shows the available Appointment Templates need to be wider so that it shows the widest Template names (I prefer to use longer descriptive names, so I really know the type of Appointment to entered).
ii. As the list of available Templates grows, I’d like to see them sorted alphabetically automatically (with an option to sort by the order in which the list is built).
iii. Modifying or editing a given Template is difficult; if I want to edit an Appointment Template, I have to create an appointment using a Template, edit the appointment, and then save the appointment as a template using the previously copied name I got from the Manage Template List (so I don’t get 2 versions of the same Template). There should be an edit mode (? via a right click menu) in the Manage Template List: highlight the Template, select edit, correct the Template, then Save (to the same name that is presented to the user) to overwrite the previous version. There could even be a Save as … to create a similar Template that is different from the “parent.”

f. In the Appointments, I’d like to be able to see a larger list of previous Locations in an alphabetically sortable list.

g. I’d like to see an available basic ribbon for most commonly used commands (e.g. save, backup, exit, advanced search, ?? others) plus the ability to add user-selected commands as is done in Word, etc. In the current interface, many commands are buried deeply in menus.

h. I frequently use Advanced Search (or even trash) to find one off appointments, many of which are long over. The right click menu does not include a copy function Rather than creating yet another Template if I want to have the same / similar appointment, I’d like the ability to right click on one of the displayed results of the search, copy that result, and paste it where I need to duplicate that appointment.

i. Similarly, I would like to be able in an open edited appointment be able to either right-click or type Ctrl-C to copy the entire appointment. I could then paste it anywhere I needed it for a discontinuous series or new isolated appointment.

j. For the Notes section I’ve built several forms (think “templates”) to display data in the same way to speed entering data e.g. similar data fields for multiple Insurance policies. I’d like to see a Notes Form Builder that can create, store, and retrieve forms for repetitive Note types. The Form Builder should have attributes similar to what I described in the Appointment Template Manager above.

Thanks for listening. Regards. Peter Taft
Texter
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by Texter »

Hello,
welcome to the community and Epim Lovers.

at least i might have a solution for your first problem:
a. allow start / end
--> create an apointment and click on the template in the lower left. You're able to define your standard appointment

Best regards
Epim-User since 12/2007 - changed to pro later - never change a running system - now Epim Lifetime.
Running latest* Epim Pro Portable on a Lenovo T14p with Win 10 64bit.
*including RC`s
spoken languages: German / English
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by ecsaltz »

Hello, pmtaft.

I was an Ecco user, starting in the late 90's, until around 2002. Great program for it's time, but maintenance for it to keep up with the times just wasn't there. I next discovered EPIM, and that for over 13 years has worked out real well for me.
PC Desktop: Window 11 Pro, 34 inch 4K monitor.
Cell phone: Verizon Wireless Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Android 12 - linked with Garmin Fenix 6 Pro wrist watch and Fitbit Sense wrist watch.
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by Keldi »

pmtaft wrote: Sat Sep 07, 2019 7:17 am 2.
...
e.
...
iii. Modifying or editing a given Template is difficult; if I want to edit an Appointment Template, I have to create an appointment using a Template, edit the appointment, and then save the appointment as a template using the previously copied name I got from the Manage Template List
+1

Because of that I gave up on comprehensive names for the templates that are often edited. Now I just give them one symbol names (1, 2, 3 and so on) and have to remember what template I have under each number.

But I don't think there is need for a separate edit mode here.
The main problem is that it always offers us a new name when we use Save as Template... button.
Just please please please put the name of the currently selected template into the Name field of the Save as Template window.
And editing templates would be as simple as one, two, three:
epim_templatename.png
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by pmtaft »

Cool! Just what I wanted for that issue. Thanks fro your help. Peter
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by pmtaft »

Keldi, I thought you had solved my issue with modifying and saving an existing Template, but when I followed your instructions in your answer, I realized that my main issue is acquiring that template name by block, copying, and pasting the name. I use a work around by reopening the Template Manager, then following the block, and copying steps ... a real kludge, and then and pasting into the Save as Template field. Perhaps the save as template could give the user a choice of the "Template of origin" name, or "new" end. Peter
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by Max »

Thank you for the productive discussion. Looks like the time to extend Template feature has come. We will see what can be done in some next major version updates.
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by Max »

pmtaft, regarding point "j"- you can create a few Notes that will serve as templates and you can copy them to make a new Note based on the "template"- would that work for you?
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by pmtaft »

Maxim, I have built a few Notes "Templates" and stored them in a folder at the top of the Notes tree. Currently if I want to use a Notes template and block copy & paste into a note. Since I have a fairly extensive tree I have to scroll quite a ways to get the Template I want. If there were buttons and functionality to retrieve my Notes templates as are found in Appointments that would make life much easier. I did try to show you a template (below) but the table I use failed to show when I pasted it in this box. One other question: do you or others on your team have any comments or thoughts about some of my other suggestions? Thanks for your help. Peter



Life Insurance Template
Name of Insured:

Policy Number #:

Plan of Insurance:

Company:

Address:

Phone:

Insurance Agent:

Address:

Phone:

Face Amount:

Paid up / Cash Value (as of  Date):

Premium:

Expiration Date:

Beneficiary(s):

Address:

Phone:

Contingent Beneficiary(s):

Address:

Phone:

Location of Policy:

Image
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by Max »

I understand your point in regards to Notes templates.
Regarding other suggestions- we will see what can be done. Some of them are "nice to have", some- difficult to implement.
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by pmtaft »

Maxim, much appreciated. Thanks. Peter
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by Shaun »

Hallo pmtaft, one available workaround it to open 2 instances of EPim, then you can copy / past from your template section.

Max, is it possible to have the second instance open in read-only mode ? Then any syncronization problems would be avoided. Also drag & drop frpm 1 instance to second doesn't seem to work.

Tnaks yet again, Shaun
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by Max »

Shaun wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2019 1:30 pm Max, is it possible to have the second instance open in read-only mode ? Then any syncronization problems would be avoided. Also drag & drop frpm 1 instance to second doesn't seem to work.

Tnaks yet again, Shaun
Hi,

currently it is not possible, on the contrary, we made efforts earlier so that users are able to work with 2 simultaneously open databases.
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by swwhit52 »

Max wrote: Mon Sep 09, 2019 9:21 pm Thank you for the productive discussion. Looks like the time to extend Template feature has come. We will see what can be done in some next major version updates.
I hope this is still on the improvements list. I sometimes need to add or remove categories from templates - this is extremely awkward and time-consuming. Epim's UI continues to evolve and improve but I feel that calendar filtering has not kept pace with other features.
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Re: Suggestions for Improvements

Post by swwhit52 »

Could this be added to the 'vote for improvements / calendar' topic?
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