Hi. I just started using Joplin, it's good but its interface is so mixed and its not suitable for end user, in phone and PC. Most of the free and open source softwares have this problem, and Joplin is one of them. I think open source makers think their software will only use by professionals or open source lovers. But end users don't understand open source and free apps because their UI is so complex. This is why end users use other apps. Please make UI of Joplin more comprehensive.
(Forgive me if I'm wrong, my English may not be very good)
Thanks, I will try it now . I hope developers will get rid of their ridiculous "proffesional UI" understanding and reorganize the UI. I really like these good people that makes these free apps for us but they should change their mind, I think.
Could you maybe give people a bit more time than just one hour -_-
It would be helpful at least to exapain what exactly you don't like about the UI, you keep saying things like "ridiculous "proffesional UI" ", "Please make UI of Joplin more comprehensive." and to "reorganize the UI" yet none of this explains anything at all. There is no magic "make UI better plz" wand that people can swing around.
I didn't said "ridiculous proffesional UI", I said "ridiculous understanding". I just want a more apprehensible UI experience, because Joplin's UI is so complicated, it makes so hard to make something.
I know, I removed it because it was silly. So, I will explain it.
(I removed the screenshot because this forum doesn't allow more than 1 screenshots fro me, there were markdown settings)
Here is an example, there is so many options and unclear things, e.g "Enable sub syntax" or "sub syntax" I can't understand it. Please make it more understandable.
When I go to the settings for something, I see too much incoherent options like "Text editor command" no end-user will use this. And I can extend my example with Evernote:
(Evernote PC app options windows)
Everything is so clear, I can understand everything. And one more example, I can see how it will look when i change themes.
They separated things that might not be understood in the "advanced" part(at the bottom):
(sorry, I use this Turkish, please ignore)
Please do not get me wrong, I really like Joplin and your precious work, but I'm just giving advice for Joplin.
sub and sup are generally understood shorthand for subscript and superscript but, as with everything else on that page, does require a basic understanding of Markdown and HTML. I'm not sure adding too much simplification or explanation to this would be wanted as really it is designed for people to make an informed decision to enable these options at the cost of reducing portability of your notes.
Maybe hyperlinks could be added to stuff like Mermaid or Fountain to their respective homepages?
The theme switcher preview isn't a bad idea - obviously we have far more than just a single "light" and "dark" theme though so not sure how this would look good when you have to show 8 preview screens without making it cluttered.
We already have a way of hiding more advanced options under the > Show Advanced Settings button on a number of the pages.
Hi. Thanks for your relevance to me. I think you can make this setting off by default.
(Sorry again if I have any language mistakes.)
I will support Joplin.
TL;DR... my message! I am relating many various points about UI & "beginners / non-techno / general-users". NOTE : I really really like using Joplin, don't let this message make you think otherwise.
Salih: I agree with you on several points. I like this App and use it happily, and I understand what you mean with "comprehensive" options being difficult. Lots of choices are good for those needing the specific customisations. I've been in IT jobs my whole life and I think there are some simple steps to make it easier for general users to maximise an App and get what they prefer out of it (and this works for advanced users as well). Daeraxa: I suggest there are some old-school 'magic wand' choices to make the UI better - "Settings Search" , "Visual" examples and "I'm a beginner" button.
Settings Search (Options?)
NOTE: I feel the "Settings" word is more common for general users. Anyway, a simple example for myself, was with the "Paste" function. I don't believe it works correctly (in my Windows 10 desktop app version), so I try investigate how to check the settings and what options I have. First, I have to try find where that setting is, if there is one? I go down the whole list of headings through each page, try in Advanced on a second pass, and eventually decide their isn't a setting and the Keyboard shortcuts is it - where I find "Paste as text". I had searched the forums and found a rather "shut-down" previous response to someone's queries around "pasting plain text" as this is what I also want. It wasn't resolved in the replies I read, but was more "this works as it should"? But it doesn't seem to for me. I use "CTRL+SHIFT+V" but the shortcut doesn't say "plain" text, so I am confused what that means in terms of text... is it only "minor formatting" or "no formatting" or "only paragraph formatting"? It's not "plain text" as it inserts (I assume) both CR + LF to make for extra extra spaced lines of text? I try adjust, correct and eventually give up as I don't think there is a way to paste in 1:1 raw/plain text into the Note window?. That takes me to accidently, use the "<" Back icon and I switch to a previous document... woops!, when I return with ">" to the current document, then I see the text has been reformatted (reprocessed?) and/but still isn't "plain text" with no gap between lines (as if it has hidden formatting style embedded). I think "Oh well, it was good while it lasted"... but then realise, that doesn't happen if I just type out a new document? So, there is something wrong with the "Paste" function (I think?).
If I could have entered "paste" into the Settings top search bar (if it had one), I would have ended up with perhaps several pages of options to jump to, and at least that hasn't become a task in itself.
When I find the "shortcut" page and this could be the only resource available, perhaps the shortcuts can have a "visual" example of what it does, with added description for those who don't know.
The "I'm a beginner" button, might be on the top nav/toolbar of the App? Maybe it has a hide function which asks "If you're not a beginner you can select to remove this button from the toolbar, click here". When selected, there are additional information help pop-ups when hovering over icons or application features. It could mean the there are "word" titles/labels under icons... Just so many usual "beginner" type adjustments to assist new users.
Whilst looking through the options in the Settings screen I noticed the following which don't work for me (my opinion) -
The Options as you call it - could be better listed as "Settings" (as it's debatably more common).
The Options "Back" button... that shouldn't be a 'thing'... it's non-standard in my experience, and especially at the lower portion of the page. Yes, it might (sort of) make sense once a change has been made, so that the Ok is active and the Back becomes Cancel... but to do all that - means it would seem not to be the most efficient or reasonable method? Maybe keep those "buttons" active at the top of the page and/or just go with the common "Save" as most general users have learnt what this means (through pain and anguish).
With the "Back / Cancel" method in operation... "Cancel" actually returns you out of the Settings/Options back to the Notes? I just wanted to Cancel that change I made on this sub-menu page? So, it doesn't seem right then, to have "Ok" & "Apply"? Umm... which do I click on? General Users have been shown to think that they must "Apply" changes when they see this option. Then they have to select the "Back" button to say they're done... whereas the "Ok" button applies the change and exits. I'm sure experienced users would just prefer the common - "make as many changes as you like, you're on your own and close this pop up window when you're done!". So, it's an unusual mixture. This mode of change might be great if there was a "beginners" mode in the system. Other users would just have all the settings to work through and when you exit that's it?
Probably not a good UI to have an option tickbox alter the position of the page information to "top" that item, when there's currently no display issues on the page?. For example, in Appearance >> Themes - If you select the "Automatically switch theme....." tickbox, the information jumps up and then expands out extra options? It's damn confusing for me. Why? There's room on the page and below the baseline - and jolting the viewers connection with the information means I didn't even notice the extra options that appear (at first). Not nice.
As said in this message, there could be many more descriptions and examples of various options and what they actually do, relate to and or consequences that may be relevant to explain.
I've attached an example image of the "shortcut" page as an example of what it could be.
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I hope developers will get rid of their ridiculous "proffesional UI" understanding and reorganize the UI. I really like these good people that makes these free apps for us but they should change their mind, I think.
