Unexpected changes that improved Joplin

candrak · 2023-03-21T09:18:07.009Z

Changes to Joplin just improved its usefulness for me. So here's post to drop notes about improvements you want to highlight

Feel free to post about improved experiences here.

candrak · 2023-03-21T09:18:16.812Z

In the last week, I noticed Joplin on mobile had enabled what I suspect was the beta editor view. This was, I believe, previously behind a flag controlled by a toggle in Configuration. The toggle in Configuration has been replaced with a different one for a plain text editor.

before

Previously, when I tapped to edit a note, the cursor would go straight to the bottom of the note. This had the following effect:
- I aimed to keep notes short, to avoid adding to the difficulty of re-locating the intended change.
- I almost completely avoided edit mode on mobile. Joplin on mobile became for view-only usecases.

after

Now, when I tap to edit a note, the view stays in place and allows me to place the cursor where I want.
Also, I can search for text.

Great stuff.

Pakh · 2023-03-22T14:32:43.817Z

I noticed that too. Great job by whoever did that change!

It's funny how an exceedingly small detail can improve usability so much and turn an app from "i avoid it" to "i want to use it all the time".

In general, anything that would change the app's behavior closer to a well-established app such as Apple's default "Notes" app, would improve it. For example, clicking anywhere on a note should enable the edit mode, with the cursor placed where you clicked.

By the way, a suggestion I posted seeing the sub-notebooks alongside the list of notes in the current notebook, would be a similar minor change that would increase the usability of the app massively.

former_evernotist · 2023-03-24T22:50:09.871Z

Pakh:

In general, anything that would change the app's behavior closer to a well-established app such as Apple's default "Notes" app, would improve it. For example, clicking anywhere on a note should enable the edit mode, with the cursor placed where you clicked.

Well, that works just as intended on desktop, but I agree that it should work on mobile, too. You can't place the cursor within a word, though - due to the unfathomable wisdom of Apple's UX designers (that's one of the things I really miss after I changed from Android to iOS). Not Joplin's fault, of course.

candrak · 2023-03-28T20:10:42.695Z

Replying specifically to this post, because, well, my response is only related to this post

former_evernotist:

You can't place the cursor within a word, though...that's one of the things I really miss after I changed from Android to iOS

I preface the following with a FWIW, because you may already know of this feature. I learned it as part of an adjustment process, and share in case it helps.

On iOS, after I long-press the space bar until the keyboard fades, I can swipe left or right for fine-grained control of the cursor. This lets me place the cursor exactly where I need it to be. A UI feature I actually like.

former_evernotist · 2023-03-28T21:18:55.055Z

candrak:

On iOS, after I long-press the space bar until the keyboard fades, I can swipe left or right for fine-grained control of the cursor. This lets me place the cursor exactly where I need it to be. A UI feature I actually like.

I actually prefer dragging and dropping the cursor over using the space bar as a track pad. But nothing beats the simplicity of Android keyboards in this respect: Just tap your finger on the screen and put the cursor wherever you like...

Let's get back to Joplin: Whereas Apple designers like to make bold decisions about what they think that most users would like to do (insert a word, not change something inside a word), it's a great advantage of open source software that it gives everybody more control over the product. I'm referring specifically to CSS capabilites (which don't apply to mobile usage of course).

So kudos to Joplin developers that they improved the mobile editor nevertheless (although Joplin does all but follow a 'mobile first' approach).

semyl · 2023-04-03T23:18:07.383Z

Pakh:

For example, clicking anywhere on a note should enable the edit mode, with the cursor placed where you clicked.

Apart from if clicking on a checkbox to mark it complete, I hope

candrak · 2023-05-12T21:25:41.349Z

The most recent unexpected benefit for me:

Real-time search on mobile that came with version 2.10. Fantastic
Even better, search on mobile also catches partially matching strings now, as opposed to whole words previously, IIRC. So good

candrak · 2023-06-30T15:54:30.194Z

In desktop 2.11.11 and mobile 12.11.5, end-to-end encryption has been improved from AES-128 to AES-256. All quantum physicists and the generally safety-conscious, rejoice!

Why? Good reasons, technical reasons.