A potential use for Zoot

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Posted by Graham Rhind
Nov 6, 2007 at 04:19 PM

Since I started testing Zoot 4.5 I’ve been fishing around for a good use for Zoot. I can’t use it as an information manager because my information is primarily in formats other than plain text, and due to the current limitations in database size/folder numbers etc. I do see a lot of potential, though, in its use as a task manager with its event/trigger system (or rule/view in Zoot parlance). I’m posting the form this took in my case should anybody also be interested in using Zoot in this way.

In my work, when something in the real world changes I have to make changes to many files and documents. For example, if a new country comes in to being I have to add the country to my web pages, add a chapter to one of my books, alter reference files and so on. Up to now I’ve identified 10 real world events which trigger the need to make 55 (and increasing) changes. Inevitably I tend to lose sight of some of these changes and often come across something containing information which is out of date, unacceptable in my business.

I could put this onto a complex paper-based check list, but that is static. If I find more triggers, make new data files, move information and so on, I’d have to re-create and re-print the list. Zoot allows me to do this more dynamically.

In a new Zoot database I created a note which contains all of the event names and all of the triggers, including codes per trigger (AA, AB, AC and so on). I created a “countries” folder into which to put the events. I then created a task folder, with child folders containing the item to be altered (name of book, name of data file and so on). Under those, I made new folders which are named after the event (e.g. “new country”) and contains a rule on that text. As that text is contained also in the codes note, that note appears within each folder so that I can refer to it as required. For each folder I create a new view which contains new columns with the names of the RELEVANT trigger codes (AA, AF etc.). These columns have a yes/no property.

Thus, for example, if a new country comes into existence I have to make changes to 5 parts of one of my books. I therefore have a folder with the book name, a child folder with the rule “new country”, and 5 columns, each with a name referring to text in the codes note so that I can see what I have to do. If a new country comes into existence I add the data to Zoot: “Saint Martin: New country”. The use of the code words brings it up in the relevant views. When I am editing that book I can open this view, make the changes and mark them off one by one.

I have to say it has taken some time to set up but (one bug aside) it does seem to be a useful way (for me) of using Zoot.

Graham

Posted by Jan Rifkinson
Nov 8, 2007 at 12:15 AM

Graham not to take anything away from Tom Davis’ Zoot or your approach & if I understood your situation, I believe this chore could be handled w greater ease w UltraRecall’s logical linkage.

Don’t know if you are familiar w the program or even interested in it but I’d thought I’d throw this out there.

Posted by Graham Rhind
Nov 8, 2007 at 12:39 PM

If I understand this process in UR (big if!), then the linkage has to be made manually. The advantage for me of Zoot in this case is that the “linking” (i.e. sending to a view) is automatic once the views have been set up. As far as I understand it, UR can’t be made to automatically show items within a different part of its tree on the basis of text within another item except by using and storing searches. Or can it?

Jan Rifkinson wrote:
>Graham not to take anything away from Tom Davis’ Zoot or your approach & if I understood
>your situation, I believe this chore could be handled w greater ease w UltraRecall’s
>logical linkage.
> >Don’t know if you are familiar w the program or even interested in
>it but I’d thought I’d throw this out there.

Posted by Jan Rifkinson
Nov 10, 2007 at 10:52 PM

Graham, You’ve describe URp & Zoot’s capabilities correctly.

OTOH URp may have some synonym function I haven’t discovered yet. Like Zoot, URp is an onion to be peeled back layer by layer.

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