In MindPlan there are two different modes to change the position of a node. If you want to change the order of nodes, click on the center of the node and drag the mouse:

While dragging, you can see small lines and triangles that show you possible insertion positions:

A completely different thing is our relative node positioning, which was added in MindPlan version 2:
There is a small icon at the top right of a node. When you position the mouse over it for a while, you can see a hint how to use it:

For each node we store an x/y axis indentation relative to the parent and sibling nodes.
The result could look like this:
If you've completely messed up your map by playing with the relative position, there is an easy way to reset some or all positions.
Select a few nodes and click on this menu actions:

We couldn't find the time to integrate those two modes into a combined mode so far.
When version 2 came out, we discussed this top right icon and compared the idea with a keyboard shortcut (e.g. relative positioning when Alt is pressed while dragging).
The decision to include this extra icon was based on the high demand of our customers to have relative positioning in the map. So we wanted to have something obviously new in the graphical user interface, because not all users like to read the documentation.

If you've got a better idea, feel free to post it here in the blog!
We also get support calls because users try to change the order of nodes by using the relative positioning. So I guess both ways are not optimal.

Karsten Lehmann | June 19th, 2008 12:08:18 | Comments (0) | Permanent Link

IBM published a new document about Composite Application technology in the Composite Application Wiki.
It provides a good overview about Composite Applications and many useful links to resources on the web to get started.

The document is called: "Composite Applications in Notes - Benefits and Technical Overview".

Karsten Lehmann | June 18th, 2008 13:59:30 | Comments (0) | Permanent Link

We've just uploaded the first beta build of MindPlan for the Mac, Standalone Edition.
This application edition runs outside the Lotus Notes client, but against its Java API, just like the standalone MindPlan version on Windows.

You can find a DMG file with the application in the MindPlan forum category "MindPlan on Mac".

Karsten Lehmann | May 17th, 2008 01:02:00 | Comments (0) | Permanent Link

Just a follow up to the last blog article about wiring the MindPlan export system via a new Composite Application property with other components:

There is a new beta build version available that contains this addition and a sample application.
Please see the MindPlan forum for details:

-Link to the right MindPlan forum category-

Karsten Lehmann | May 15th, 2008 22:50:48 | Comments (0) | Permanent Link

The next beta drop of the MindPlan Composite Application will contain an addition export target in the export system and a new CA property.

To understand what is possible with this addition, here are a few basic facts about the MindPlan export system in general:

The MindPlan export system

The MindPlan export process consists of two steps:

Step 1: Export format
In the first step the export content is generated.
When you define a new export profile in the MindPlan export system, you can choose between the following formats:

So we’ve got some predefined and easy-to-use formats like HTML and RTF tables and simple text lists. When you choose to generate a HTML/RTF table and proceed with the export profile wizard, you will see a form to select the node values to be exported (subject, start date, due date, priority etc.).
We have our own MindPlan XML format and the MPX export format to get data to MS Project.
And we finally have an export format called "Text export", which most of the end users
 

• do not know,
• do not like when they get to know it
• and also would not understand :-)
  (this is a hardcore feature...)

 
The "Text export" is our programmable export plugin:
With this plugin you can export the MindPlan data in any text-based format that you like (e.g. your own XML format, JSON, tab-separated lists etc.), but you should be motivated to do some coding.
We provide our own XML-based scripting language and a rich set of scripting commands, if/else constructs, function/variable definition and Notes support (like evaluating @formulas) to let you extract, transform and print out the MindPlan data that you want.
 
Step 2: Export target
So we have created our export content, but what are we gonna do with it?
Here are the choices that you have:
You can copy the content to the clipboard, e.g. to paste a HTML table inside a new document. You can also write the content to a file (Export target: file). That’s what we do when you choose to save a MindPlan to a MPXML file.
In addition, we can call any application after saving the file (Export target: External application), we use it in our concept export to Word/OpenOffice to call a VBScript which reads the export content and does the Office automation (using COM) to create a new document.
You can also create a new email (Export target: Lotus Notes mail) or meeting invitation (Export target: Lotus Notes meeting invitation) and add the content to the body of the form. We use this to send links to nodes via Notes mail (Tools/Send links to nodes as mail) and create a meeting invitation with an embedded agenda (select an agenda node and you find this option in the "Next Steps" panel).
 
And finally, here is our new export target:
The export target “CA property” sends the generated export content to the new Composite Application property “CAExportTargetOutputXML”.
On the properties page of this export target, you can define a unique content ID. Wired CA components can use this content ID to identify content that they support.
We embed the export content in a small piece of XML code:

 

Use Case
We include a new sample Composite Application and a matching export profile (.mpexp file) in the CA download archive of the next beta drop that makes use of the new export target.
The export traverses the MindPlan tree and creates XML like this:
 
 
So that’s the MindPlan tree with node titles and the Notes URL of the node documents.
The MindPlan component is wired with a Lotusscript action that

• reads the incoming XML
• compares the content id to check if the content is supported
• reads all the documents of the nodes
• and concatenated the titles, descriptions and richtext fields into one new richtext field
• adds chapter numbers (1, 1.1, 1.2 etc) to the titles

 
What’s the result? It’s a Concept Export of MindPlan Nodes to Lotus Notes Richtext!


Here is the exported MindPlan:
Other possible use cases
We think about adding IBM Symphony support to the export system, e.g. new export targets "IBM Lotus Symphony document" and "IBM Lotus Symphony spreadsheet" that automate the Symphony components in the R8 Notes client to produce minutes documents or calculations within the Lotus Notes client.
But this could also be implemented using this new export target. One could add a Java Eclipse Plugin to the Composite Application, wire it to the "CAExportTargetOutputXML" property and transfer the incoming content to Lotus Symphony via its UNO APIs.

Any volunteers? :-)
 

Karsten Lehmann | May 13th, 2008 15:14:16 | Comments (0) | Permanent Link

We're happy to announce the availability of the new MindPlan forum!
This forum is your opportunity to

• ask questions about MindPlan
• give us valuable feedback on how you use MindPlan
• request features for future MindPlan versions
• meet other MindPlan users and share your MindPlan maps with them
• and........
  
  ........get the download link for the first beta release of the

Please click --here-- to open the forum.

You can find the download link and further information about the MindPlan CA beta release in the forum category "Beta: MindPlan Composite Application"

Karsten Lehmann | May 5th, 2008 21:08:15 | Comments (0) | Permanent Link

Ok, let's start the product announcements of today with the brand new MindPlan 3.0 build 16.
This update build is a maintenance release that fixes the following main topics:

• error messages in the Notes client when opening MindPlan databases that were updated with 3.0 build 15 templates
• NotesSync: error message when opening synched appointments
• NotesSync: synched todos are disappearing from views after opening them, closing them and pressing F9
• Installation: added an error message for Linux/Mac clients opening the installation database (the database currently only supports Windows)
• Fix for "JIT: OutOfMemory" messages during program execution

The installation package of 3.0 build 16 contains the sample databases and templates that you need for the MindPlan Composite Application that will follow later on (I'm still uploading the archive ;-) ).

Karsten Lehmann | May 5th, 2008 15:39:00 | Comments (0) | Permanent Link

Don't worry Tux! There's not much work left. The software is ready for distribution.

We just need to fill the new MindPlan forum with some installation instructions for the three CA betas (Win/Linux/Mac) and "known issues" list.
You know, that kind of lists, on which you read, that you need Lotus Notes 8.0.1 on Linux to get MindPlan working. 8.0 will definitely not work.

So that you all are well prepared when the download is available this weekend...

Karsten Lehmann | May 2nd, 2008 17:10:36 | Comments (2) | Permanent Link

Something new from the MindPlan labs... :-)

The first screenshots of MindPlan running natively on the Mac:





And some information about the technical requirements for MindPlan on the Mac:
MindPlan uses the Java API of Lotus Notes to store it's data. This API has not been available before Lotus Notes 8.5, so you definitely need this latest Notes version 8.5 to run MindPlan on the Mac. Lotus Notes 8.5 is currently in beta testing stage. It is only supported on Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and so is MindPlan.
In addition, the first MindPlan Mac beta version does only run on Intel-based hardware. PPC processor support may follow later on when we buy the hardware. ;-)
(we, the developers, code on an Intel-based MacBook and a MacBook Pro)

Karsten Lehmann | April 17th, 2008 01:27:51 | Comments (1) | Permanent Link

The bugfix release MindPlan 3 build 15 is now available in the download area of the MindPlan website. We fixed some minor things in the MindPlan application (e.g. the NullPointerException error message on startup and some incompatibility issues with Lotus Notes R8 installs).
But most of the work was done in the MindPlan Notes database:
The database is now prepared for the upcoming MindPlan Composite Application.

Half an hour ago we sent an information email to announce the internal availability of the first MindPlan Composite Application beta version for the Weilgut employees.
This is just a short "smoke test" phase before we release the MindPlan CA beta version to the public.
The MindPlan CA is feature complete and packed inside an installation database, which is based on the standard IBM Update Site template, but prepared for a "one click installation".

As last minute changes, we added some CA properties to the MindPlan database design, to report node document changes (save, editmode on/off) and static properties to make the tabs on the forms collapsible.

With these new features, our DocumentViewer sample application now looks like this:



You can now

•  edit the node's richtext and
• show/hide the tabs with a hotspot action at the top of the form
  (this action is only visible in CA mode, it can be switched on/off via static CA properties)

The DocumentViewer component can be moved in the page layout, so you can also place it at the bottom of the page or even close the panel with one click!

Karsten Lehmann | April 16th, 2008 00:27:18 | Comments (3) | Permanent Link