Found a good PC XML/OPML editor

As there is no PC companion application to Projekt, a number of users have tried existing PC outliner applications. This is from the Google cache of an entry from the now defunct Kylom forum :

Hi everybody,

I’m still using my nokia 9300 and Projekt almost on a daily basis at my office. For YEARS now I have been searching for a good PC alternative for editing the exported OPML files from Projekt. Now at last I’ve found one that :

  • has the ability to show projekt’s notes in a treepad fashion on PC, which has been a big “must-have” for me, personally… (that’s why I never liked the JOE editor)
  • doesn’t corrupt any of the the tags in the OPML code on importing nor exporting. (All the values, categories, dates, checkboxes etc are still there, intact, when you re-import back to Projekt)
  • do accept editing and changing of the content of the file – all the tags are accessible and possible to edit if you like to.
  • imports and exports all the UTF code correctly !

Simply wonderful. I am so happy ! :-)

The name of the app is Treeline and you can find it here.

HOW TO MAKE IT WORK NICELY WITH PROJEKT’S EXPORTED OPML-FILE

First, of course, you have to export the projekt file from your phone as a OPML file with UTF encoding.
Copy this file to your PC.

Go to Treeline.

Choose “open”, get files of type “all files” and choose your OPML-file.
This opens the “import text” window.
Choose the option “generic XML” to import the file into the treeline app.

The file now opens in a raw XML-shape in the treeline-app. Not very easy to watch or to use.

But – now you go to to “data”, choose “configure data types”.
The “configure data types” window opens up for you.

Choose outline in the list window and go to the “output” tab.

Change the text in the “title format”-window to {*_text}
and the text in the “output format”-window to {*_note*}
and press “apply” and “OK”

Voila ! If you choose the “show data output” you see a projekt outline text editor just the same way as it appears in your nokia 9300.

You can check all your different tags in the “data editor” window and there you also can edit anything you wish.

When you are finished you go to “file” and “export” and choose to export as “generic XML”, rename the file to .opml and then you can import it back into your phone.

Drawbacks:

  • Due to the limitations of Projekt’s OPML export format, all internal Rich text formatting of the projekt’s notes are lost in the process. Simply because the rich text information isn’t implemented in the OPML-file to begin with!
  • Sometimes it seems like the export from the treeline app, back to generic XML, causes some glitches. I don’t know exactly why it happens but sometimes there is loss of text in the notes… Maybe someone can figure out why that happens… I haven’t found the reason for this yet.

Apart from that – it works beautifully !

Cheers
_________________
Capricorn33

5 comments to Found a good PC XML/OPML editor

  • Kylom

    On the same subject, here is the transcript of an entry in the allaboutsymbian forum :

    Ben,

    I had the same problem and I am now using Projekt from http://www.kylom.com on my 9500 and TreePad from http://www.treepad.com on my PC. One can transfer info in both directions using opml files, but for error free results I use ABC Amber Projekt Converter from ProcessText Group at http://www.processtext.com/abcprojekt.html The converter package is necessary as TreePad does have some errors in the opml conversion.

    Projekt and TreePad are both much more than notetakers and I would thoroughly support both.

    Hope this helps.
    Martin

  • Jp

    Hi,

    I tried the Treeline app. The “configure data types” dialog box is not like what you have described. The boxes are the same but the text in the text boxes are different. On the other hand the help files show screen shots similar to what you have described. I have Treeline version 1.2.2. Was yours an earlier version?

    Jp

  • cap

    Jp,
    yes, I have an earlier version. Version 1.2.0 to be exact.
    I have not downloaded or tried this newest version but I assume that it should work anyway – if you just adapt to the somewhat changed user interface in 1.2.2?

    Ben,
    yes, I have tried the ABC converter too, but I think I like the treeline better… I don’t have to convert the filetype at all. Just rename it. It stays XML/OPML all the time.

    capricorn

  • another capricorn

    treeline works perfectly for me……after countless hours searching the net for a desktop companion to Projekt, turns out the answer was on Kylom itself (duh!). Best of all no messing about with *additional* plug-ins or converters that other PC outliners require…..thanks so much for posting this cap!

  • antman48

    In the new version its not {*_text} it’s {*text}