Hi,
I was attempting to copy data from one reference window to another, and realised that Bookends does not seem to allow me to have more than one reference open at a time. Am I imagining this? Is there a preference somewhere I have missed? I thought--and would hope--that one could have more than one reference open at a time, especially to facilitate copy and paste. Naturally I realise that one can use the “View Formattedâ€
RE: multiple windows
Hi,
This is a sort of transitional relict of a very different interface paradigm for Bookends. Prior to Bookends 8, the reference window was the default "main" window and the list window kind of a utility for looking at groups of hits (including the entire database). This is the opposite of what anyone who grew up with Endnote is used to, in which the library window is fundamental and double-clicking references opens up a new window specific to that reference. Bookends 8 moves toward the Endnote way of doing things by making the list view the default, but retains a single reference window which has the capability of navigating references independent of the list view.
I'm with Shayne in preferring the Endnote-style paradigm or at least allowing an option to have multiple reference windows open. Maybe the Bookends way is actually more elegant, but after over a decade of doing it differently I have never really adjusted. It's not a huge thing, but if it was at all possible to implement it would be a great feature. Then one could just open a particular reference and cut and paste relevant text into a new reference window as needed. This strikes me as being a lot easier than the single-window tools Bookends currently has for looking up, peeking, etc. at information in other references. I'm guessing, though, that this may be so contrary to the way Bookends is put together that it may not be possible to implement.
Jonathan
This is a sort of transitional relict of a very different interface paradigm for Bookends. Prior to Bookends 8, the reference window was the default "main" window and the list window kind of a utility for looking at groups of hits (including the entire database). This is the opposite of what anyone who grew up with Endnote is used to, in which the library window is fundamental and double-clicking references opens up a new window specific to that reference. Bookends 8 moves toward the Endnote way of doing things by making the list view the default, but retains a single reference window which has the capability of navigating references independent of the list view.
I'm with Shayne in preferring the Endnote-style paradigm or at least allowing an option to have multiple reference windows open. Maybe the Bookends way is actually more elegant, but after over a decade of doing it differently I have never really adjusted. It's not a huge thing, but if it was at all possible to implement it would be a great feature. Then one could just open a particular reference and cut and paste relevant text into a new reference window as needed. This strikes me as being a lot easier than the single-window tools Bookends currently has for looking up, peeking, etc. at information in other references. I'm guessing, though, that this may be so contrary to the way Bookends is put together that it may not be possible to implement.
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
Your guess is correct -- the single-reference-window-at-a-time is a fundamental feature of Bookends, and changing it would have major repercussions throughout the application (none good). To list some of the features we have included to facilitate moving data from one reference to another:
Peek
Command-' (copies field from previous ref)
Copy/Paste Reference
Jon
Sonny Software
Your guess is correct -- the single-reference-window-at-a-time is a fundamental feature of Bookends, and changing it would have major repercussions throughout the application (none good). To list some of the features we have included to facilitate moving data from one reference to another:
Peek
Command-' (copies field from previous ref)
Copy/Paste Reference
Jon
Sonny Software