tree exported from hnb

Introduction to hnb

Introducing hnb

hnb is an hierarchical notebook, that is an editor that focuses on editing and managing information in a hierarchical manner. This type of editor is also known as outline editors.

hnb was written as a personal itch of the author, he knew no other such program and thought out how he wanted it to work. Some of the additional features in hnb have been inspired by other similar programs.

I, that is Øyvind Kolås <pippin@users.sourceforge.net> use hnb to maintain my contact list, my to-do lists, my calendar, writing documentation and reports.

Installing hnb

Unix

prepackaged binaries

prepackaged binaries for hnb exist for some operating-systems/distributions, these might not be the latest versions.

Andras Bali maintains a Debian package of hnb, which can be installed by issuing

apt-get install hnb

Patrick Li maintains a Free-BSD ports package of hnb, I don't know how to install it on Free-BSD.

compiling

hnb comes packaged in a tar.gz file, this file contains a Makefile, hopefully installing hnb is as simple as:

make

make install

platform specific workarounds

SuSE Linux:

SuSE Linux doesn't install ncurses as curses, which ncurses actually does by default if it is allowed to. Changing the CFLAGS line in src/Makefile to -lncurses instead of -lcurses makes hnb compile on SuSE

OS X / Darwin:

the preprocessor that OS X uses doesn't work properly. Adding -no-cpp-precomp to the Makefile should make it compile properly on OS/X as well

Starting hnb

When you start hnb it automatically loads the default database, ~/.hnb and lets you edit it, this is to make it convenient to have your personal information like contacts and to-do list readily available.

If ~/.hnb doesn't exist a sample database will be loaded instead

The full commandline usage for hnb is

hnb [options] [filename] [-e 'comand' ['command' ['command' ..]]]

options:

-h or --help show recognized options

-a or --ascii use tab indented ASCII for loading/saving database

ASCII doesn't remember attributes like to-do status, done etc.

-o or --opml use OPML DTD for loading/saving database

-x or --xml invoke hnb as a XML editor

--hnb use hnb DTD for loading/saving database, this is the default unless you've changed it in the preferences file

running commands

by running

hnb -e 'go_root' 'oexport_htmlcss test.html'

hnb will load the default database, go to the start of the database, and export it with the htmlcss filter to a file called test.html

In the latest version hnb also contains a menu that can be invoked by pressing F9, for advanced commands the commandline (F5) is preferred.

Quitting hnb

By pressing ESC, hnb will ask you whether you want to save or not, if you press ESC again hnb will return to normal operation.

Importing data

To import the contents of another file, you press ^L (Ctrk+L), you will then get a list of choices of format to import from.

Choose the desired format

Enter the relative or full path of the filename you want imported.

hnb will add that file under the current level.

Exporting data

To export the current tree to another file.

press ^E (ctrl+E)

Choose the desired format

Enter the relative or full path of the filename you want to write to.

Printing

hnb doesn't support printing to a printer directly, but by using an intermediate format you can get some quite good printouts, a good candidate is the HTML/CSS format.

Using Outlines

Managing entries

Navigating amongst entries

The arrow keys will move you amongst the entries in the tree, you may also start typing the name of a entry that exist on the current level, and hnb will take you to the entry that matches what you've typed, pressing tab twice will enter the sub-level of the current entry, this behavior is modeled after the name completion in Unix shells.

PageUp/PageDown will skip a large amount of entries up and down.

Home will bring you to the 'root' (the first entry) of the tree.

Searching

^F will ask you for a search term, you may thereafter navigate amongst the occurrences of the search term with up/down n/p, pressing space or return will make you stop where you found the substring, ESC will bring you back to where you started the search.

Moving entries

You can move entries either by pressing shift and using the arrow keys, the entry will then move within the constraints of the hierarchical structure.

You can also move entries by cutting and pasting a entry, this has much of the same effect, cut is instantiated with ^C and the paste command is ^V

Adding entries

Pressing insert will add a new entry below the current. You will also immediately enter edit mode.

You may also exploit the fact that searching by keyboard for a entry that doesn't exist, and pressing enter, will create the entry name that you entered.

Deleting entries

If you press delete the current entry will be deleted, if it has children you will be asked to confirm the action.

Cutting can also be used to remove data, no confirmation will be asked whether you want to fulfill you action or not, but the data will be available from the clipboard.

Indenting and Outdenting entries

> will move the current entry and all the following entries of the same level to be children of the preceding entry.

< will move the current entry and all the following entries of the same level to follow the parent of the preceding entry.

Expanding and Collapsing entries

expanding

pressing '+' on a entry with sub entries will display the sub entries even when you're not within them, thus displaying a larger portion of the tree.

collapsing

Pressing '-' has the opposite effect of '+' it hides the expanded entries

operations working on the whole outline

pressing F10 brings up the user menu,.. a menu where miscellany commands that don't fit anywhere else are added,.. here you may expand or collapse all entries in the current tree.

Editing entries

Pressing Return will start editing the current entry, now the cursor keys move between the characters of the data in the entry instead amongst the entries

(most) Default editing shortcuts

Splitting entries

When editing a entry you may press ^S, the entry being edited will be split in the current position. The data to the left of the cursor will be retained in the current entry, whilst the remaining data will be inserted in a new entry below.

Joining entries

Pressing ^J whilst editing a entry will join the following entry, (as long as it doesn't have sub-nodes) will merge the data in; at the end of the entry being edited.

Spell-checking

By default hnb is configured to use ispell for spell-checking.

Pressing F6 will spell-check the current entry

Ispell will start and guide you through the unmatched words in the current entry.

Thereafter you can press space to spell check the next entry, escape to cancel the changes or return to accept the changes made.

Sorting entries

pressing ctrl+s will sort the entries on the current level

Other features

Todo-list mode

^T toggles checkmarks instead of bullets,. ^D checks or unchecks the checkmarks.

percentages are shown for unchecked parents that have checked subentries

Using URL's

If an entry contains a web url ^A will bring up the configured web browser, (see your ~/.hnbrc for more information about configuration)

Calendars

From the commandline you can issue a command like 'insert_cal 3 2003' to insert a calendar template.

Using Email addresses

If an entry contains a email-address ^A will bring up the configured mail client, (see your ~/.hnbrc for more information about configuration)

Configuring hnb

Nothing here yet, please examine your ~/.hnbrc (created automatically the first time you run hnb) for information.

sample data

This is a stripped down version of the authors default database.. the real database contains >4000 entires

contacts

frodo baggins

or perhaps underhill

555-12341324

frode@bagend.net

merry

meridoc somthing

555-23234324

peregrin took

aka pippin

pippin@users.sourceforge.net

sam gamgee

samwise

555-12341234

sam@gamgee.com

calendar

2003 March

Sat_01

Sun_02

Mon 03

Tue 04

Wed 05

Thu 06

Fri 07

Sat_08

Sun_09

Mon 10

Tue 11 remember to do some stuff

Wed 12

Thu 13

Fri 14

Sat_15

Sun_16

got some sub entries on my todolist here,..

Mon 17

Tue 18

Wed 19

Thu 20

Fri 21

Sat_22

Sun_23

Mon 24

Tue 25

Wed 26

Thu 27

Fri 28

Sat_29

Sun_30

Mon 31

2003 April

Tue 01 Aprils Fool

need to find some good ideas for jokes

Wed 02

Thu 03

Fri 04

Sat_05

Sun_06

Mon 07

Tue 08

Wed 09

Thu 10

Fri 11

Sat_12

Sun_13

Mon 14

Tue 15

Wed 16

Thu 17

Fri 18

Sat_19

Sun_20

Mon 21

Tue 22

Wed 23

Thu 24

Fri 25

Sat_26

Sun_27

Mon 28

Tue 29

Wed 30

to-do

hnb todo

force all expanded

clones

calendar

new documentation

start

asdfasdfadsf

blah

asdfasdf

revert to last saved version

known bugs

insert bug

press right

type data

press insert

data is lost,..

show all of bottommost node when possible

add real percentages again,.. so I don't have to fake it like I did above on new documentation,..

school

notes from exam cramming,..

paper outlines

...

work

I've removed quite a lot of the stuff I actually keep in my database...

movie manuscripts

one of them made,.. some of them in planning,.

I don't want everybody to see them,..

but it's an actual node in my database

bookmarks

http://hnb.sourceforge.net/

norwegian short film festivals

http://www.kortfilmfestivalen.no/

http://www.minimalen.com/

news

http://www.kuro5hin.org/

slashdot

http://slashdot.org/

nettavisen

http://www.nettavisen.no/

dagbladet

http://www.dagbladet.no/

http://www.vg.no/

fark.com

http://www.fark.com/

quotes

Peoples Front To Reunite Gondwanaland: 'Stop the Laurasian Separatist Movement!'

slashdot

disbelief

To anyone who is still stubborn enough to insist that BlackICE Defender is actually good for something: PLEASE do not write to me. I don't want to hear it. I'm a scientist who will not find your mystic beliefs to be compelling. I respect your right to your own opinions, no matter how blatantly they fly in the face of logic and reality. That is, after all, the nature of faith. Happy computing. I suggest prayer.

the movie zardoz

The gun is good. The penis is evil. The penis shoots seeds, and makes new life, and poisons the earth with a plague of men, as once it was. But the gun shoots death, and purifies the earth of the filth of brutals. Go forth and kill!

old

I keep a 'trashbin' where I stow away outdated entries,.. just to be able to search it,.. and save it later,..