Functionality Update

Hi again!

I am quite shocked to be writing this devlog so soon, but I had the time and energy to work on some ideas that came up after the last devlog.

I have made general improvements to the app and also implemented new functionalities that I find quite useful.

So, what has changed?

Features

Some new stuff has been added to the app. I try to keep the tutorial updated, so if you visit https://gmnotebook.netlify.app, you can check all the functionalities there.

New Line Types

I have added new line types, so you have more tools to write down your world:

• External Links: Now you can link external URLs like this link:<to-show-word=<external-url>>.
• Quotes: A special look for quote lines.

Mermaid Diagrams

Now you can use markdown mermaid (at least a simplified version of it) to generate diagrams! I would recommend keeping it simple, and keep in mind that it might break, but, yeah!

Controllable Column Size

Now you can control how much space the columns take. A vertical grabbable separator column allows you to drag and control the sizes!

Share and Load from URL

One of the points I am struggling with the most is how to share the notebooks. I want to keep things simple and, for this, I do not want to create a login service to store your data. What are the workarounds so far?

1. There is a new button in the action menu that generates a URL with the notebook encoded in it. Unfortunately, I fear that notebooks longer than the tutorial might not work because of URL length restrictions.
2. If you store your JSON file in a public cloud service, which provides you with a link to the raw file, you can pass it to the app like this: gmnotebook.netlify.app?data=<your-link-here>. If it is available to fetch, the notebook will be loaded.

Commands

I feel like there are other functionalities that can improve the user's experience, such as name suggestions or automations. For this, we now have commands!

Commands work with the keyword !:<name-of-the-command>. For example, !:today produces the date for the moment the command is used. We also have !:name, which generates a random fantasy name for a character, or !:place, which generates a name for a place. If you have suggestions about more useful commands, just let me know.

Bugs

Edit Mode Flickering

When multiple keys were pressed at the same time, the app started to flicker. This was solved by refreshing, but in the meantime, it might have corrupted the file. This is now fixed.

Tree Leaves Size

Tree leaves' max width was too small, making them look weird. They can now be wider.

Next?

So what now? I do not really know! I have a couple of functionalities prepared for the next release, but more on the technical side. I will keep using the app and writing down what I think might improve the user experience.

That's all for today, remember to be happy

Jose