How to Create an Item While Working in Zoot

When you create an item directly in Zoot, as opposed to creating an item while working in another application, you must first select a database and a folder in which to create the item.

Selecting a Database
Database selection is one of the key steps in processing information with Zoot. Whether you're clipping information from another application or entering it directly in Zoot, the first step in the process is to decide in which database to store it. This decision isn't critical, since you can easily move data from one Zoot database to another, but it's slightly more efficient to get it right the first time.

A key question to ask yourself when deciding where to store information is, "If I need to find it in 2 months, where will I likely look for it first?". For some data types the answer is easy: If you're creating a task item, the Tasks database is the obvious choice. If you're keeping a diary, the Journal database makes sense. Zoot even provides a database called Atoms as a kind of catch-all database for when you're not quite sure where to put something. After some time working with Zoot you will become quite adept at selecting the best database for your data.

Selecting a Folder
Since a folder represents a context, you will typically select the folder representing the primary context in which you're likely to view the item later, but this decision is not terribly critical, since items can be assigned to more than one folder in a Zoot database. A more important consideration, in terms of efficiency, is the particular set of columns a folder exposes. Columns let you quickly set values for item properties. In the Tasks database, for instance, you will typically find columns for <Priority>, <Start Date>, <Due Date> and <Status>, so that you can quickly fill in values for these fields.

Many of the Desktop Databases have a folder located at the top of the Folder Tree specifically designed for creating new items in the database. In the Tasks database the folder is called New Tasks, in the Contacts database it's called New Contacts, and so on. When you use this folder to create new items, you'll be assured a set of useful columns for data input. Remember, you can always modify a database's column selection if it doesn't suit you.

Item Grid vs. Item Editor
Once you've selected a folder in which to create your new item, you can either create the item directly in the Item Grid, or you can create an item which pops up in a detached Item Editor window. Which method to use is strictly a matter of personal preference.

To create an item directly in the Item Grid, right-click on the grid and choose New from the pop-up menu (or press the Insert key). To create an item in a detached window, click the New button on the toolbar (or press Ctrl+N). In either case, Zoot will create the item and enter in-place editing mode. Typically the first field to be exposed is the <Subject> field. Type in a description of your new item and press the Tab key to move to the next column. Keep pressing the Tab key to move from column to column. When you're done entering field values, press the Enter key and Zoot will set the input focus to the document window so that you can begin typing immediately.


Notes:

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To return to the Item Grid to edit column values, either click on the column you wish to edit (or press F2) and Tab over to the desired column.

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To edit fields not displayed as columns in the Item Grid, right-click and choose Properties from the pop-up menu (or press F8).

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To edit only date-related fields, click the Calendar button from the Item Editor toolbar located just above the Item Editor (or press Ctrl+D).

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Some frequently used fields can be modified by clicking the Modify button from the Item Editor toolbar (or press Ctrl+M).