Notes

Android notebook

Notes saved in text files
Use markdown formatting
Optional note template
Display media
Display OpenStreetMap maps
Share notes
Add date and time
Add media from media providers
Receive media from other apps
Receive geo uris from other apps
Incremental search of notes
Dark or light theme for editing
Optional CSS styles
Optional JavaScript scripts
Back up notes to a zip file
Optional edit cursor position control

Toolbar

The toolbar items which won’t necessarily all appear at once:

New – Start a new note
Save – Save note
Open – Open an existing note
Search – incremental search of note

And on the menu:

Find all – Find all notes containing search text
Open recent – Pop up a list of recent files
- Clear list – Clear list of recent files
Share – Share note
Save as – Save note in another file
Add date – Add the current date and time
Add media – Add media from media providers
Edit styles – show an editor to edit the custom styles
Edit script – show an editor to edit custom javascript
Backup – backup notes to a zip file
Settings – Show the settings

Help

You may put a link [Help](file:///android_asset/help.md) to the help file in the app assets in a note. The file will be loaded and may be saved using the Save as menu entry.

Double tap

In the formatted view a double tap on the screen will switch to the edit view in approximately the same position in the markdown text. The accuracy is dependent on the text formatting and media in the note.

Editing

In the formatted view the Edit button floating above the page allows editing notes. The Accept button restores the formatted view. A long touch on the button hides it until the device is rotated or a long touch on the page.

See Markdown for markdown syntax.

Scrolling

Scrolling the page up will temporarily hide the floating button. Scrolling down restores it.

Search

You may search notes, the search will update as text is entered into the search field. Use the search widget or keyboard action button to find the next match.

Find all

You may find all notes that contain the current search text. This menu item will only appear while the search widget is active. A dialog will pop up with a list of matching notes. Touch an entry to open that note. You may repeat this or refine the search text to find the desired note.

Template

You may use a note template. If a template is set it will be copied to a new note.

Text

You may receive text clips from another app. The text will be added at the current cursor position, or in a new note if no note is open.

Media

You may store media in the note storage folder and reference them in notes, so markdown text ![cat](cat.jpg) will display cat.jpg stored in the note folder. You may either add media from media providers like file managers or image managers or receive media sent by other apps. Media added will be added at the current cursor position. Media sent by other apps will be added at the current cursor position, or in a new note if no note is open. Content URIs (content://) sent by some media providers and apps will be resolved to file URIs (file:///) if possible. Media will be added using markdown image syntax (![<name>](<url>)), which will be parsed into an HTML5 media player, text clips will be added as above, URLs will be added as a link. Media added from removable SD cards not part of the device storage may work but may not be persistent and is not supported.

LaTeX

Notes doesn't support LaTeX, but it is possible to use an external site to add LaTeX formatted images.

![Math](http://www.sciweavers.org/tex2img.php?eq=\sum_{i=1}^{n}x_{i}^{2}
    &bc=cornsilk&fc=black&im=jpg&fs=24&ff=arev)

\sum_{i=1}^{n}x_{i}^{2}

If you don't intend to change the image, you can copy it and use that instead, which will then work offline.

Links

You may put external links in notes, so [DuckDuckGo](https://duckduckgo.com) will show a link to DuckDuckGo. Links will be followed if touched. Use the back button in the toolbar or the navigation bar to return to the note. Links to other notes may added as a relative reference [AnotherNote](AnotherNote.md).

Maps

You may put OpenStreetMap maps in notes with a geo URI ![osm](geo:<lat>,<lng>). Geo uris received from other apps will be added at the current cursor position, or in a new note if no note is open.

Cursor position

You may put a line in a note to control or remember the edit cursor position. This will not appear in the markdown view. Put [<]: # on a line for the start of an note, [>]: # for the end of a note. Put [#]: # for the cursor position to be remembered. There should be no other text on the line. The current cursor position will be added when the note is saved [#]: # (nnn). Because notes are only saved if they are changed, moving the cursor with no other change will not move the saved position.

Styles

You may add custom styles to the markdown formatting by placing a styles.css file in the Notes/css folder, which will replace the built in styles file which simply limits the width of images to the page width. Use the built in editor to create a styles file. You must use the editor accept tick button to save the edits.

Caution – There is no such thing as a markdown syntax error, but syntax errors in a styles file may cause unpredictable results and affect all notes. See CSS Tutorial.

You may include the built in styles file with an @import statement @import "file:///android_asset/styles.css"; or @import url("file:///android_asset/styles.css");, which should be on the first line.

Javascript

You may add custom javascript to be loaded into all notes by placing a script.js file in the Notes/js folder. Use the built in editor to create a script file. You must use the editor accept tick button to save the edits. Errors in the script will be logged by the WebView which displays the page. See Javascript tutorial.

If you want to use javascript libraries or write a large script it might be a good idea to use the Google Closure Compiler to check and minimise your code. It will handle multiple input files.

Backup

You may create a backup of all your notes in a zip file. The file will have the same name as the notes folder, default Notes.zip.

Sync

Android cloud storage apps when last tested appeared not to be capable of syncing a real storage folder on the device. However Syncthing does just that and can sync your notes folder with other devices and desktop computers.

SD cards

Android allows removable SD cards to be used like a USB stick or as part of the device storage. Storing notes on a removable SD card not part of the device storage may work on some devices, but is not supported. Adding media may also work, but may not be persistent.

Settings

Folder – Change notes storage folder. Caution – notes, styles and scripts will not be moved
Template – Set a note template. Use the dialog to choose a file.
Browser – Use browser for external links
Dark theme – Use dark theme for editing
About – Show app version, licence and credits

nooboody/notes