Shadow Plan 2.6


This app came as quite a surprise. It popped up in a discussion on the Avenue about organizing life. Users said that it worked great and played well with Datebk5, so I gave it a try. Wow.


At the basic level, Shadow Plan outlines notes in hierarchies. But that description hardly does it justice. Using hierarchies, one can organize todos and project tasklists. Shadow supports the use of multiple object types in the same file. Object types preprogrammed include checklists, notes, tasklists, flat lists, and worksheets. Each has specific features and strengths. For example, tasklists have target, start, and finish dates, step numbering, priorities, percent completion tracking w/visual bars that average across child objects, notes, and links. When all the children complete, the parent process automatically goes to 100% and completes as well. Very powerful tool.

Linking adds considerable power. I'll use Datebk5 in my examples, but any app that uses the standard built-in databases should work as well. Todos can be linked between Shadow and Datebk5 such that completing the item in either app completes it in both. You can jump directly to the todo item in Datebk5 from Shadow, and you can go back again with a nifty shortcut that works in many launchers, including MegaLauncher. Unlike other outliners, Shadow can also link items to address book entries and memos, other Shadow files--even other apps in a future release.

Shadow supports filtering with a host of built-in filters and an infinite variety you can create for yourself. Filters can be called up and dismissed quickly through a nifty interface to be described momentarily. Sorts are equally powerful, flexible, and easy. Highlighting is also available, and works similar to filtering. Combining filters and highlighting provides a powerful capability.

Categories are fully supported as well, but Shadow introduces tags which add considerable power and flexibility. Tags work inside or independent of categories to link tasks or notes, and can be used to filter or sort on. Although there's only one category to a customer, items can have any number of tags. It only filters or sorts on the primary tag, but tags can be promoted to primary at any time. Tags can be used to group things by location, by person, etc. Very powerful.

The interface is a work of art--looks great and is almost infinitely configurable. The actual list display sports three text icons at the top right corner and either a text or graphical toolbar across the bottom. The combination of these obviates the need to go to the menus for all common work. One of the top text icons access all clipboard operations, the next all filtering, and the last all view settings including zooming. In addition, whenever something is on the clipboard or a filter is active, the respective icon highlights. The last filter used is always available for immediate reuse, and the clipboard supports multiple clips that append to each other--great for creating new files from parts of others. The graphical toolbar focuses on adding and manipulating the entries, as well as searching (another very powerful capability) and deleting. Individual entry have specific display items associated that can also be tailored. These can include a handy box to tap for creating the item in the todo database, jumping to links, and can display things like days remaining in a task, a progress bar, checkboxes for completion, and the other usual stuff. All this is selectable in a saved or user created view globally, or can be configured for individual lists or items. The overall interface supports drag and drop for everything, and works very logically.

Shadow supports Sony, Palm, and Handera hi res, Sony hi res+, VFS, beaming, and has its own conduit to sync with the optional desktop app. The desktop app is pretty weak at this point, however. That's the next big project for Jeff. The handheld app is so configurable that I can't think of anything you can't tailor or create in it within the scope of the program. You literally get it your way with power to spare.

There are other outliners out there, but none I looked at are as flexible or configurable as Shadow. Bonsai is often mentioned, but it only supports three data types (simple, todo, and task), its preference/customizing settings are way limited by comparison, and linking is limited to todos and other outlines. It's basically like a small subset of Shadow, although its desktop app is far superior at this point. Shadow is available at just $19.99 for the handheld and desktop app together, or $12.99 for just the handheld version, while the lighter Bonsai costs $24.95 for both. Shadow Plan's home website is http://www.codejedi.com/.

I only used Shadow for a couple of days before registering, although the trial period is 30 days. Its configurability and powerful linking sold me, especially the ability to work hand in glove with Datebk5--my staple app. Jeff provides quick support and constantly solicits user inputs for refinements and new features. Additionally, the desktop app is available for Windows and soon for Mac OSX. If you're serious about getting organized in a major way, give it a whirl!