Types and Super Types

<p><b>Note</b>: The information below is based on versions 6.x and higher. Click the child thought below for information on creating Types and SuperTypes in 5.5x and lower.</p>

<p>

Thought types and Thought super types main uses are:</p>

<ul>

<li>Provide a way to report on groups of thoughts quickly</li>

<li>Allow formatting for multiple thoughts quickly</li>

<li>(New in 6.x) Quickly view a grouping of thoughts in the Plex.</li>

</ul>

<p>Only one thought type can be assigned to a thought. Any Thought with a type assigned to it will inherit the format properties of that type. Properties include the label (note that if the label of a thought assigned a thought type is blank, and the thought type has no label, the thought will display the name of the thought type as the label on mouseover), color, thought icon, and new in 6.x attachments and notes.</p>

<p>

A Thought super type is a type that is assigned to one or more individual types. Any formatting applied to the super type will apply to the types you have assigned it to. Additionally, when you go to the Reports window and choose that super type it will show you all Thoughts with the types assigned to that super type.</p>

<p>

The formatting hierarchy is as follows:</p>

<ol>

<li>Thought Super types formatting apply to all Thoughts with the types assigned to the super type.</li>

<li>If set, the thought type formatting will override the super type formatting.</li>

<li>If set, the thought formatting will override type and super type formatting.</li>

</ol>

<p>When you copy and paste thoughts between brains, if the thought has a type or super type attached to it, it will be copied over with the thought. In version 6.x and higher you can select a thought type as you would a normal thought and copy it, independent of regular thoughts. For example, if you just wanted to copy a thought type to a new brain in 5.5 and lower you would have to select a thought assigned the type, and copy it to a new brain. In 6.x you can activate and select the thought type directly and copy it to your new brain, without having to bring over any thoughts assigned that type.</p>

<h2>Examples of Type and Super Type Uses</h2>

<p>Currently I have a super type of people assigned to co-worker, family, and friends types. I also have a places type, as well as some document types that I need to be able to find quickly and easily (for example, government forms, Issue resolution documents).

For more examples, see the thought <b>4. Types and Tags, 4. Usage Example</b>.</p>

<h2>Creating a Thought Type</h2>

<p>There are several ways to create a new thought type in version 6.x:</p>

<ol>

<li>When mousing over the thought you wish to assign a new type, right-click and choose <b>Thought Type > New Type</b>.</li>

<li>From the Thought tool window, click the text next to <b>Type:</b> and choose New Type.

<li>Open the Thought Type window from the <b>Options > Thought Type Window</b> menu dropdown and click [<b>Add New</b>]</li>

</ol>

<h2>Activating Thought Types</h2>

<p>Starting in version 6.x, you modify the properties (color, attachments, icons) as you would a regular thought, in the thought window. Activate a thought type by either:</p>

<ol>

<li>Click a thought type on the Thought Types Window. You can access this window from the<b> Options > Thought Types Window</b> menu. </li>

<li>Type the name of the thought type in the Instant Activate Window, and either click on the thought type in the list, or arrow to it in and press <b>Enter</b>.</li>

<li>From a thought assigned the thought type you wish to view, in the Thought tool window click the arrow within a circle button next to the type name to activate that type.

</ol>

<p>There are several ways to tell that the active thought is a thought type and not a regular thought. The first is there is a dotted line appears around the thought name in the plex (note that the line color will vary depending on your theme).

The second is the text "This is a Thought Type" appears below the Thought header of the thought tools window.

Activating a type in the Plex will show all thoughts or types assigned to that type as child thoughts.</p>

<h2>Creating a Thought Super Type</h2>

<p>To create a super type, if you haven't already first create the thought type you wish to use as a super type. Then either:</p>

<ul>

<li>Activate the thought type you wish to use as a super type and create a child link (either by dragging a line from the child gate, the right click menu, or the keyboard accelerator) and type in the name of the thought type in the Create Child window. Click the type and it will attach it as a child thought, making your type a super type.</li>

<li>Activate the type you wish to assign to the super type and create a parent link (either by dragging a line from the parent gate, the right click menu, or the keyboard accelerator) and type in the name of the thought type in the Create Parent window. Click the type and it will attach it as a parent thought, assigning it as a super type to your type thought.</li>

</ul>

<h2>Assigning Thoughts a Type or Super Type</h2>

<p>You can assign a thought a type by:</p>

<ol>

<li>When your mouse is hovering over a thought in the plex, right click and choose Thought Type from the contextual menu. Click the thought type you wish to apply to the thought from the list.</li>

<li>From the Thought tool window, click the text next to <b>Type:</b> and choose the type you wish to assign from the list.</li>

<li>Create a parent link (either by dragging a line from the parent gate, the right click menu, or the keyboard accelerator) and type in the name of the thought type in the Create Parent window. Click the type and it will assign that type to the thought.</li>

</ol>

<h2>Reporting on Types and SuperTypes</h2>

<p>Go to the Reports tool window and from the<b> All</b> Dropdown window Choose Types and select the type you wish to report on. Reporting on a super type will not only show any thoughts assigned directly to that type, but also thoughts of any types that are assigned that type as a supertype.</p>

<p>

<p>

To report on multiple types at the same time, from the reports tool window choose <b>All > Custom > Custom report...</b> and check the box of all thought types you wish to see in the output.</p>

<p>

<h2>Refining Extended or Advanced Searches by Type</h2>

<p> 

When performing an extended search, you can narrow the search results down by type by clicking on the Advanced link to open the Advanced search window and then choosing the type from the <b>Thought Type</b> dropdown. You can also access the Advanced search window directly by pressing <b>F9</b>.</p>

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