Usercase : trying to port a whisky base (from MySQL/web)
Feeling weary of maintaining a personal website for managing tasting notes, I decided to make the switch to Anytype, harboring high hopes.
I think, I hope, that detailing the experience helps put Anytype’s little (or big) annoyances into perspective? I add open topics when there are any.
Here’s my feedback!
Creating the database
Full of hope, I export my database in CSV format, import… But I can’t change the relations, it’s all text and it’ll stay text. And if I want a “Bottle” type, that’s “page”. Garbage can. And my library is full of text relationships that need to be removed…
(FR : Import from CSV, Excel, Calc, Google Sheets etc )
I’ve just begun, creating a “Whisky” object type, creating relations, and adding a dozen bottles. Naturally, there are things to tweak
- I decide to add some relations to my template, but alas, they only exist in the template, not in my type. Nor are they in my collection; I have to add them manually!
- Okay, maybe I don’t really need this other relation. Oops, now I have to remove it from the template, delete it from the type, go to the Library, navigate to relations, search, and delete. A big hesitation every time I create a relation, fearing I’ll have to start over if I make a mistake.
(FR about that : Featured relations should be managed through types, not templates)
- Oh no, my “Degree” relation is of type number, but I need it to be text to add the degree symbol. Anytype doesn’t allow you to change it, so I have to delete it. Library → Looong list not ordered by name, hard to find something. And using the search field, we can only open the relation object which offers no option to delete it
(About suffix/decoration for numbers : https://community.anytype.io/t/custom-number-formatting/12659 )
(About changing relation type : I couldn’t find it, if anyone has a link)
(About search in library : Search on Relation Library doesn't filter)
And redo all my bottles…
- I need to add a relation. I update the template… ugh, I must manually update all my pages! A significant advantage of the website is that the page is the same for all files, requiring just one update when I want to make a change. Anytype could really implement this (on templates containing only relations), and that would be fantastic!
I break into a cold sweat as I think of the day when I’ll have a very long list. The day I want to add another alcohol (thus adding a “alcohol type” relation) or share and identify who has the bottle (adding another relation). Or… 
(FR about that : Apply Template to an Existing Object)
Creating view and sheets
For my initial view, I opt for the Gallery. I add a grid view to quickly add/edit relations. I create a few more bottles, open one, and 
, it’s not the default template! I just realized that you can choose a default template for each view, BUT if you create an object with another template, it becomes the new default template! Why? Perhaps there’s room for improvement here (click on a template to create an object with that template; use the “define by default” option to set it as default; don’t mix expected actions).
(FR : … )
Then… see above.
I’ve only edited relations for these objects, no changes to the content, so why can’t I change the templates? As long as we haven’t edited the contents, I don’t think it’s difficult to update the template. Please, save time for all of us, let us apply a template to existing objects as long as the content is not modified.
(it’s not the last time I have to rebuild all my bottles, I’ll skip the next ones despite my pain 
)
Attempting to create a neat sheet… quite a few difficulties linked to the limitations on customization. Here are a few examples:
- No solution to just add a frame around inline relation
- Cannot use Simple table, too limited actually (no news about the V2??)
- Highlighted or Callout add a empty line before inline relation, despite 10 minutes of testing
All in all, I strongly advocate for custom CSS. If Anytype’s design doesn’t meet our needs, we’re stuck.
(About Simple table improvement : Blocks in Simple Tables )
(About Empty line in Callout : Empty line in callout when moving object in it )
(About Custom CSS : Custom CSS )
Now, I need a picture in the sheet and in a gallery view of my collection. But
- I don’t want a cover.
- Thumbnails are small and useless in a sheet.
- Inline images are unusable in the gallery view.
- I can’t upload once and link in a second, and I don’t want to upload everything twice! No solution yet…
(FR for reuse of image : Support reuse of uploaded images/pictures )
(FR for full image relation into an object… nothing ? Or that : Introduce inline relations )
Ok, I need purchases and tasting notes linked to each bottle.
There are a lot of possibilities: use a “Tasting” type and add Tasting objects into the bottle sheet, or add a set with the same type. However, each possibility has many missing features to build something attractive, pleasant, and efficient to use.
- Adding an object to my page is not ideal due to the lack of options for Card preview. Allowing users to choose the relations displayed in the card would be so powerful!
(About Card preview options : Show featured relations in card )
- If I add a set in the template, I have to manually change its query to see only “Tasting” linked to the current objet. I dream about a “Link from this object → Has any of = Current object” option to directly configure the template.
- Individual item or a set of these item : same problem, I have to link them manually to the bottle each time I add a Tasting note.
- I need an average of the scores, to be displayed on my bottle. No solution at present.
- I tried “Tasting” as a Note with Layout Note because Title is useless for a tasting note : so no title. But Anytype imposes a name. Ok, it can stay as “Empty”… But in the case of a note layout, it’s the note content and not the title that’s used, i.e. anything and everything (or nothing if you don’t put any text, as in my case since I use relations only). I have multiples “Empty” note, not really empty… if I want something more accurate and adapted, I have to add text to my note. And it’s ugly, because when I read my note I have this “fake name” that has nothing to do with it. Now If I create a set/collection with them, you have to display Name Of course, I understand that Anytype need a link to open the object, but it’s worth thinking about. And in fact, we can open object without clicking the Name for all type of view, except Grid (and Calendar now). Here I just want to display relations and hide title, but I can’t
(About title for object with no title : TODO)
(About hide title : Ability to hide the Name relation in Sets Grid view )
A lot of things posted in FR would help me a lot if it’s set up one day.
Widgets, a powerfull feature
Anytype has widgets,I love this feature, so let’s see what I can do with it! However, Widgets need more options and some UX improvements.
- Add Collection as source, Appearance = List
I have bottle picture in a Image block and in Thumbnails relation for the view. Here I have to add the same picture into icon, because this is the only location used to display the image. Really being able to use the first image contained in an object for both views and widgets would significantly lighten the workload (and our disks/networks, as images would no longer be present induplicate or triplicate).
- For some widgets, Anytype propose to display the full list in the sidebar when we click on the title, like favorites, list of set or Recently edited. It’s geat! But not for Collection, why? At least let an option for user!
(About that : Option to use the default widget full view with custom widgets)
- Like for card preview, it would be very useful to be able to display certain relations. The List appearance display a snippet. Here I have only an image and some relations, and a title “Purchases”. So the snippet is, for all objects : “Purchases”. Unuseful and ugly
(About that : TODO)
Others annoying little things :
- I want a unique tag choice, so… status? But the text say “Select status”, it’s not a status. Pehaps change for “Select value” (it’s always a value
)
(About that : Incorrect label for empty status relation)
- I have no relation named “Tag” in my objects in this collection. But Tag is in the relation of my collection, I cannot delete it!
(About that : TODO )
- Adding Collection as a widget, as Link… unable to display the icon. Too bad
(About that : Show icons in sidebar widgets )
Some screenshot of the current state?
So what are the critical points that explain why I’m putting this project on hold?
Especially having to redo everything every time I change a relation or my templates. After creating around 10 bottles, 4 or 5 times, I’m afraid I’ll put it all the effort on and have to start again. It slows down the desire to test things and innovation. It’s essential to fix the elements once and for all before starting to use it.
A many little things are impossible to do, or there are small bugs, UI points that make use painful and that also slows things down. Especially since when it might be possible, will I have to start from scratch again ? No, I don’t want to.
But I’d really like to be able to migrate one day. Hence this post, to give a concrete and complete case. And several bugs and FRs have been opened throughout this test ( sometimes already solved, thanks @Razor!).
Thanks to all the Anytype teams for your work!
