Feature comparison chart: Ecco, Ecco + Ext and InfoQube
WARNING: This table is severely outdated !!
Item | Category | Ecco | Ecco+Ext | Ecco Notes | InfoQube | Notes | |
1 | Built-in Pivot table for data analysis | Analysis | - | - | Yes | ||
2 | Charts: full-features, configuration saved in the database | Analysis | - | - | Yes | In 0.9.16 | |
3 | Group-by: similar to Outlook's group by bar | Analysis | - | - | Yes | ||
4 | Has full calendar functions... including an actual weekly/monthly calendar | Calendar | Yes | Yes | - | ||
5 | 4 field data types | Data | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
6 | Advanced notepad source (Folder1 AND Folder2="this text" | Data | Yes | - | But supports multiple folders in a view | Yes | |
7 | Auto-backup, backup on file close | Data | Yes | Yes | Yes | Uses separate backup file names | |
8 | Database management (compact, repair) | Data | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
9 | Default field values : user settable | Data | - | - | Yes | Can even be an equation | |
10 | Items can have multiple parents | Data | - | - | Yes | ||
11 | Manual backup | Data | - | - | Saves creates a backup. However it overwrites previous backups. | Yes | Uses separate backup file names from auto-backup, to ensure no overwrite |
12 | Private items | Data | Yes | Yes | - | ||
13 | Unlimited number of items | Data | - | - | 65000 | Yes | |
14 | Advanced phone number recognition | Dialer | - | - | Yes | Uses regexp | |
15 | Finds phone numbers in parents | Dialer | - | - | Yes | Searches the parents tree and displays a complete list of all found phone numbers, number can even be in the item text | |
16 | Phone dialer | Dialer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Uses TAPI for quick change in configuration (work, home, travel) | |
17 | Phone dialer with logger | Dialer | Yes | Yes | - | Planned for 0.9.27 | |
18 | POP E-mail checker | - | - | Yes | |||
19 | Column equations (hierarchy equations) | Equations | - | Yes | Depends on Ecco's auto-assign mechanism | Yes | Built-in |
20 | Database calculated fields (uses no storage space) | Equations | - | - | Yes | ||
21 | Row equations | Equations | - | Yes | Depends on Ecco's auto-assign mechanism | Yes | Built-in |
22 | Scripting | Equations | - | Yes | LUA and many other languages | Yes | VBScript. Eventually will use LUA also |
23 | Auto-form: dynamically shows current grid columns | Forms | - | - | Yes | ||
24 | Forms with default values | Forms | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
25 | Forms with default values: default values can be equations | Forms | - | - | Yes | ||
26 | Forms: Add item by form | Forms | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
27 | Forms: Add sub-items by form | Forms | - | - | Yes | ||
28 | Forms: Apply form to items | Forms | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
29 | GTD: Specialized in-box form with system-wide shortcut key CTRL-SHIFT-N (for item, field values and HTML content) | Forms | - | - | YesYes | To implement GTD methodology | |
30 | Can use MSWord as external editor. Retains all Word advanced formatting | HTML | - | - | Yes | ||
31 | HTML Editor/browser built-in | HTML | - | - | Yes | ||
32 | Html editor: advanced with fonts, bullets, links, tables, embedded tables | HTML | - | - | Yes | ||
33 | HTML Editor: can open local files (HTM, MHT, PDF) and web pages | HTML | - | - | Yes | ||
34 | HTML Editor: support drag-drop from web pages | HTML | - | - | Yes | Collect web clippings. Switch to browse mode to have a live web page | |
35 | Built in Off-Line multi-file syncing | I/O | Yes | Yes | - | planned for 0.9.24 | |
36 | Cut and Paste multi-items as standard outline/text | I/O | - | Yes | Yes | ||
37 | DDE interface for add-on tools | I/O | Yes | Yes | - | API and ActiveX planned | |
38 | Direct Palm Sync | I/O | Yes | Yes | - | Planned through Outlook or other Web Calendars | |
39 | Export to Excel (1 click) | I/O | - | - | Yes | ||
40 | Export to HTML | I/O | - | - | Yes | ||
41 | Export to HTML with advanced options and expandable outline | I/O | - | - | Yes | ||
42 | Import Ecco files | I/O | - | - | Yes | ||
43 | Mail-merge, HTML based, multi-column output, template based | I/O | - | - | Yes | ||
44 | Multi-column selection, copy/paste | I/O | - | Yes | All or none, cannot select just some columns | Yes | |
45 | Office application can read live database data | I/O | - | - | Yes | Each view is accessible to Office applications | |
46 | Open database format | I/O | - | - | Yes | Uses JET, could use other DB engines (SQL Server planned for 0.9.24) | |
47 | Sync with external database, local or web (SQL Server, MySQL) | I/O | - | - | Yes | ||
48 | Users without the software can view data | I/O | - | - | Yes | Excel or other ODBC spreadsheet can view the data you choose to make public | |
49 | In-cell hyperlinks to another item or to a group of items | Links | - | - | Yes | ||
50 | In-cell hyperlinks to documents, web pages | Links | - | - | Yes | ||
51 | Links to documents and web pages | Links | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
52 | Wiki-type hyperlinks | Links | - | - | Yes | ||
53 | Multi-user | Network | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
54 | Multi-user with centralized storage and no local data | Network | - | - | Yes | Ensures security of the information, since it stays in the office, not available off-line | |
55 | Auto-assignment to folders with LUA scripts and REGEX expressions. | Scripting | Yes | Yes | - | Planned | |
56 | User-defined code and functions | Scripting | - | Yes | LUA | Yes | VBScript |
57 | User-defined code can be used in forms and field | Scripting | - | - | Yes | ||
58 | Advanced find | Search | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
59 | Advanced find with logical operators (AND, OR, NOT, NULL, etc) | Search | - | - | Yes | ||
60 | Alpha-numeric filter toolbar | Search | Yes | Yes | in Phonebook only | Yes | For all grids. Can choose which fields are used |
61 | Auto-search (incremental search) | Search | - | - | Yes | Just start typing to find contact items | |
62 | Filter by date using the DateFilter toolbar | Search | - | - | Calendar can be used for this, in a more limited way | Yes | Can be used in all grids |
63 | Journal feature: view items by date (created, modified) using the DateFilter toolbar | Search | - | - | Yes | ||
64 | Live-search: search whole database with live dynamic results grid | Search | - | - | Yes | ||
65 | Search result can be displayed in any notepad, not just the search notepad | Search | - | - | Yes | ||
66 | Database encrypt, set password | Security | Yes | Yes | Cannot encrypt | Yes | |
67 | 1-click column sort | Sorting | - | - | Yes | Click on column header | |
68 | Item sort applied to new items | Sorting | - | - | Must manually perform sort | Yes | |
69 | Multi-key sort, sort columns do not need to be displayed in notepad | Sorting | - | - | Yes | ||
70 | Notepad sort bar for easy multi-column sorting | Sorting | - | - | Yes | ||
71 | Sub-item sorting | Sorting | - | Yes | Yes | ||
72 | Dependancies: define relationships between tasks and only relevant ones show up | Tasks | - | Yes | No visual display | Yes | Gantt charts show dependancies, auto-generation by drag-drop |
73 | Gantt charts | Tasks | - | - | Limited display | Yes | |
74 | Mark as done actions: what happens when an item is marked DONE | Tasks | - | Yes | Through auto-assign | Yes | Integrated |
75 | Add/remove parents | Tree | - | Yes | |||
76 | Add-on Tools via a "Launch Tool" menu | UI | Yes | Yes | - | Planned | |
77 | Advanced sub-item display/sort criteria | UI | - | - | Yes | To limit sub-items to those related to the current notepad, to show relational data | |
78 | Alternate row colors, to highlight items | UI | - | - | Yes | User settable colors | |
79 | Built in Shooter / Right Click Send-To | UI | Yes | Yes | - | ||
80 | Can control item text color via Folder Contents | UI | - | Yes | Yes | ||
81 | Combined views (many notepads in a view) | UI | Yes | Yes | - | Planned | |
82 | Detailed item information (ID, date created, modified, by who, etc) | UI | - | - | ID available with Ext | Yes | |
83 | Dockable panes | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
84 | Drag & drop to move items | UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | SN will maintain tree structure after a drag-drop. Hence may require to move items left-right | |
85 | Find and replace | UI | Yes | Yes | - | Planned, but currently can use the properties pane to make changes to multiple items | |
86 | Floating/dockable toolbars | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
87 | Image viewer. Multiple instances. Will cycle through instances. Great to view photos | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
88 | Input masks | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
89 | Insert OLE objects in outline | UI | Yes | Yes | - | Not recommended anyway | |
90 | Insert pictures in outline | UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
91 | Insert pictures in outline: Picture can overlap column area | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
92 | Integrated Properties pane | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
93 | Item back color | UI | - | - | Yes | Can be set by an equation to automatically highlight when an item is due, for example | |
94 | Item fonts | UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
95 | Item fonts: Can select that font applies to which column | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
96 | Item tagging | UI | - | - | Yes | Operations can be performed on tagged items, instead of selected items. Tagged items can be from different notepads | |
97 | Items column can be positioned anywhere | UI | - | - | Item column is always the first column | Yes | |
98 | Large editing window for text columns | UI | - | - | With EditNote add-on | Yes | |
99 | Locked columns, user settable | UI | - | - | Items column is always locked, other cannot | Yes | |
100 | Mark item as done | UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
101 | Move items up/down/left/right | UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
102 | Multi-language UI | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
103 | Multi-level column headers | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
104 | Named Filters | UI | Yes | Yes | -- | Planned for 0.9.23.4 | |
105 | Navigation buttons (previous, next, next page, last, etc) | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
106 | Non-modal dialog boxes | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
107 | Notepad shortcut ALT+# | UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
108 | Outline fonts | UI | Yes | Yes | - | Default grid font can be set | |
109 | Outline number shows up right next to the text | UI | Yes | Yes | - | HTML Exporting can have outline number next to the text | |
110 | Pop-up editor | UI | - | - | Add-on can do this | Yes | |
111 | Pop-up lists | UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
112 | Pop-up lists: autogenerated, limit to list, coming from an external database, multi-column | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
113 | Quick column filters | UI | - | - | Yes | Click on column arrow to filter items | |
114 | Show/hide context parents | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
115 | Show/hide hierarchy | UI | - | - | Yes | If item and sub-items meet the filter, should they be displayed in hierarchy or as TLI | |
116 | Split and join items | UI | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
117 | Text column word-wrap | UI | - | - | Yes | Word-wrap in all text columns, not just the item | |
118 | Toggle text case with 4 states (the house>The house>The House>THE HOUSE) | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
119 | Tree can be shown on any column | UI | - | - | Yes | ||
120 | Visual themes, msstyles support | UI | - | - | Yes |