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I use Tiddlywiki (stupid name, great program!) -- "a non-linear personal web notebook". It's a single-file wiki that lives on your local machine. There are ways to push to Dropbox or other services if you want anywhere-access, but whether you want that or not just depends on how you want to use it.

http://tiddlywiki.com/

http://tiddlywiki.com/

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it yet.

How long do you expect this to last before it's needed? DVDs and USB drives are common, but I see DVDs heading out at this point. Paper has the advantage that in 40 years it'll still be readable. Of course if your passwords change you'll have to update this information anyway. Assuming you update passwords occasionally because of a) good practice or b) some company gets hacked, I'd send it electronically and encrypted, so the person needs to actually enter a password to get to the data. Unless the recipient gets a keylogger installed, you should be safe. A text file encrypted with pgp is good for the knowledgeable recipient. For someone less savvy, I'd send them an encrypted tiddlywiki. Obviously give them the password over the phone, in person, or via snail mail.

TiddlyWiki is a self-contained app stored in an HTML file that you can store on a USB, Dropbox, or elsewhere. People have written GTD add-ons for it and it is easy to write your own customizations. There is an Android app to help run it on Android systems and the new version uses HTML 5 with option to use node.js to make it even more powerful.

If you need MediaWiki to manage the documentation about your filesystem structure, you really have a problem.
TiddlyWiki should be more than sufficient for that task.

http://tiddlywiki.com/ http://remotely-helpful.com/TiddlyWiki/TiddlerEncryptionPlugin.html The tiddlywiki is a wiki that runs in a single html file using javascript where each 'page' is called a 'tiddler' The encryption plugin allows you to apply a password to an individual tiddler or group of tiddlers. You can make the tiddlywiki public, they can see all the unencrypted tiddlers but only read the ones for which you have supplied the passwords.

You seem to have missed Zotero (it's up there in the comments somewhere) which is a FOSS plugin for firefox. It keeps an offline database, and for nearly any site (e.g. journals) you click one button on the URL bar and it downloads the citation including full pdf so you can read it whenever. It will also let you perform full text searches of your database, and can be configured to perform OCR on scanned documents. Best of all, it's trivial to make bibtex (or many other formats) bibliographies.

I use that in combination with TiddlyWiki for personal typed notes not associated with a journal article/textbook, and Xournal for annotating documents and taking notes with my tablet computer. When annotating documents (textbooks, journal articles) just configure xournal as your pdf viewer and you'll be able to save every annotation you make. TiddlyWiki has a ton of plugins to do whatever you need, including a GTD (Getting Things Done -- it's a book) variant that's probably comparable to Emacs Org-mode, LaTeX math (I wrote that one -- use it every day), and many more.

The one drawback to all this is that I have no way to automatically organize my handwritten notes from xournal. Though they're computer files, my organization for them is horrendous. I still fantasize about some kind of hybrid mutant of TiddlyWiki, OCR (that can magically read my handwriting and equations), and xournal that would let me do all this on a pen-based tablet...

You're right, I didn't include Zotero in that comment! Having looked at it before, my impression of Zotero was that it is a (very competent) reference manager / source collection. Is it more than this? TiddlyWiki sounds familiar too - this is a subject I've dallied with before, so perhaps I came across it previously :-). I'll have another look at Zotero and TiddlyWiki and see if I can get it to do the categorisation thing I'm looking for that I mentioned in my other comment. Cheers!

You seem to have missed Zotero (it's up there in the comments somewhere) which is a FOSS plugin for firefox. It keeps an offline database, and for nearly any site (e.g. journals) you click one button on the URL bar and it downloads the citation including full pdf so you can read it whenever. It will also let you perform full text searches of your database, and can be configured to perform OCR on scanned documents. Best of all, it's trivial to make bibtex (or many other formats) bibliographies.

I use that in combination with TiddlyWiki for personal typed notes not associated with a journal article/textbook, and Xournal for annotating documents and taking notes with my tablet computer. When annotating documents (textbooks, journal articles) just configure xournal as your pdf viewer and you'll be able to save every annotation you make. TiddlyWiki has a ton of plugins to do whatever you need, including a GTD (Getting Things Done -- it's a book) variant that's probably comparable to Emacs Org-mode, LaTeX math (I wrote that one -- use it every day), and many more.

The one drawback to all this is that I have no way to automatically organize my handwritten notes from xournal. Though they're computer files, my organization for them is horrendous. I still fantasize about some kind of hybrid mutant of TiddlyWiki, OCR (that can magically read my handwriting and equations), and xournal that would let me do all this on a pen-based tablet...

What's left that doesn't run in a browser?

• music player? With the HTML5 audio tag, ogg playback plus MP3 in Chrome, it's doable
• editor? Bespin, Firefox extensions for simple text editing, FCKedit for local WYSIWYG are good enough
• todo list? TiddlyWiki is a complete editable wiki that runs from a single HTML file (impressive!); I use the mGSD version with action items and projects

I've run Linux for years and besides vim and zsh, the only native app that has impressed me as much as the best browser-based apps is Inkscape.

I'd love to run even more stuff in the browser. I hate that I access most resources through bookmarks and the browser's smart location field, but other resources I have to go through the GUI toolkit's file "browser", and then launch external apps that usually lack all the browser's niceties (View Source, Ctrl-+ to zoom, bookmarks/back/forward/history, tabs, etc.). Browser-based doesn't mean using the cloud for all my files; browsers don't care if they load resources from http or file:/// URLs. ChromeOS has a Content View to show you local files, supposedly integrated with the Open/Save dialog; I wish Firefox Places had a directory view along with its bookmarks and history view. I don't want Firefox to integrate with my Linux desktop toolkit's crappy file handling and half-hearted semantic efforts, I want Firefox to subsume them.

Interesting. Played a little with it. Most of my life used to be tied up in a text file in a folder called stuff. Then I got it in my head to be a little more organized so I moved a lot of it to TiddlyWiki
I felt all fuzzy and warm since that day.

Tiddlywiki is quietly mind-blowing. An entire wiki that lives in a web page that's just a single HTML file (which you can archive or commit in git or whatever). That makes it a great note-taker that runs in your browser, that hyperlinks to itself and the rest of the web, but it's a local "app" that doesn't require a connection.

Even better for some, mGSD "is a Getting Things Done® system powered by TiddlyWiki and [some add-ons]" It's also just an HTML file. I know nothing about GTD, but I keep my To Do items in various areas it and with a double-click I'm editing their notes as wiki text.

Load either in a tab, use Firefox 4's "Pin as App Tab", and smile.

I'd still like something that unobtrusively makes sense of what I've done for when it's important. My computer's got my e-mails and browsing history, it should magically hand me what's relevant. How do I rate the book I ordered from Amazon? Which is the best picture of my friend out of my e-mails? Give me the e-mail confirmations and web pages related to an upcoming trip. I can use tagging in e-mail and the browser's bookmarking, but that's helping me do the work instead of doing the work for me.

A very simple, offline wiki is well-suited to recording all sorts of information.

Since all I need is text with tags and the occasional equation in LaTeX, I found that Tiddlywiki works great. It's an amazing self contained wiki using only HTML and Javascript. The main idea is to be able to very quickly develop lists, outlines, etc. in a browser I have open anyway.

A personal wiki that runs from one file, I link my files from there and I can add documentation and references at will. http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

Tiddlymath is Tiddlywiki with a plugin for MathML. Tiddlywiki is frankly my favorite format for redistributable text documents - non-proprietary, editable in Firefox, extensible, with all the advantages of wiki-formatting and cross-referencing.

Pug

Now, since I tell the police to "F off" they probably think that I've got state secrets or kiddie porn (like you just assumed). Which might not be true, I could just be exercising my rights.

I agree - it's about protecting those of us who use encryption for legitimate reasons.

I use truecrypt. Why? Because I have a lousy memory and cannot possibly remember all of the login information for my own accounts, let alone all the VPN and remote-access info for my clients.

Solution: create a file that truecrypt can mount as a volume. In this volume is a TiddlyWiki where I write down all of the usernames and passwords. The whole thing, along with the truecrypt software, lives on a USB stick that I always have with me. Plug it into any computer, mount the volume, and I have my "secret" notes. For backups, just copy the truecrypt file to permanent storage. It's a great solution, highly recommended!

However, the idea that I might be considered "suspicious" just because I use truecrypt is disturbing. In this sense, the article makes a lot of sense.

Most important: Read carefully. You did not want to be told that a Java teacher should know better, of course you do, but: it's not what the course is about. (1) dead simple! (2) free I would suggest a "portable wiki", ie, http://tiddlywiki.com/. It can be used from every internet connected browser from everywhere, and can as well be used offline just by copying one file. You can tag and categorise your entries (tiddles), for ex. "discussion" or "source", and export everything or just one entry or just one category. If not suitable, please give more information. Hope this helps mupan

Haven't personally used Gnote or Tomboy, but it sounds like TiddlyWiki gives similar functionality, with the only requirement being a suitable browswer, e.g. Firefox.

On the side, I manage a small network, and I've also wondered the same sort of thing: if someone else needed to find their way around, where would they start.

A Wiki makes for a really nice way to document things, not least because you can include all sorts of cross references. For example, a list of servers, with links to the services they provide - and a list of services, with links to the servers. But Wiki's normally run on servers, which leaves your successor with a chicken-and-egg problem.

A bit of random surfing turned up TiddlyWiki, which is a Wiki in a single HTML file. A really elegant bit of engineering, and very handy for self-contained documentation. Since the entire Wiki is just a single file, it's easy to protect. I wound up with two: one with "public" information describing the general architecture and one with private information (including passwords). The private one you can put on a USB-stick in a safe, hand to your boss, or whatever seems appropriate...

Otherwise they are opening themselves up to all kinds of legal trouble.

They're right, it's a hollow threat. And a really strange reaction. Document the discussions. Names, dates. places. I use Tiddlywiki for that kind of thing. It date stamps everything and displays it all in a nice time line. Keep copies of your performance evals. There's no win in this for them.

If you don't want to raise this issue to HR now, then you'll be left contesting any negative reviews are after you leave. I'd document it to HR now, but you're closer to the situation. I went through a very similar situation at one job a while ago. Documentation is your friend.

My opinion is they're bluffing. And one that's both petty and stupid. No backup plan for losing a key developer? If that represents the caliber of your IT management, I should send them a card.

I started using TiddlyWiki ( http://www.tiddlywiki.com/ ) for stuff like this. Its basically a .html document with magic javascript so it acts like a wiki. It's obviously only useful if you carry it around with you - Google notebook would be more useful if you are going to be online all the time. But it's pretty handy.

To see some incredible (IMO) JavaScript functionality, check out TiddlyWiki.

The original poster is asking for a solution without providing all of the requirements. The original request is for a database program to replace a Notepad based text file, and yet most of the responses on the 6+ pages of comments have been around which programming language has bindings to which database, or discussions on SQL syntax. It would be helpful if the OP could elaborate a little on whether (s)he even has programming skills.

I read the request as looking for an application to replace the Notepad system. If the OP was just using a text editor, then it doesn't really sound as though (s)he needs SQL. A flat file of records with the ability to do straight text search sounds like an option. The question then is what type of tool can be used to manipulate that system?

Following the text editor/file model, one option, though larger than the 800kb discussion around SQLite could be Emacs with Forms Mode. This is also a (very big) text editor, but allows you to view a file of records in a nice editable form, but you can still open the record file directly and use all the searching capability of an editor. Of course this is probably very much overkill for someone used to using Notepad, but I suggest it merely to point out a type of option.

Another potential option might be to use one of the wiki-on-a-stick systems. Tiddlywiki and Stickwiki would allow the OP to use a browser with a wiki interface to record the data into a single transportable file. (S)He could organize how ever desired, though if the OP wants to be able to extract the data for loading elsewhere, that could be a little problematic as these tools tend to store the text in the generated HTML page in little division blocks. Some may offer export capability though.

So, the question is what are the full requirements, what skills does the OP have, how much configuration and/or system administration is (s)he wanting to do to have this simple system, and how do you wish to manipulate the data that is captured?

If you want to hand edit it, then some tool that saves records in a flat structure (one per row or one per file) that can be manipulated by a text editor is needed. If all you want is some way to record information and search it, then there may be other options. Many PIM tools also offer limited record management systems that you might look into.

it's not really a database but perfect for structured local storage, in fact i use it for exactly what you describe.
http://www.tiddlywiki.com/
from the front page:
"It's written in HTML, CSS and JavaScript to run on any modern browser without needing any ServerSide logic. It allows anyone to create personal SelfContained hypertext documents that can be posted to a WebServer, sent by email or kept on a USB thumb drive to make a WikiOnAStick"

Or of course, you could have an actual "personal, offline Wiki" like Tiddly Wiki. ;-)

Even better, look at Tiddly Wiki. No engine required - the entire wiki is run in javascript. Just one .html file to carry around with you.

I use http://www.tiddlywiki.com/ for that.

>> How about a personal wiki, such as Didiwiki, that runs locally?

I have been using TiddlyWiki for a while now and absolutely love it. No server or special setup required, just load the single file in my browser and start using it. I have several private wikis that I use regularly to keep track of multiple projects (both personal and for work). Best part is that I can move from working on my Linux box to OS X to (gasp) Windows and always have my information available.

Or a tiddly one!

Have you taken a look at TiddlyWiki? I cannot tell a lie: Somebody posted abut it here on Slashdot, and I've become a confirmed convert. By means of TiddlySpot if you are so inclined, you can open-source whatever aspects of yourself you'd like people to know about, while keeping the rest of it (like your naked pictures) under wraps. There are also numerous php implementations that allow you to upload your TiddlyWiki to your own server. TiddlyWiki ranks right up there with sliced bread, in my opinion.

tiddlywiki is better and more powerful through the use of plugins http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

They're using TiddlyWiki, a sort of personal wiki in a single html file. That may or may not be a good choice for the article, but it wasn't specifically designed for it.

How about this... TiddlyWiki a personal wiki for notes. views in a web browser, pure javascript love, as handy as a PDA, and only 300kb of HTML.



Place a curse on Spammers

TiddlyTiki is a neat self-contained wiki engine that uses AJAX to get the job done.

ZiddlyWiki was a TiddlyWiki incarnation for Zope. Unfortunately it seems its author, Tim Morgan, let it die just a few days ago...

LOL. I saw a similar Javascript terminal app that ran in the browser and sorta simulated an actual unix OS, but I thought it was just a sort of joke. Did you really think that such an idea would actually be useful?

I wouldn't be surpised if it was JS/UIX. Trying that and TiddlyWiki solidified my concept of how to resolve my UI issues as a web developer.

Anyway, don't worry about YouOS. It'll fail.

I'm not worried about it - I don't want it to fail. Competition's good for business. =)

I was a little miffed at Murphy for his timing yesterday though.

Besides, it's available under a modified BSD license. I'm learning JavaScript by writing Atomic OS; I expect I might be able to learn a thing or two from their project.

I futzed with a few wikis to try and orgnise all the disparate parts of my life (which were usually recorded on a swarm of post-it notes). My main problems were having to setup/admin a httpd server on which to run the wiki, and then backing up/restoring the information in the wiki.

Eventually I found tiddlywiki.
Pros:
* no httpd required
* all information stored in a single html file (including the wiki code itself!)
* has tags and a search function
* monstrously quick and easy to set up.

Cons:
* haven't found anything about it I don't like yet.

I've now torn down every postit from my wall - if it needs recording, it gets stuck it the wiki (a process that takes less than a minute).

Make it look like the main headlines, and also have a small upward facing arrow either on the left or right. Clicking on the arrow should make it face down, and expand the story. pehraps something like TiddlyWiki's ability to close and open articles from the sidebar as well. So when you click on a section link, all of its articles expand onto the main page, or close if they are already displayed.

TiddlyWiki (http://www.tiddlywiki.com/) is effectively a wiki in a single web page. It sounds odd but is very impressive, it can be used for free format note keeping with all the linking etc that a wiki implies. There are a number of enhancements on the web - various customizations including skins.
It's obviously not for multi-user use but great for personal stuff.

Their site is based on tiddlywiki, which does rely on Javascript for its basic functionality - it's a wiki that can be carried around on a USB stick, say, and is totally self-contained. I don't think even the authors consider it the best solution for an actual public website, though I have found it useful as a personal tool.

3. AJAX. It's worth a look if you want to stay within the browser's window. And that means you should get good Javascript/CSS/XML/HTML books.

4. Firefox-as-UI-platform. This is related to the above. I am just beginning to get into this and it looks very promising. Other people know far more than I do. The GreaseMonkey extension is great fun to play with.

Patently false.

Dynamic client-side content is actually enabling some web apps, like TiddlyWiki. It is a single file Wiki which keeps its data stored in <div> blocks and javascript variables, and knows how to save itself. to a file.

As a TiddlyWiki user who has mucked with the plugins, I'm curious what other will do with the likes of canvas.

However, as a long time UI programmer, I'm afraid we're relying on single threaded scripting environments way to heavily. For me, FireFox hits some nasty processing loops on a regular basis, after uninstalling all plugins and defaulting my prefs. FireFox has been better, but it still doesn't have a decent design for background processing and animation without locking up the UI.

I also hate the limitations of HTML/CSS layout. There is no reason to require javascript to fill the remainder of a container's width or height.

Anm

xwiki = very cool and powerful- has db backend, attachments, versioning, scripting langauge, and security, RSS feeds, online diffs, one click rollbacks.

webnotes = for those who cannot part with the postit paradigm - free form postits in a browser - kinda cool.

tiddlywiki = for those who want a personal wiki that runs off your USB drive - really way of editing and storing data. When you leave a company you take your wiki knowledge with you. :)

http://www.xwiki.org/
http://www.tiddlywiki.com/
http://www.aypwip.org/webnote/

xwiki = very cool and powerful- has db backend, attachments, versioning, scripting langauge, and security, RSS feeds, online diffs, one click rollbacks. webnotes = for those who cannot part with the postit paradigm - free form postits in a browser - kinda cool. tiddlywiki = for those who want a personal wiki that runs off your USB drive - really way of editing and storing data. When you leave a company you take your wiki knowledge with you. :) http://www.xwiki.org/ http://www.tiddlywiki.com/ http://www.aypwip.org/webnote/

First off, for me, I find it very, very easy to get caught up in the "how" and "why" of technology, often foresaking the actual use. In order to actually get things done, you need to USE the technology, not just be enamored with it.

OK, that said, I'm currently using a customized TiddlyWiki at work to track tasks, notes, and other useful information tidbits that I run into on a daily basis.

TiddlyWiki is a single, self-contained, self-updating, HTML file that contains HTML, JavaScript code, CSS data, and the content data all wrapped up in one file.

The content presentation is Wiki-like, but differs in that the linked content (called Tiddlers) opens right on the same page, in context with the calling text instead of one page at a time. This makes working with and navigating the content very useful and easy.

Its new Tag features let you organize the data, and it has a built-in Search feature that's quite quick. In addition, a new Macro feature has been developed to allow for feature extension by simply creating additional Tiddlers containing the appropriate extension code. Lots of new Plugins have been and are meing developed. Its community of users and developers is rapidly growing.

TiddlyWiki just has a real coolness and elegance about it that's hard to match. But most importantly, it's useful!

[self-serving plug]
I set up a TiddlyWiki Tips site with some Tips on using and customizing it.
[/self-serving plug]

First off, for me, I find it very, very easy to get caught up in the "how" and "why" of technology, often foresaking the actual use. In order to actually get things done, you need to USE the technology, not just be enamored with it.

OK, that said, I'm currently using a customized TiddlyWiki at work to track tasks, notes, and other useful information tidbits that I run into on a daily basis.

TiddlyWiki is a single, self-contained, self-updating, HTML file that contains HTML, JavaScript code, CSS data, and the content data all wrapped up in one file.

The content presentation is Wiki-like, but differs in that the linked content (called Tiddlers) opens right on the same page, in context with the calling text instead of one page at a time. This makes working with and navigating the content very useful and easy.

Its new Tag features let you organize the data, and it has a built-in Search feature that's quite quick. In addition, a new Macro feature has been developed to allow for feature extension by simply creating additional Tiddlers containing the appropriate extension code. Lots of new Plugins have been and are meing developed. Its community of users and developers is rapidly growing.

TiddlyWiki just has a real coolness and elegance about it that's hard to match. But most importantly, it's useful!

[self-serving plug]
I set up a TiddlyWiki Tips site with some Tips on using and customizing it.
[/self-serving plug]

First off, for me, I find it very, very easy to get caught up in the "how" and "why" of technology, often foresaking the actual use. In order to actually get things done, you need to USE the technology, not just be enamored with it.

OK, that said, I'm currently using a customized TiddlyWiki at work to track tasks, notes, and other useful information tidbits that I run into on a daily basis.

TiddlyWiki is a single, self-contained, self-updating, HTML file that contains HTML, JavaScript code, CSS data, and the content data all wrapped up in one file.

The content presentation is Wiki-like, but differs in that the linked content (called Tiddlers) opens right on the same page, in context with the calling text instead of one page at a time. This makes working with and navigating the content very useful and easy.

Its new Tag features let you organize the data, and it has a built-in Search feature that's quite quick. In addition, a new Macro feature has been developed to allow for feature extension by simply creating additional Tiddlers containing the appropriate extension code. Lots of new Plugins have been and are meing developed. Its community of users and developers is rapidly growing.

TiddlyWiki just has a real coolness and elegance about it that's hard to match. But most importantly, it's useful!

[self-serving plug]
I set up a TiddlyWiki Tips site with some Tips on using and customizing it.
[/self-serving plug]

A single GTD might be enough to manage all the projects, using Tiddlers for notes and such. It's a single file that can be carried around on a stick, and needs a browser to be edited, so it might be simpler to set up than a more complex server-side tool like Trac (which you might look into, although I don't know how good it is for non-software projects).

Biggest drawback of GTD TiddlyWiki seems to be the lack of timelines. These might be implementable via macros if/when GTD will use the most recent version of Jeremy's TiddlyWiki.

It's just a web page with java script. Nothing more. Variations on TiddlyWiki can be found all over the place.

Here is one I like http://scavenger.contagiousmedia.org/ from a guy that is doing a cool adaptation http://phiffer.org/tiddly/ of Tiddly Wiki http://tiddlywiki.com/ --which is just plain cool.

Check out http://www.tiddlywiki.com/.

Awesomely simple and fast.