vim-mind-mapper

(I'v not been maintaining vim-mind-mapper for a while. I'll try to pick it up again in the near future, with neovim integration and lesser prerequisites maybe).

vim based command line mind mapping tool Create and manipulate complex mind maps using a simple and powerful Groovy DSL, and vim, which helps in lesser context switches of brain, and hence lesser disturbance Lets write a simple scene from reservoir dogs as a mind map:

tasks {
  thought "Scene from reservoir dogs" is {

    //We can add any kind of property(string, list, range, boolean, integer, etc) in any item,
    and comments too!
    thought "Mr Orange is bleeding", playedBy:"Tim Roth"
    thought "Joe thinks Mr. Orange is the rat" is {
      thought "Joe Points the gun at Mr. Orange" is {
        thought "Mr. White points the gun at Joe", playedBy:"Harvey Keitel" is {
          point "because" is {
            point "Mr White has been a good friend to Orange", isAFact:true
            point "So, White doesnt want Orange killed by Joe"
            point "Mr White believes that Mr Blonde is crazy", isMyOpinion:true
          }
          thought "Nice Guy Eddie points the gun at Mr. White" is {
            point "because" is {
              point "Nice Guy Eddie is Joe's son."
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
    idea "Let's not spoil it for those who havent seen it"
  }
}

This is always re-indented and folded when viewed in vim.

This gets converted to a visualization using sigma js:

So far, it was all hierarchical, we need a graph:

tasks {
  idea "Mexican Standoff", id:0 is {
    point "Mr. Orange", color:"orange", id:1
    point "Joe ---> Mr Orange", id:2, connectTo:1
    point "Mr. White ---> Joe", color:"white", id:3, connectTo:2
    point "Nice Guy Eddie ---> Mr. White", id:4, connectTo:3
    point "Mr. Pink hiding", id:5, color:"pink"
  }
}

which gives:

What we are writing here is Groovy code, so we can always mix our ideas with code, to programmatically create graphs: For example, automatic calculation and record of expenses:

tasks {

  point "expenses" is {

    itemPrices = [
	  itemA: 123,
	  itemB: 329.43,
	  itemN: 43
    ];

    discount = 20 //percent
    shippingCost = 234;
    total = 0

    itemPrices.values().each {
      price ->
      total += price
    }
    
    priceToPay = shippingCost + (total - ((discount * total) / 100.0));

    point "I need to pay " + priceToPay is {
        point "To be paid by", toBePaidBy:at("06-12 12:00") //use at("MM-dd HH:mm") method for date and time
    }
  }

}

After saving, this becomes:

tasks {
  point "expenses", itemPrices:[itemA:123, itemB:329.43, itemN:43], discount:20, shippingCost:234, total:495.43, priceToPay:630.344, id:0 is {
    point "I need to pay 630.344", id:1 is {
      point "To be paid by", toBePaidBy:at('2020-06-12 12:00'), id:2
    }
  }
}

Installation

Docker (Preferred)

docker run -p 8084:8084 -p 8083:8083 -v $(pwd):/home -it anuragntl/vimmindmap:0.1.1

It will start ttyd server on port 8084 and tasks can be edited by navigating to:

http://localhost:8084/

in the browser.

Direct

Requirements:

• python
• node js (will auto install if snap is present)
• groovy (will auto install if snap is present)
• vim (will auto install if snap is present)

Clone vim-mind-mapper:

$ git clone https://github.com/AnuragNtl/vim-mind-mapper.git

Install:

$ cd vim-mind-mapper
$ sudo ./install

Usage:

On running task with docker, navigate to http://localhost:8084, which will present a menu. Or on running directly, the same will be displayed.

$ task

task file and options can be passed as cmdline arguments.

Choose option new_plain_task_file to create a new mind map, or read_tasks to open existing encrypted task file. vim will open with the editable mind map and graph spec. By default lines are folded, which can be toggled with vim's default Z+A, closed with Z+C, read with Z+R :

Edit the task and save the file with vim's :+w. Once vim is closed, task file is encrypted with AES using key as SHA256 of password entered, and then base64ed and this is decrypted using same process in reverse when read using task command.

at() method can be used to save date in an attribute in an item, for example:

point "To do", toBeDoneBefore:at("12:00")

Available date formats:

• "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm"
• "yyyy-MM-dd HH"
• "yyyy-MM-dd"
• "MM-dd HH"
• "MM-dd"
• "HH:mm"
• "dd HH:mm"
• "dd HH"
• "mm"

filter_tasks option can be used to filter and visualize items based on certain conditions:

Filters conditions can be defined by adding an entry in the list contained in CommonFilters.groovy file. Or a filter can be input in the interactive menu. For example, to filter the items with isMyOpinion = false :

{it -> !isMyOpinion }

Or, the items with priceToPay greater than 100:

{ it -> priceToPay >= 100 }

Use :ReloadTasks command in vim to process the tasks while editing.