--- title: "I used Leaflet" slug: i-used-leaflet canonical_url: https://nerdymomocat.github.io/posts/i-used-leaflet/ collection: Notes published_at: 2024-07-09T00:00:00.000Z updated_at: 2024-08-16T00:00:00.000Z tags: - "🌱 Seedling" - Apps - "Beta Testing" - Writing - Note-Taking excerpt: "Leaflet is a new publishing medium from hyperlink.academy, made to distribute pages (or expanded leaflets) in the wild — think very simplified Google Docs, but nested. I tested out their alpha version." author: "Nerdy Momo Cat" --- ## Navigation Context - Canonical URL: https://nerdymomocat.github.io/posts/i-used-leaflet/ - You are here: Home > Posts > Notes > I used Leaflet ### Useful Next Links - [Home](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/) - [Bundles](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/collections/bundles/) - [Logbook](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/collections/logbook/) - [Notes](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/collections/notes/) - [Stream](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/collections/stream/) ### Related Content #### Pages That Mention This Page - [Friction Logs](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/posts/friction-logs/) The main reason this feedback is in Notion rather than in Leaflet, is (a) I like it to be in one place where I can access it later rather than it being lost, but, more importantly, (b) I really want toggles in leaflet for controlling information overload visibility. ![](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/calendar-day_brown.C6JexprZ_Z1EYdWV.svg) Last tested Jul 13, 2024 ## Testing on Jul 13, 2024 This is the first time I am trying Leaflet. Instead of trying to use Leaflet and then jot down my notes later, I instead decided to record my thoughts and then summarize them. ### tl;dr _(disclosure: generated with gemini)_ **Initial Setup & UI Quirks:** - **Link Redirection with Notion-esque IDs:** Right off the bat, Leaflet generated a unique ID for my document. The format reminded me a lot of Notion, which threw me for a second. - **Button Placement & Responsiveness:** The layout is clean with a top button and a cool gradient button at the bottom that says "Write something." Resizing the window works well; the buttons adjust nicely. - **Confusing Toolbar Situation:** Clicking "Write something" unleashes two toolbars – one at the top right and one at the bottom. Here's where it gets weird: - Both toolbars stick around even when the screen size changes. - Three icons are duplicated on both toolbars. Not sure what the thought process was there. - Tooltips on the top icons appear faster than the bottom ones. I almost missed them entirely! - There's a random black "icon" on the bottom toolbar that seems pointless. **Writing Experience & Missing Features:** - **No Slash Commands:** Sadly, my beloved slash commands don't work here. - **Intrusive "Add New Block" Toolbar:** Typing a slash transforms the bottom toolbar, while the right toolbar awkwardly shifts below. It's very in-your-face, even when grayed out. - **Image Handling:** - Adding images is smooth – rectangles, squares, pasting – it all works. - No column blocks, which is a bummer. - **Link Functionality:** - Pasting a link renders a preview with the OG image and description. - Pasting a Leaflet link into Notion doesn't work as expected. It doesn't pull the Leaflet document title. - The Leaflet link structure is cool though, not as clunky as Notion's. - **Mobile Friendliness:** - Link previews render fully on mobile, unlike Notion's cropped versions. More like Craft, which I prefer. - **Not a True Block-Based Editor:** - This was a letdown. I was expecting block-based functionality. - Adding content above existing elements, especially images, is a nightmare. - No drag-and-drop for rearranging content. Huge miss! **Text Formatting & Highlights:** - **Basic Formatting Toolbar:** Selecting text reveals a standard toolbar (bold, italic, etc.). - **Keyboard Shortcut Confusion:** - Tooltips show "Control + B" for bold, which is odd for a Mac. Should be "Command + B." And neither shortcut actually works. - **Highlight Color Choices:** - Default gray highlight is an odd choice. Green would fit the "Leaf" theme better. - The color picker options don't look interactive at first glance. - You can select and overwrite the hex codes, which is a plus. - The color selection pop-up stays open even after you've picked a color. A bit strange. - Love the real-time preview when changing highlight colors! - **Inline Links:** - No keyboard shortcut for adding inline links. - Pasting a link over selected text doesn't auto-create a link (unlike Notion or Github). - Clicking the inline link button makes the text selection disappear, which is disorienting. - **Markdown Support:** - Basic Markdown for headings (H1, H2, H3) works. - Converting between heading levels is clunky. It seems to append hashtags internally instead of properly converting. - The paragraph behavior is strange, especially when switching from a heading. **Cards & Collaboration:** - **Card UX:** - Opening a card creates a right-side pane, but it doesn't auto-scroll to the center. - Cursor placement in the "Write something" field is slightly off, which is visually distracting. - **Card Design Similarities:** - "Add a card" and "External URL" look too similar. Different colors or backgrounds would help differentiate them. - **Real-Time Card Updates:** - The card preview dynamically updates with content and formatting changes. Super cool! - Only the H1 and the paragraph directly below it appear in the card preview. - **Collaborative Features:** - Collaboration works smoothly. - **Gradient Button Confusion:** - The gradient button controls document design, which isn't immediately obvious. - **Design Options:** - Background colors, images, and accent text customization are all great additions. - A color picker for the page color would be fantastic. - It's unclear what "accent" text affects until you have content on the page. - **Card Focus Issues:** - Clicking on a card with existing text doesn't place the cursor in the document or center the pane. - **Document Navigation:** - "Cut" functionality works despite the message saying it's not supported. - Block selection doesn't seem to work on desktop. - Inserting content between images remains a challenge. - The "multi-column view" seems to refer to the side tabs, which is a neat feature. - **Card Overload:** - Adding multiple cards can lead to a long scroll. Collapsible sections or a way to limit visible cards would be helpful. **Missing Features & Future Ideas:** - **Essential Text Editing:** - Table of contents or navigation for headings is a must-have. - Find and replace functionality is needed. - Columns within pages would be a game-changer. - **Embeds & Rich Content:** - Embeds for services like Partiful or Luma would be amazing. - Comments and annotations are essential for collaboration. - **Power User Features:** - Ink & Switch-style math input fields would be incredible. - A built-in sketch block would be a huge differentiator. - Toggles for hiding and revealing content are crucial for organization. - **Media & File Handling:** - File uploads, tables, and video embeds are important for various use cases. - **Lower Priority Features:** - User accounts, home pages, and granular sharing aren't critical right now. - "Key-value blocks" seem like Google Docs variables, which could be interesting but not a high priority.