Navigation

Overview

For most common things, Tana accommodates for both mouse and keyboard navigation. Some advanced things can only be done with the keyboard.

Basics

• In Tana, you mainly navigate around by interacting with nodes and references, the sidebar, the global search. Other navigation methods are based around the type of connection the nodes have with each other.
• Navigating via nodes and references is quite simple:
  • To zoom in on a node, click on the node bullet or use Cmd/Ctrl+. (period)
  • To zoom out of a node to the previous view, use the back button or use Cmd/Ctrl+, (comma)
  • Right-click on an node to see options
• The sidebar allows you to navigate to some key locations:
  • Today: Always going to the current day node.
  • Supertags: The place to view all supertags from all workspaces you're a member of.
  • Pinned: An area you can use to pin important nodes to the sidebar
  • Workspaces: If you are working with multiple workspaces (i.e. more than just your main workspace), you will see this section.
• The global search (Cmd/Ctrl+S) allows you to jump to any node in your graph. Similarly, the command line has some fixed locations you can jump to easily. Type Open to see the full list.
• In addition, there are different ways to navigate your data in Tana based on the connection you're traversing:
  • Via the tree: To navigate up the tree, use the breadcrumbs. Going down the tree, use the command Expand all to see all the branches below.
  • Via a supertag: Adding supertags connect your nodes together even though they appear in very different parts of the tree. Click the supertag to navigate to the supertag home to find all tagged nodes gathered here.
  • Via references and option fields: Open a reference in its original location by clicking on the node bullet or the inline link. Option fields allow you to reuse existing nodes as field values, connecting your information in a structured way.
  • Via the reference section: Every node has this section at the bottom that shows every connection to this node.
  • Via day/week/month/year nodes: When you're on a calendar node, there are navigation arrows to go to the previous/next increment, or use the calendar to pick the exact day.
  • Via the back button: You can use the Back button to go back to previous contexts
• Tabs and panels allow you open several nodes at the same time
  • Panels let you open nodes next to each other. New panels will open to the right of the original window. Resize panels by dragging the separation line between them.
  • On any navigational menu/button in Tana, use
  • Shift+click to open a new panel to the right
  • Cmd/Ctrl+S will open items from search in the panel that was in focus
  • Tabs is supported in the Tana Desktop App and allows you to easily switch back and forth between content. This is great to stay in context when you're working on something, but then have to join a meeting.
  • On any navigational menu/button/node in Tana
  • Cmd/Ctrl+click to to open a in a new tab
  • Click the + icon in the top bar of the desktop app to open a new tab, you will then be able to search for the node you want to open.

Details

Navigating with mouse

In Tana, you can click elements to navigate:

• Node bullets
• Inline references
• Breadcrumbs in the panel header
• All sidebar buttons

All of these elements work with the dock modifier keys. Hold down Cmd/Ctrl or Shift to send to the right/top dock respectively.

Right-click on nodes

You can right-click on any node to see basic options for that node, in addition to contextual options that applies for that node type:

Navigating with keyboard

Common shortcuts

Open the keyboard icon in the sidebar for a longer list.

Custom keyboard shortcuts

You can define custom shortcuts for any command in the command line. To trigger shortcut recording, open the command line, find the command you want to set a shortcut for, and hit Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+K. This opens a popup where you can input a new shortcut. All shortcuts are saved in your Settings > Preferences > Private keyboard shortcuts, with the bottom ones being most recent.

You can also create a new keyboard shortcut node via the command line: Create keyboard shortcut

Also see How can I add/remove custom keyboard shortcuts?

Tabs and Panels

Tana Desktop allows content to be opened in Tabs. This makes it easy to look up something or switch context, while preserving the view you were working on.

Multiple panels can be opened in a tab, to work on things side-by-side. Panels are able to scroll independently from one another, and be resized individually.

From anywhere in Tana:

• To open a node in a new tab: Cmd/Ctrl+click on node bullet
• To open a node in a new panel: Shift+click on node bullet

How to use Tabs (requires Tana Desktop)

Download Tana Desktop

Open new tab: This will let you search for a node to open in the tab from global search.

• Click the + icon in the top menu to open a new tab.
• Type Open in new tab in command line
• Ctrl/Cmd+T to opne new tab
• Ctrl/Cmd+W to close current tab

Cycle between tabs (repeat to jump multiple tabs):

• Ctrl + Tab (Go right/next tab)
• Ctrl + Tab+Shift (Go left/previous tab)

How to use Panels

You can open multiple panels inside a tab, and every open panel is scrollable on its own.

• Panels have a "sticky" panel toolbar that stays visible at the top when you start scrolling. It has an x to close it.
• New panels will always open to the right of the panel you were active in.
• If you want to replace the content of a panel, make sure it's in focus (put your cursor there) and then click Cmd/Ctrl+S to open global search. Clicking a result will open this in the panel.
• Left click opens the node in the currently active panel
  • If the element we are clicking is triggering an action, not navigating, left click executes the action
• Shift+click opens the node in a new panel in the current tab
• Option+click triggers the secondary action / navigates to the secondary destination, if available. Can be combined with Shift or Ctrl/Cmd to modify.

Inline references can now be expanded on right-click context menu > Expand.

Clicking "Configure tag/field" from the right-click menu will always open in a new panel. To open the config directly with click on a supertag/field, use Option+Shift+Click.

Command line related to Tabs and Panels

To open a node in a tab with command line: Open in tab

To close the current tab: Close this tab

To close other tabs (except the one you're on): Close other tabs

To open in new panel: Open in new panel

To close the current tab: Close this panel

Limitations and known bugs with Tabs and Panels:

• Similar to how you cannot have reference to a node at the same level that it exists, you cannot have the same node opened in multiple panels/tabs. If you try to open a node that is already open, you will see a warning message.
• It's currently not possible to drag and drop between tabs and panels.