Retrieval

You've written plenty of notes -- how do you find them quickly? Aino LifeOS provides multiple retrieval methods, covering everything from precise lookups to casual browsing.

Retrieval via Tags

Theme Tags are the most direct retrieval entry point.

In the tag tree in the left sidebar, all tags are displayed hierarchically. Click any tag to view all notes under that tag. The tag tree supports expanding and collapsing, making it easy to browse level by level.

For example, clicking #工作/产品上线 shows all notes containing that tag -- regardless of which daily notes or theme folders they are scattered across.

Tip

Tag retrieval is especially suitable for finding all records under a particular topic. It transcends the boundaries of time and folders, aggregating related content from everywhere into one place.

Retrieval via Index Files

Each Theme Note serves as the index center for that topic. When you open a Theme Note, you'll see three areas automatically collected by the system:

AreaContentDescription
Task listAll tasks with that theme tagIncludes both completed and incomplete
Fleeting notes listRegular list items with that theme tagIdeas and notes jotted down casually
File listAll notes in that theme's folderDocuments created specifically for that topic

The advantage of index files is that you don't need to remember "which day's daily note did I write this in" -- just open the corresponding topic's index, and all related content is already organized by type. Click any entry to jump to the original location.

Retrieval via Folders

The PARA folder structure provides a consistent organizational framework:

1. 项目/     → Active items with deadlines
2. 领域/     → Ongoing life and work areas you're responsible for
3. 资源/     → Reference materials and knowledge collections of interest
4. 存档/     → Completed or no longer active content

When you're unsure about a note's specific tag or keyword, you can start from the folder level. The benefit of the PARA structure is: if you roughly know which category something belongs to, you can narrow down the scope and locate it quickly.

In the file tree in the left sidebar, files are displayed by PARA categories. You can also type keywords in the filter box at the top of the file tree to quickly filter file names.

When tags and folders can't help you locate something, full-text search is the ultimate fallback.

Click the search icon in the sidebar, or use a keyboard shortcut to open the full-text search panel:

  1. Enter keywords; search results are grouped by file
  2. Each match shows context, making it easy to judge whether it's what you're looking for
  3. Click a result to jump directly to the corresponding location

Full-text search supports:

  • Regular expressions -- e.g., 任务.*完成 matches lines containing both "task" and "complete"
  • Path filtering -- Restrict the search scope to specific folders
  • Case matching -- Exact case matching for English text

Retrieval via Quick Switcher

Press Cmd/Ctrl + P to open the Quick Switcher. This is the fastest navigation method:

  • Type file name keywords -- fuzzy matching, supports pinyin initials
  • Type #tagname -- search notes by tag
  • Type a URL -- open in the built-in browser

The Quick Switcher is ideal when you clearly know the target note's name. Just a few letters and you can locate the target file.

Which Method to Choose

ScenarioRecommended Method
View all records for a project/areaTag tree or index file
Know the note name, open quicklyQuick Switcher Cmd+P
Remember content keywords, but don't know which fileFull-text search
Browse by category, unsure of the specific nameFolders (PARA structure)
Find specific content in the current fileIn-document search Cmd+F