Boards and Columns

Boards and columns give a document its structure. This page covers creating and arranging them. To learn what they’re for, see Documents, boards, columns and cards.

A new board starts with the columns To Do, In Progress, Done and Archive. Rename, add and remove columns until they fit your work.

Work with boards

Boards are listed in the board list on the left.

To…	Do this
Switch boards	Select a board in the list, or press Cmd+1 … Cmd+9 and Cmd+0 for the first ten boards.
Create a board	Select + Add new board at the bottom of the list, or press Cmd+B.
Rename a board	Double-click its name, or choose Rename from its context menu.
Reorder boards	Drag a board up or down the list.
Duplicate a board	Choose Duplicate above or Duplicate below from its context menu. The copy includes all columns and cards, and its cards show the original board’s images, PDFs and audio.
Delete a board	Choose Delete board from its context menu and confirm.

Right-click a board to open its context menu. On iPad and iPhone, touch and hold.

From the keyboard

Press Tab to move focus into the board list, then:

• ↑ and ↓ move between boards and open them.
• Enter or F2 renames the focused board.
• N creates a board below, and Option+N one above.
• Option+↑ and Option+↓ move the board. Add Shift to duplicate it instead.
• Cmd+Delete deletes it after confirmation.
• → moves focus into the board’s first column.

Media when you rename a board

Each board keeps the images, PDFs and audio files of its cards in a folder named after it. When you rename a board in a saved document and the folder name would change, FlowBoard asks Rename Board Media Folder?:

• Rename folder renames the folder and updates cards on other boards that point into it.
• Keep manual renames only the board. The folder keeps its old name, and you move the files yourself.
• Cancel keeps the board’s old name.

Board names that differ only in ways the folder name ignores, such as “Act 1” and “act-1”, share one media folder. If another board uses the old or the new folder, FlowBoard doesn’t ask: it renames the board, leaves the folder as it is, points the board’s cards to it, and says so in a message. Cmd+Z undoes such a rename.

Keep a board out of exports

A board’s context menu includes Full export. Turn it off to leave that board out when you export the whole document, for example a board of research notes. See Export.

Work with columns

To…	Do this
Add a column	Select + Add Column to the right of the last column, or choose Add left or Add right from a column’s menu.
Rename a column	Double-click its name, or choose Rename column from its menu.
Move a column	Choose Move left, Move right, Move first or Move last from its menu.
Duplicate a column	Choose Duplicate left or Duplicate right from its menu.
Copy or move a column elsewhere	Choose Cut column or Copy column, then Paste column left or Paste column right on another column. To paste into another board, use Paste column in that board’s context menu. The column’s cards keep showing their images, PDFs and audio.
Color a column	Choose a color under Tint in its menu.
Delete a column	Choose Delete from its menu. If the column still has cards, FlowBoard tells you how many will be deleted with it.

To open a column’s menu, right-click its header. On iPad and iPhone, touch and hold.

The Archive column always stays last, and it can’t be moved or deleted.

From the keyboard

Focus a column header by pressing Escape while a card in it is focused. Then:

• ← and → move to the neighboring column.
• F2 renames the column.
• Shift+N adds a column to the right, and Shift+Option+N one to the left.
• Option+← and Option+→ move the column. Add Shift to duplicate it instead.
• Cmd+Delete deletes the column after confirmation, but only when it’s empty. Use the column menu to delete a column that has cards.

Whenever you’re not typing, 1 to 9 jump to the first card of the first nine regular columns, and 0 jumps to the Archive.

Column widths

Columns come in five preset widths: Very Narrow, Narrow, Normal, Wide and Full-Width. A full-width column fills the visible width of the board, which suits long chapters and manuscripts.

• Whole board: the column width button in the header sets the default for every column. Click it to cycle through the presets, or choose one from its options (the small triangle beside it, or right-click).
• One column: use the width button in the column’s header, which works the same way.
• Exact width: drag a column’s left or right edge.

Shortcuts: Cmd+Option+0 cycles the board default. Cmd+Option+V, N, M or W set the focused column to very narrow, narrow, normal or wide.

Special columns

Each board has three column roles: Archive, Done and Reference. To choose which column plays each role:

1. Open the board.
2. Open Settings → Board.
3. Under Special Columns, pick the Done column, Archive column and Reference column.

What each role does is described in Documents, boards, columns and cards.

The Done and Archive columns also have cleanup buttons in their headers:

• Move visible Done cards to archive in the Done column moves every visible card in it to the Archive after confirmation.
• Delete visible archived cards in the Archive column permanently deletes every visible card in it after confirmation.

Both act only on the cards the current filter shows, and both can be undone with Cmd+Z.

Next

• Cards: add, edit and move cards.