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Extend Note ② | Use Cases: Tiered Management of Reading Notes

💡 While reading, the notes we jot in a book are not all equally important: some require a deep understanding of the original text (such as filling in derivation steps), while others are just passing thoughts (such as to-do items). MarginNote 4's extend note feature lets you flexibly choose where each note is displayed, based on its type.

How to tell a note's type ⬇️:

  • Important notes (best embedded in the text):
  • Filling in derivation steps omitted from the original
  • Explaining hard-to-grasp concepts
  • Recording key points you must master
  • Content you need to review again and again
  • Secondary notes (best kept in the margin):
  • Passing thoughts and inspiration
  • Further reading material
  • To-do items and reminders
  • Content not closely related to your current studies

This page covers typical use cases for the extend note feature. If you're not yet familiar with the basics of extend note, please read this first: Extend Note ① | Basic Operations: Freely Open Up Note Space Between the Lines.

1 Scenario 1: Embed Important Notes in the Text

When reading a math textbook, the derivation of a theorem often skips the intermediate steps. You can use **extend note** to add the full derivation directly below the theorem, just as if you had "inserted" an extra blank note area into the textbook.

  • Result: 🖼️ Image

As shown, the derivation of "Theorem 1.2.4" is embedded directly in the text as an extend note, blending seamlessly with the original As shown, the derivation of "Theorem 1.2.4" is embedded directly in the text as an extend note, blending seamlessly with the original - Advantage: When reviewing, the derivation and the original text stay within the same field of view, so there's no need to flip back and forth between pages to cross-check them.

2 Scenario 2: Park Secondary Notes in the Margin

When reading a paper, ideas may strike you at any time (e.g., "this point relates to such-and-such theory"), but these ideas aren't essential to understanding the original text. You can jot them down in the margin comment area, sticking them beside the page like sticky notes—they don't disrupt the layout of the original text and stay easy to compare against it whenever you like.

  • How to do it: Tap ...(Document - More) in the top-right corner of the document → switch extend note to Margin mode, and the margin comment area will open automatically. Drag the ←→ button left and right to adjust the width of the margin comment area.

extend note switched to Margin mode, with the margin comment area opening automatically extend note switched to Margin mode, with the margin comment area opening automatically

the margin comment area lets you insert plain-text extend notes, handwritable extend notes, photos, and pasted content the margin comment area lets you insert plain-text extend notes, handwritable extend notes, photos, and pasted content

  • The margin comment area supports:
  • Text: insert a plain-text extend note
  • 📷: open the camera to take a photo (supports image correction, ideal for photographing slides)
  • extend note: insert a handwritable extend note
  • Paste: paste the clipboard contents

notes displayed in the margin comment area notes displayed in the margin comment area

no extend note inserted vs. extend note inserted (margin) no extend note inserted vs. extend note inserted (margin)

  • Advantage: Margin notes don't affect the layout of the original text; you can view them anytime without interrupting your reading flow.

Animated demo: inserting an extend note (text form) in the margin comment area Animated demo: inserting an extend note (text form) in the margin comment area

3 Scenario 3: Collapse ←→ Expand, Dynamically Adjust a Note's Position

A note's value changes as your studies progress. An idea you thought unimportant at first may later prove crucial; a detailed derivation you needed at the start may, once you've mastered it, only need to be collapsed and hidden.

3.1 Expand and Collapse

  • Collapse a note: A note you don't need to see while reviewing can be collapsed into a dashed line so it doesn't get in the way of reading.
  • Expand a note: When you need it, tap the dashed line and the note expands instantly.

Animated demo: collapsing and expanding an extend note (margin comment area not enabled) Animated demo: collapsing and expanding an extend note (margin comment area not enabled)

3.2 Convert Between Embedded and Margin

  • Margin to Embedded: When you find a margin note is important, you can expand it into an embedded note.
  • Embedded to Margin: Once the margin comment area is enabled, a collapsed embedded note is automatically shown in the margin (instead of being hidden entirely).

An in-page extend note can be moved to the margin, and vice versa. An in-page extend note can be moved to the margin, and vice versa.

Animated demo: collapsing and expanding an extend note (margin comment area enabled) Animated demo: collapsing and expanding an extend note (margin comment area enabled)

💡** Important Notes**

  • Margin mode is a global setting: Once you switch to Margin mode, every new extend note will appear in the margin. If you need to embed a note in the text, switch back to "Normal (Embedded)" mode.
  • Use in moderation: Too many embedded extend notes increase page length and the chance of lag, hurting the reading experience. We recommend embedding only the comprehension notes you truly need.
  • Detailed operations: For detailed operations such as creating, editing, and deleting extend notes, see: Extend Note ① | Basic Operations: Freely Open Up Note Space Between the Lines.