Tabbed Outline Format (TOF)Alpha

A plain-text, tab-indented note-taking format. Hierarchy lives entirely in real tab characters — no markdown, no parsers, no formatting overhead. Optimized for scannability and density.

Core Principle

Content is organized as a hierarchy using literal tab characters for indentation. Each tab level represents one deeper layer of detail. The format prioritizes scannability, density, and zero formatting overhead.

Indentation Rules

• Use real tab characters (not spaces) for every indentation level.
• Root level (0 tabs) is reserved for top-level topics, section headers, or standalone descriptions.
• Each additional tab = one deeper level of nesting. There is no hard limit on depth, but most content lives within 1–3 tab levels.

Entry Patterns

Pattern 1: Description-then-Content

A plain-text description sits at one level. The command, code, or value it describes is indented one tab deeper directly below it.

Check Docker Version:
	docker --version

Pattern 2: Category Nesting

Group related entries under a shared parent label. Nest as many levels deep as needed.

Basic Docker Commands
	Images
		List Images:
			docker images
		Pull an Image from Docker Hub:
			docker pull <image-name>
	Containers
		List Running Containers:
			docker ps

Pattern 3: Inline Key-Value

For mappings like keyboard shortcuts or flag references, place the key and its description on the same line separated by tab(s).

mode select
	esc 	normal mode
	i   	insert mode
	a   	(append) moves the cursor one character over and switches to insert mode.

Pattern 4: Sub-Explanations

Explain individual flags or parts of a command by nesting them below the command itself.

Initialize a new repo on github.
	git init
	git add .
	git commit -m "initial commit"
	gh repo create my-repo-name --private --source=. --push
		--source=.
			set the current directory as the directory you want to create in github.

Section Headers

Section headers appear at root level (0 tabs). Several styles are acceptable:

• Bordered: #--- Title ---#
• Underlined: Title on one line, === or --- on the next
• ALL CAPS: HOOK EVENTS
• Plain text: Just the title as a line at root level
• File title: The first line of the file can serve as the document title

A blank line should appear before and/or after section headers to visually separate groups.

Formatting Rules

1. Plain text only. Do not use markdown syntax (#, **, backticks, bullet points) inside TOF files. The hierarchy comes entirely from tab indentation.
2. Terse descriptions. Short, direct phrases rather than full sentences.
3. Blank lines separate logical groups or sections.
4. Placeholders use <angle-brackets> for variable values (e.g., <image-name>).
5. No trailing prose. If something needs more context, nest it one level deeper.
6. Code/commands live at leaf level. The actual command should be at the deepest indentation for its entry, with its description one level above.

File Naming

• Use camelCase for file names.
• Suffix with Cheat or CheatSheet (e.g., gitCheat.txt, dockerCheatSheet.txt).
• Use .txt extension. A dedicated .tof extension is planned for a future release.

Complete Example

#-----------tmux Cheat Sheet-----------#

Session Management
	Start a new named session
		tmux new -s mysession
	List sessions
		tmux ls
	Attach to a session
		tmux attach -t mysession
	Kill a session
		tmux kill-session -t mysession

Window Management
	Create new window
		ctrl+b c
	Rename window
		ctrl+b ,
	Next/previous window
		ctrl+b n		next
		ctrl+b p		previous

Pane Management
	Split vertically
		ctrl+b %
	Split horizontally
		ctrl+b "
	Navigate panes
		ctrl+b arrow-key
	Close pane
		exit

Summary Checklist

• Uses real tab characters, not spaces
• Descriptions above, content indented below
• Section headers at root level with blank line separation
• No markdown syntax — plain text only
• Terse, scannable descriptions
• Placeholders in <angle-brackets>
• File named in camelCase with Cheat/CheatSheet suffix and .txt extension