Here’s a silly trick I should have noticed a long time ago.
Today I realized that the Inspector’s Links and Incoming Links panels work as expected for TaskPaper’s Markdown documents stored in DT.
Either DT treats TaskPaper files much like Markdown or I set the TaskPaper file type as plain text in an extended DT option.
You can keep a TaskPaper list in a DT database and use it normally. If you paste an item link, it not only works from TaskPaper, it shows up in the Inspector as an outgoing link for the TaskPaper document and an incoming link on the target document’s Inspector.
It looks practical for keeping track of to-dos within a project. The documents that have associated tasks have a link back to the TaskPaper document, which in turn has (of course) outgoing links to documents.
TaskPaper doesn’t recognize DT wikilinks, although the DT preview of a TaskPaper document will.
Still stuck on DT 3 for the moment. Kind of hoping DT4 will support TaskPaper in the same manner.
That works, but now imagine you have a task you’d like to add a little context to. You could do that in your task document or its annotation, but you might like to see a list of all your tasks with their summaries.
I don’t know that I’ll use this long term. It’s nice to use the incoming link to a document as a shortcut to a task list, or to use a task list as a menu for choosing where to go next.
I think I have used almost every method of task and project management in the universe and almost all the software, too – some of the programs many times, at different times. None of it has ever stuck for more than a year or so, if that.
At present, I am experimenting with using NotePlan and indexing its folder with DEVONthink. It’s a slightly uneasy mix, but it is working for me at the moment. NotePlan is based on Markdown files, so they can easily be edited in DEVONthink. And NotePlan has quite a nice iOS version, which TaskPaper does not.
I’ve heard recommendations elsewhere for NotePlan. I didn’t realize it kept its files in Markdown.
I’ll have to look into it.
TaskPaper is very lightweight. I haven’t used it in quite a while. One advantage it has, though, is it stores tasks in a file. I don’t have to commingle tasks in a writing project with my grocery lists.
while having tried a few external (to DT) task management solutions as well I have always come back to the convenience of the one stop shop of managing them within DT.
over the years I have learnt that task management is much much more about process than about interface (and yes, there are tempting interfaces out there..;-)..).
the process I am using / following is a GTD (getting things done) derivative relying on tags and smart groups outlined here: https://thesecretweapon.org/
(while the explanation is based on evernote it translates seamlessly into DT, which has a huge superset of features compared to EN.)
having both my tasks as well as their potential supporting material/documents in DT that I can directly link from the same interface is pretty invaluable and simplifying for me…
My use case with TaskPaper is to have a to-do list for a writing project. I have research and notes in DT. If there is something I need to follow up on, it’s nice to have a to-do list.
The TaskPaper file is like a table of contents of DT documents where I need to follow up.
TaskPaper is document based, so one TaskPaper list doesn’t impact any others. I can have independent to-do lists per DT project.
I could do the same thing in a DT Markdown document, but TaskPaper is more convenient since it recognizes a mouse click to check an item off.
There’s no mobile app, but my idea of working while mobile is with a laptop, not an iPad. The limitation doesn’t hurt in my case.
The Secret Weapon is a great example of what can be done with tags. I’m going to review his ideas in greater depth.
I like to think I push the envelope. Then I see things like the URL in Apple Reminders, which I’d never paid attention to until today. It works perfectly to open a DT document.
Some days I’m the very soul of overlooking the obvious.
I use Things as my main to-do/planning app, and I regularly add the item link to a DT doc to my to-dos. I have a ton of scheduled to-dos for all of my main projects that link to their own DT document to help keep track of the details of the action, and log the results.
To simplify this, I made a key command (with Keyboard Maestro) that copies the item link of the currently-select document in DEVONthink, add adds it (appending the all-important “?reveal=1”) into the notes of my active Things to-do.
I’m an odd duck, to be sure. The URL in Reminders escaped my attention even though I do similar things with Keyboard Maestro. For instance, URL of current note to the link in the current node in Mindnode.
I’ll have to check out Things. What I’d like is a nice to-do app that supports a document based model. In other words, files of to-do items instead of categories or projects inside a single to-do database.
Can’t wait to upgrade to version 4. Right now, property taxes that will come due in January are preempting just about everything. I need a new Mac to run a modern OS.
I use an applescript to assist with processing Inbox records
The script creates a Reminder item for tasks, and a Calendar item for events
and uses the note link to populate the reminder/calendar item url
The following script mirrors all selected items having a reminder to the Reminders.app:
property pList : "DEVONthink"
tell application id "DNtp"
try
set theRecords to the selected records
if theRecords is {} then error localized string "No items selected."
set listCreated to false
repeat with theRecord in theRecords
if exists reminder of theRecord then
set theName to name of theRecord
set theURL to reference URL of theRecord
set theDueDate to due date of reminder of theRecord
tell application "Reminders"
if not listCreated then
set theLists to (every list whose name is equal to pList)
if length of theLists is 0 then make new list with properties {name:pList}
tell list pList to show
set listCreated to true
end if
tell list pList
set theExistingReminders to (reminders of it where body contains theURL)
set numReminders to length of theExistingReminders
if numReminders is 1 then
set theReminder to item 1 of theExistingReminders
set name of theReminder to theName
set remind me date of theReminder to theDueDate
else
repeat with theReminder in theExistingReminders
delete theReminder
end repeat
make reminder with properties {name:theName, remind me date:theDueDate, body:theURL}
end if
end tell
end tell
end if
end repeat
on error errMsg number errNum
if errNum ≠ -128 then display alert errMsg
end try
end tell
Noteplan is amazing for daily notes, meeting notes and task management. Lots of ways to manage projects and tasks and fast location of all tasks everywhere in the space makes it a great solution that is lighter than DT, while also supporting all the organizational options I can personally imagine.
I’ve had been indexing my Noteplan folder to DT for a while, but recently decided a yearly archive was a better approach for me.
