Please Allow Me to Put Tasks in a Template

[macfixer 715]

Basically, the request is:

• I use a lot of checklists at my work. I normally use checklists for this sort of thing.
• In my opinion Tasks > checkboxes
• I'd like to make a template containing a checklist of Tasks (i.e. "Unpack the lettuce", "Inspect lettuce for insects", "Put lettuce in refrigerated case", "Make sure lettuce logos are all facing front and aligned", etc) that I can then use in a template. So Wednesday's shipment of lettuce (and affiliated lettuce Tasks) are kept separated from Monday's.
• Any Tasks in a template would then show up under the Tasks heading in the sidebar.

This would make life easier for me, and I'm sure someone out there would find this useful.

[Jon/t 1,991]

Yes, yes.... wrote a post about this the other day and no one replied to it so I'm replying to yours

Using check boxes at the moment but tasks would be really useful.

[zazou103 2]

Oh, this post is two years old and nothing happend yet. That is very bad. I would really appreciate the possibility to put tasks in templates to make project templates, that activate the tasks in the moment, I make a note with that template.

But then we also need a sort of relative time settings for tasks, like two weeks from the moment of activating the template or two days after finishing a task before.

[Mike P 3,438]

10 minutes ago, zazou103 said:

Oh, this post is two years old and nothing happend yet. That is very bad. I would really appreciate the possibility to put tasks in templates to make project templates, that activate the tasks in the moment, I make a note with that template.

But then we also need a sort of relative time settings for tasks, like two weeks from the moment of activating the template or two days after finishing a task before.

You can of course simply bypass the template system by duplicating your "template" note. That obviously doesn't solve the relative time setting issue. 

[agsteele 3,134]

A task in a template note will appear as a task in the task pop out so effectively scheduled when it is still a template.

 

[zazou103 2]

5 minutes ago, agsteele said:

A task in a template note will appear as a task in the task pop out so effectively scheduled when it is still a template.

 

Yes, I know, but they could change that. 😉 

[zazou103 2]

43 minutes ago, Mike P said:

You can of course simply bypass the template system by duplicating your "template" note. That obviously doesn't solve the relative time setting issue. 

That is the actual workaround, but it is not very comfortable. I have to search for my original note and then to copy it. This original note shouldn't have values in it and should contain only the framework as in a template. But it is shown as a normal note. It pops up in search results etc. That makes it unwieldy. Sometimes, if i want to make some quick entries, I do at inadvertently in the template note.

The templates are available, everytime when i create a new note, and otherwise they out of scope.

 

[Mike P 3,438]

@zazou103 I agree that it's a workaround. There are ways of speeding up the process. I would put all my templates in a template notebook or give them a template tag. Then finding them should be easy. If there is only a few you can always add them to the shortcuts and duplicate or copy them directly by right clicking the entry in shortcuts.

You can also exclude notes containing the tag or in the  notebook from searches, but it is a pain to have to do that each time. 

Another approach is to export the template as an enex file. That way it's not found in searches or the tasks view. You can then double click it on your desktop to import it. If you choose not to export the creation date a new creation date is created on import.

[agsteele 3,134]

55 minutes ago, zazou103 said:

Yes, I know, but they could change that. 😉 

I was picking up on @Mike P's suggestion. I'm not sure that that could be changed. 

[zazou103 2]

1 hour ago, Mike P said:

Another approach is to export the template as an enex file.

Thank you, that seems to be a good hint. I'll try it.

[VincentC 449]

For what it's worth, I have been pretty much following MikeP's approach.  I have a template for meeting notes that I created out of a regular note that I have pinned to Home so I have ready access to it.  (The original lives in a "Template" folder.  When I need it, I open it in a new window, duplicate it, and immediately update the title from the template.  On the template it is Meeting: YY-MM-DD Description, to specify the specific meeting.  Nevertheless, occasionally I goof up and fill out the template instead of the note  I have a back up copy of the template with a weird name in case I do this.  At the end of the meeting I end a calendar box to attach it to the calendar widget on home.

The template has three placeholder tasks in it.

This all works well.  I'd give it maybe an A-grade.  I like MikeP's suggestion of exporting the template to the desktop.  That may work better than having it pinned to home.

Vinnie

 

(PS - I wish this forum had AI Cleanup -- then I wouldn't have to constantly backspace and fix typing errors!)

[Jon/t 1,991]

Another kind of workaround could be to use AutoHotKey ot TextExpander to create the tasks.

You could load a task free template up in EN and then insert the tasks using an AHK or TE shortcut command. Can't set dates but the tasks would be there.

[macfixer 715]

On 7/8/2023 at 4:00 PM, Jon/t said:

Another kind of workaround could be to use AutoHotKey ot TextExpander to create the tasks.

You could load a task free template up in EN and then insert the tasks using an AHK or TE shortcut command. Can't set dates but the tasks would be there.

I'll play around with TextExpander and see if I can make something happen.

What a great idea!

[Jon/t 1,991]

@macfixer I take no credit... thank @vladcampos for this video

 

[macfixer 715]

Well, then I shall thank you both.

Thank you, @vladcampos.
…and thank you, @Jon/t.