ForumsNewsUpdates to Subtasks


Updates to Subtasks
Author Message
Jake

Toodledo Founder
Posted: Oct 13, 2010
Score: 3 Reference
We have finished up with a few updates and bug fixes for subtasks.

Updates
1) If you have your subtask mode set to "Hidden" or "Indented", subtasks are only displayed if their parent task is also displayed. This was causing some confusion, especially when searching. We have now added a warning at the bottom of any search that has hidden subtasks so that you can switch your settings to find those subtasks, if you want.

2) In addition to the above, we have added an account setting to modify the way that the "Indented" subtask behavior works, so that subtasks will no longer be hidden if their parents do not match the list settings. In your account settings, under "Subtasks", there are now three behaviors to choose from for the "Indented" behavior.

a) Indented mode hides loose subtasks - This is the previous behavior. Subtasks are only displayed if their parent task is also displayed.

b) Indented mode shows loose subtasks. - This is the recommended behavior. Subtasks are always displayed if they match the list criteria. If their parent is also visible, then it will be nested, otherwise it will be loose. In our opinion, this is the best way to see subtasks nested, without having the problem of important subtasks being hidden from a list just because the parent task isn't displayed. For example, the "Due Today" list would show subtasks that are due today even if their parent task isn't due today.

c) Indented mode shows all subtasks nested, even if the parent shouldn't be visible. - This mode will force parent tasks to always be visible if any of their subtasks match the list criteria. For example, the "Due Today" list would show a parent task if any of its subtasks are due today, even if it itself isn't due today.


3) If you use the "Length" or "Timer" fields, the totals at the bottom of the page will now include all visible subtasks. As an added bonus, the totals at the bottom of the page are now live-updating, so as you edit values on the page, the totals at the bottom will update too, without requiring a page refresh.


Bug Fixes
1) Adding, deleting, reassigning, or cloning a subtask will now cause the parent task to be visually updated to reflect those changes. For example, if the last subtask was deleted, the parent task will visually change into a regular task.

2) Reassigning or deleting a parent task will now cause any visible subtasks to be removed from view, instead of leaving them orphaned on the page.

3) Completing a parent task will now cause any visible subtasks to get visually completed as well. Before, it took a page reload to cause the subtasks to display the correct checkbox.

4) Dragging subtasks around when using the new "Fixed Toolbars" experimental feature will now work better.


Unrelated to subtasks, we have also fixed a bug for positioning popup menus when using the new "Fixed Toolbars" experimental feature. We also made the tab key skip directly from the task field to the next field, when adding a task so that you can easily add tasks via the keyboard.


This message was edited Oct 13, 2010.
PeterW 

Posted: Oct 13, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
Thanks Jake. Nice changes.
jjcoker321

Posted: Oct 13, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
sub tasks now work as they should.
keep up the good work

well done.
BruceVee

Posted: Oct 13, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
I love all the work done to Subtasks as of late. Great job.
Varun Bhatta

Posted: Oct 13, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
Awesome! Badly wanted this change.
Varun Bhatta

Posted: Oct 14, 2010
Score: 1 Reference
One question.
In the second option for the indented view - "Indented mode shows loose subtasks", going by the description given above, the option should work like the following.

I have the following task arrangement:
Main task [Status is active]
SubTask1 [not active]
SubTask2 [is active]
SubTask3 [not active]

So now if I go to Status > Active, I had expected the option B to work like this -
MainTask
[indented]SubTask2

The others shouldnt get listed as only these two are "active" [the only criterion].

But, if i choose the option B, the tasks are listed as follows -

MainTask
[indented]SubTask1
[indented]SubTask2
[indented]SubTask3

So... if its appearing like this, then there is no apparent difference between option b and choosing the option "flattened" for SubTasks in the toolbar. Right?
But the whole point of this change you have done is to see the main task [if it also matches the criteria] and only those the sub tasks which match a particular criteria in the indented mode. Right?
Now, the parent [if it matches the criteria] and all the subtasks are getting listed, irrespective of whether they match the criteria or not.

Feel open to correct if I have taken a wrong turn somewhere.


This message was edited Oct 14, 2010.
Sergio_1421420902

Posted: Oct 14, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
I've seen that the "add subtask" button that appear under the task/subtasks indented list is disappeared.

Is that your choice or a bug caused by the redesign?
eykanal

Posted: Oct 14, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
Nice update. Also, thanks for implementing the tabbing update so quickly. (I didn't know that -1 removes from tab order... guess that was easier than I thought it would be!)
Salgud

Posted: Oct 14, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
Posted by vsbsubscribe:
One question.
In the second option for the indented view - "Indented mode shows loose subtasks", going by the description given above, the option should work like the following.

I have the following task arrangement:
Main task [Status is active]
SubTask1 [not active]
SubTask2 [is active]
SubTask3 [not active]

So now if I go to Status > Active, I had expected the option B to work like this -
MainTask
[indented]SubTask2

The others shouldnt get listed as only these two are "active" [the only criterion].

But, if i choose the option B, the tasks are listed as follows -

MainTask
[indented]SubTask1
[indented]SubTask2
[indented]SubTask3

So... if its appearing like this, then there is no apparent difference between option b and choosing the option "flattened" for SubTasks in the toolbar. Right?
But the whole point of this change you have done is to see the main task [if it also matches the criteria] and only those the sub tasks which match a particular criteria in the indented mode. Right?
Now, the parent [if it matches the criteria] and all the subtasks are getting listed, irrespective of whether they match the criteria or not.

Feel open to correct if I have taken a wrong turn somewhere.


I'm not seeing what you're seeing in your example. With Option B selected, I'm seeing only the subtask, no parent, no siblings, as long as I have Flattened or Indented chosen. Of course, Hidden hides the subtasks.

Thanks again, TD! Great enhancement, very useful, gives us more control of this vital aspect of TD. Please keep doing what you're doing.


This message was edited Oct 14, 2010.
Varun Bhatta

Posted: Oct 14, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
@Salgud
That is probably because your parent is not matching the criteria that your subtasks have.
In my example, the parent and subTask2 are both active. That is why Parent and all its children get listed.
DanH_2

Posted: Oct 14, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
Excellent upgrade!

My choice: "Indented mode shows all subtasks nested, even if the parent shouldn't be visible."

I use parent tasks for mini-projects, and put them all into a "@Planning" context, which is filtered out of my main to-do view. Since that view is a custom search, I can filter out @Planning (along with @Waiting and other non-action categories).

Since the parents "shouldn't be visible," the subtasks appear under their proper heading, sorted according to their own characteristics. But I can easily review all the steps of the project simply by clicking "Show all". This is handy when I complete a task and need to update the due dates and active status of tasks that depend on it.

Dan


This message was edited Oct 14, 2010.
Jake

Toodledo Founder
Posted: Oct 14, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
@vsbsubscribe: Option B will not hide subtasks that dont match. If the parent matches, all of its subtasks will be shown, as before.

@Sergio Iommi: This was actually moved a few weeks ago. It is in the action menu now, which appears when you click the brick icon.
Technocrap

Posted: Oct 14, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
Great update. Thanks
Sergio_1421420902

Posted: Oct 16, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
@Admin: Thanks for the info!
gtdcomment Post deleted
Rob

Posted: Oct 16, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
> We also made the tab key skip directly from the task field to the next field, when adding a task so that you can easily add tasks via the keyboard.

Thanks so much for fixing that particular annoyance! So much quicker and easier now!


This message was edited Oct 16, 2010.
dockterj

Posted: Oct 19, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
This is great! I am using Proximo's GTD setup so I have a folder for projects and a folder for actions. With the new "Indented mode shows all subtasks nested, even if the parent shouldn't be visible" I have better visibility of tasks in my Actions folder when in "indented" mode. I only wish I could force my Projects folder to always open in "Hidden" mode but I can live with that.

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth but will this new functionality be carried over to the iPhone app?
dockterj

Posted: Oct 19, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
I'll amplify vsbsubscribe's comments. What I really want is a fourth option that displays the parent task and and subtasks that match the current search criteria. This might be confusing unless you also add some feedback to the user that not all subtasks are displayed and maybe a toggle to display/hide non-matching sub tasks.

This message was edited Oct 19, 2010.
Jake

Toodledo Founder
Posted: Oct 19, 2010
Score: 0 Reference
Thanks for the feedback. We'll keep working on it.
You cannot reply yet

U Back to topic home

R Post a reply

To participate in these forums, you must be signed in.