ForumsQuestionsFixed Due Dates with Recurring Tasks?


Fixed Due Dates with Recurring Tasks?
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gkumar

Posted: Aug 06, 2009
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Hi, I've a main task "Work" that has a "On Weekdays" recurrence. And within "Work", I've recurring subtasks that are due today with "With Parent" recurrence". So if I check off "Work", Work as well as its subtasks will be due on the next weekday like its parent.

However if I were to add a subtask due on a certain fixed date, how can make sure that task's due date does not disappear nor change from its originally set fixed due date when the parent's due date changes during recurrence? I tried "Due On", "Due By", "Due On", "Optionally After" for the subtask's due date, but it still recurs and does not stay fixed.

I also tried messing with the "Repeat from Due Date" and "Completed Date" task as well. If there is no repeat for the subtask, the subtask disappears when the parent is checked off too, and I want it to remain.

Example:
"Work" main task Due on 8/6/2009 Repeat Weekdays
- Subtask #1 Due on 8/6/2009 Repeat With Parent
- Subtask #2 Due on 8/12/2009 Repeat with ?????

Upon checking the main task, it should be:
"Work" main task Due on 8/7/2009 Repeat Weekdays
- Subtask #1 Due on 8/7/2009 Repeat With Parent
- Subtask #2 Due on 8/12/2009 Repeat with ?????

and NOT the following but this happens:
- Subtask #2 Due on 8/13/2009 Repeat with ?????


How can I do that?

Thanks in advance!


This message was edited Aug 06, 2009.
Anders

Posted: Aug 07, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
The problem here is that, since subtasks are subordinate to their parent task, when you mark a parent task complete, you also mark its subtasks complete. Subtasks are designed to be like steps toward the parent task, so it does not work to have the subtask due less than once per occurrance of the parent task. You can read more about how repeats and completions work with subtasks here: http://www.toodledo.com/info/subtasks.php

This message was edited Aug 07, 2009.
gkumar

Posted: Aug 07, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
Yes that website makes sense for the most part.

However if the parent task with a daily occurence was marked complete today with one of the subtasks being due on a subsequent day and not repeating with a "Parent", why does it disappear from the subtask list once that parent list recurs again the next day? Shouldn't the subtask with the subsequent due date still appear in the list?

The only way I can make it appear in the list to have "With Parent". Is there an option to make the subtask have a "fixed" subsequent due date whenever the parent task is checked off? It makes sense that the subtask should not disappear when the parent task is checked since the subtask's due date is in the future beyond the parent's due date.

Also, is it possible to add an option such as "Fixed Due Date" to have a fixed due date in "With Parent" recurrence mode regardless of parent task's recurrence frequency?
Anders

Posted: Aug 07, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
The reason that it won't work is that, when you check the parent complete, it also checks the subtasks complete, so your non-repeating subtask does not reappear because it has been completed. I like your idea, but it is not currently possible. You could make your unusual subtask a regular task, and then drag it under the parent on the appropriate day, but I realize that is not ideal.
Anders

Posted: Aug 07, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
FYI, the way I would probably go would be to never mark the parent "work" task complete, and just use it as a container (I have many such tasks). Then you could change the tasks that repeat "with parent" to repeat on weekdays, an you could also make the other subtask work.
Jake

Toodledo Founder
Posted: Aug 07, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
As Anders said, a subtask is designed to be steps towards the parent task. Therefore, if you complete the parent task, it makes sense that the subtasks are no longer relevant, and are therefor automatically completed. Repeating subtasks are designed for people who have repeating parent tasks that have the same subtasks each time. Thus, when you reschedule the parent, all the repeating subtasks get rescheduled as well.

Hopefully, this will work for you, but if not you might try using folders/tasks instead of tasks/subtasks.
gkumar

Posted: Aug 10, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
That makes sense. Thanks for your very comprehensive responses. I think Folder/Tasks is the way to go for now.

Also, if I had a parent task due Today with Daily Recurrence and 50 different subtasks all marked "With Parent", is there a way to postpone that parent task and its 50 subtasks to next week without having to check the parent task 7 times, or modify every task/subtask's due date to be 7 days later?
Anders

Posted: Aug 10, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
There's not really an easy way to postpone a bunch of tasks like that. The only way you can edit multiple tasks at once is with multiedit in the Advanced Search view. So if you can gather the tasks together in a search somehow, you can edit all their dates, but only by assigning them all a common new date, not by postponing their Due Dates individually. So that may, or may not work for your situation. Here is the info on Search and Multiedit: http://www.toodledo.com/info/search.php
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