Canned Projects

[BwanaZulia]

This one came to me as I got back from a vacation the other day.

I would like the ability to have a canned project or project template, something that is a full project with tasks etc, that can be activated or added to the current project list.

For example, I would create a project called "Back from Vacation" and populate it with tasks such as "Check the fridge. Turn on the wireless. Process all emails. etc" and so whenever I got back from vacation I could just click a button and add this to my current list so I could process it. It would be available for the next time I came back from another vacation I could activate it again.

It could be used for "Holiday Shopping" or "Party Preparation" those types of things.

What do you think?

BZ

[BwanaZulia]

I was thinking about this the other day (again) and I REALLY want to see this in OmniFocus.

Another scenario for this would be any given project which is repeated. Instead of having to go back and re-do the project, you just initiate the canned project which includes the project and all todo in context.

Please OmniDudes.. make this so.

BZ

[forum member]

Yeah. That sounds great. I 2nd that.

[LizPf]

Third!

Since most of my projects are repetitive, this would be enormously helpful.

[RCanine]

One of the most frustrating parts of iCal is that while events can repeat, ToDo's can't.

[BwanaZulia]

Just to expand on this idea a bit.

I notice that most of my projects, besides a lot of them being the same one over and over, are written with one keyword in all tasks and in the project name.

Example:

Advertising for OmniGroup
- Call OmniGroup about advertising @ Calls
- OmniGroup to return calls @ Waiting For
- Write OmniGroup advertising proposal @ Computer
- Email proposal to OmniGroup @ Email
- Check from OmniGroup @ Waiting For
- Deposit check form OmniGroup @ Errands
- Finish OmniGroup advertising project @ Waiting For

What occured to me today about that is that a template feature would be even MORE powereful if it had an include functionality.

So instead of having a template with a bunch of blanks, I just build a template with some includes in it and when I use the template it asks me for the includes.

Example 2:

Advertising for <NAME>
- Call <NAME> about advertising @ Calls
- <NAME> to return calls @ Waiting For
- Write <NAME> advertising proposal @ Computer
- Email proposal to <NAME> @ Email
- Check from <NAME> @ Waiting For
- Deposit check form <NAME> @ Errands
- Finish <NAME> advertising project @ Waiting For

Now when using the template OmniFocus would just ask me for <NAME> and fill it in to the template.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

OmniFocus 1.2? :)

BZ

[michelle]

We've been thinking about this idea at Omni too. It would be especially cool if people could share their templates, sort of like OmniGraffle stencils. It probably won't make it into 1.0, but it's on our radar.

[BwanaZulia]

We've been thinking about this idea at Omni too. It would be especially cool if people could share their templates, sort of like OmniGraffle stencils. It probably won't make it into 1.0, but it's on our radar.

Glad it is on your radar.

If one of those "pings!" is this idea of templates with variables, that would be great.

BZ

[erikmarcus]

Boy, that's a neat idea. In publishing, you've got a hundred or so tasks to bring a book to press. These tasks are always the same, whether you're coming out with a cookbook or a biography of Churchill.

I could envision certain experts selling their "cans" to Omnifocus users. I'd gladly pay for an ultra-precise expert-created canned project for publishing a book. The first time I published a book, I went through a publishing guide and hand-created a hundred-item OpenOffice.org spreadsheet, with completion dates for each task. What a pain!

Would be nice if there was the ability to implement timetables within a canned project. Say, if my book is coming out in nine months, I should be told that in three months' time I need to send galleys out to reviewers.

[yucca]

A "simple" (since I'm not having to code this) import/export project feature would do the trick, wouldn't it?

[BwanaZulia]

A "simple" (since I'm not having to code this) import/export project feature would do the trick, wouldn't it?

Not sure I want to import/export everytime I want to start a new project.

Easier, I think would be the ability to take a project and use a "Save as Template" command which would put it in a template mode. From there you could edit it etc.

To start a new project with a template use the "New Project from Template" menu item or key command and choose which template you want.

BZ

[curt.clifton]

Ooh, ooh! Variables in projects templates! Ooh. That's so obviously brilliant.

Count me an enthusiastic supporter for that suggestion.

[BwanaZulia]

Ooh, ooh! Variables in projects templates! Ooh. That's so obviously brilliant.

Count me an enthusiastic supporter for that suggestion.

Thanks! :)

BZ

[curt.clifton]

Templates were the only thing missing in the current sneaky peak that were part of my old GTD system. But the scripting interface in OmniFocus is solid enough to implement them!

Here is a script that will take an OmniFocus project, replace placeholders with user entered strings, and adjust all dates by some fixed interface--again based on user input. The only thing missing for my needs is automatic duplication of the template project. Unfortunately script-based duplication is a crasher in the current build. So to use a template you must manually duplicate it first, then run the script, then move your populated project to the folder you want it to "live" in.

Download: the most recent version is available here (http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~clifton/software.html)


To install, download the script and save it in ~/Library/Scripts/Applications/OmniFocus. You can then use Customize Toolbar to add the script to the toolbar in OmniFocus.

To use, first you need to create a project template in OmniFocus. Here's an example template:

218

I use a top-level folder named Templates, marked inactive, to hold my templates.

To create a template:

1. Create a project with actions and action groups.

2. Include placeholders in the project and action descriptions. Placeholders will be replaced with project-specific text when the template is populated. Placeholders are phrases without spaces, surrounded by double angle quotation marks (also know as guillemets). For example, «RoomName» or «Client». On a US keyboard this punctuation can be typed with Option-\ and Option-Shift-\. The placeholder markers can be changed by editing properties in the script.

3. List all of the placeholders in the last line of the note field of the project. For example, "«RoomName» «Client»". This allows the script to determine what values to prompt you for.

4. If desired, set start and due dates for the project and for any items within the project. Dates will be adjusted when the template is populated.

To populate a template:

1. Duplicate the template project.

2. Select just the root item of the duplicate project.

3. Run this script from the script menu.

4. When prompted, enter values for each of the placeholders.

5. If prompted, enter a new start or due date from the project.

6. The script will create a duplicate of the project template with placeholders and dates filled it.

7. Drag the new project to the proper folder in your system.

I hope others find this useful. I'll post a new version once the duplication crasher is fixed.

[Craig]

You can then use Customize Toolbar to add the script to the toolbar in OmniFocus.
Am I the only one for whom the scripts in that folder appear as unlabeled icons in the Customize Toolbar set? I can't tell which icon is which script!

[curt.clifton]

Am I the only one for whom the scripts in that folder appear as unlabeled icons in the Customize Toolbar set? I can't tell which icon is which script!

That's a known (by Omni) bug.

[BwanaZulia]

Wow... you took my idea and made it better (with different parameters).

Great work!

A few suggestions.

- Remove the placeholder placeholders in the note field after you run the script.

- Allow to run the script on the original template and it would just make a copy for you

Good stuff.

BZ

[curt.clifton]

Wow... you took my idea and made it better (with different parameters).

Great work!

A few suggestions.

- Remove the placeholder placeholders in the note field after you run the script.

- Allow to run the script on the original template and it would just make a copy for you

Good stuff.

BZ

Glad you like it! Good suggestion to remove the list of placeholders; I'll do that in a future version. The current version has code to make the copy, but it crashes the current alpha of OmniFocus. Once the crasher is fixed I'll change the script to enable the auto-copying.

[curt.clifton]

I've posted a new version of my Populate Template Placeholders script. This one clears the placeholder placeholders from the note field, as BZ suggested.

Download: from my web page (http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~clifton/software.html)

[brooce]

It probably won't make it into 1.0, but it's on our radar.

I'd like to put in my third request: Omnifolks, please give us visibility into what is and isn't planned for 1.0 and 2.0.

It'd improve the sensation that you're listening, tell us what's already been considered, and set expectations for the rest of the cycle.

[julamoor]

Hi Curt,

I downloaded the Populate Template script from your page today and have been trying to make it work, but haven't been able to do so. It's so temptingly close.

I also have a sub-folder in my Projects folder named Templates in which I have a project that lists the actions of going to a conference (much like your example in the help document). I have entered all of variables in the notes section then reference them with place holders in the template as suggested (using the appropriate option-\ and option-shitft-\ gullemets).

When I select the project, either from the side bar or from the main window, and then run the script, the script prompts me for the variables. That works fine. A new project is created at the top level of the Projects folder, then it gets squirrelly. The actual names I entered at the prompts do appear in the project title but with the gullemets around them, then they do not replace any of the placeholders in the rest of the project.

I love the idea - any help would be appreciated.

[curt.clifton]

When I select the project, either from the side bar or from the main window, and then run the script, the script prompts me for the variables. That works fine. A new project is created at the top level of the Projects folder, then it gets squirrelly. The actual names I entered at the prompts do appear in the project title but with the gullemets around them, then they do not replace any of the placeholders in the rest of the project.

The script doesn't currently support "special" characters in variable names or in entered values. The most common special character is probably apostrophe. Try using just letters and numbers and see if it works.

(I should mention this in the instructions, but updating and posting new instructions is almost as much work as just handling the special characters. So, I haven't gotten around to doing either.)

[julamoor]

Thanks for the response, Curt, but that still didn't do it. I'm now to limiting my variable to ConfName (in this instance: AERA) and ConfLocation (i.e. NewYork (without space just to be sure). Got the same exact results. So, in this instance, I get the following results:

Project title becomes: <<AERA>>, <<NewYork>> (using <> for the other symbols, but all other references to those two variables stay <<ConfName>> and <<ConfLocation>>.

Any other guesses?

[curt.clifton]

... I get the following results:

Project title becomes: <<AERA>>, <<NewYork>> (using <> for the other symbols, but all other references to those two variables stay <<ConfName>> and <<ConfLocation>>.

Any other guesses?

Can you email a screen shot of your template to me? See this post (http://forums.omnigroup.com/showpost.php?p=19844&postcount=2) for details on what would be most helpful.

[Juha]

Why do you need scripts?

I just have one folder called "Checklists", that contain checklists like "Project starting checklist", "project ending checklist", and so on.

When i need to use the checklist, i just drag & drop the tasks holding down alt (to copy).

[BwanaZulia]

But does that get you individually named projects with specific information?

The templates allow you to put in a few parameters that fill out the project and make it unique and understandable.

BZ

[curt.clifton]

Why do you need scripts?

I just have one folder called "Checklists", that contain checklists like "Project starting checklist", "project ending checklist", and so on.

When i need to use the checklist, i just drag & drop the tasks holding down alt (to copy).

The script fills in template fields and updates dates. So for example, I have a template for prepping my classes for the week. It includes due dates based on when my classes meet. It also includes template fields for week numbers. (I often have two copies of the template active. In this week's copy, I'm posted homework solutions and grading quizzes, among other things. In next week's copy, I'm posting new homework problems and sketching lecture notes.)

Another template that I use regularly involves wrapping up a course. (Think "project post-mortem" if your aren't in an academic setting.) This template includes things like writing and grading the final exam, assigning final grades, responding to course evaluations, and writing a report on how to improve the next offering of the course. In that templates the due dates vary with term and the placeholders are for which course I'm wrapping up.