Sharing Omnifocus projects in text format

[RobTrew]

The best way to share Omnifocus projects is probably by exporting (http://web.mac.com/robinfrancistrew/Site/OF2Omnioutliner.html) and importing Omnioutliner Professional files (although importing the Flagged and Completion Date fields is not yet supported in OF ver 71)

Text files, however, also have their appeal - they can migrate across platforms, and be read and generated by by colleagues who are not using Omnioutliner. The TaskPaper format (http://hogbaysoftware.com/products/taskpaper/pages/file_format) works quite well for this purpose, and can be read and edited with or without the Taskpaper program (http://hogbaysoftware.com/products/taskpaper).

I have drafted extensions of my Taskpaper import (http://web.mac.com/robinfrancistrew/Site/Taskpaper2Omnifocus.html) and export (http://web.mac.com/robinfrancistrew/Site/OF2TaskpaperMail.html) scripts for Omnifocus, aiming to make them read and write start and due dates, flagged status and estimated minutes, (in addition to the default context and @done tags).

The tags which they aim to read and write have the following formats:

@start(yyyy-mm-dd) or @start(yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm) - Start date
@due(yyyy-mm-dd) or @due(yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm) - Due date
@mins(nn) - Estimated minutes
@flag - Flagged

[xmas]

RobTrew,

I updated the export from OF to follow your conventions, please let me know of any issues.

[Craig]

@RobTrew: looks like the first link in your post is broken - shouldn't that be http://web.mac.com/robinfrancistrew/Site/OF2Omnioutliner.html ?

[RobTrew]

Thanks, Craig. Amended now.

[RobTrew]

I updated the export from OF to follow your conventions, please let me know of any issues.

The implementation of the additional tags is very helpful - thanks !

The remaining problem is that task/sub-task hierarchies are still being flattened by the exporter.

To conform to the Taskpaper format (http://hogbaysoftware.com/products/taskpaper/pages/file_format), and to achieve round-tripping with my stopgap Taskpaper to Omnifocus import droplet (http://web.mac.com/robinfrancistrew/Site/Taskpaper2Omnifocus.html), sub-tasks need to be tab-indented.

For comparison, try exporting from nested Omnifocus tasks both with the export routine that you have in version 96487, and with my export script (http://web.mac.com/robinfrancistrew/Site/OF2TaskpaperMail.html).