request for OF 1.5 - relative start/due-dates for recurring tasks
 

Hello,

I'd really appreciate to have the possibility
to setup tasks that start or are due relatively
to a certain task and it's date.

an example:
I attend to a distance study.
The couse start at e.g. 22nd September.
Before that I need to reserve a room
at a guest house. (2 weeks before the course)
check if there are exams (4 weeks before)

and so on.

If there is a workaround already, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Udo

Udo,

You might take a look at [URL="http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~clifton/software.html"]my Populate Template Placeholders script[/URL]. It lets you take a template project with dates set on the items relative to the project dates. Based on that it prompts you for a new project date and creates a duplicate project with all dates adjusted appropriately. Documentation and an example are included with the script download.

In general, it'd be nice to be able to specify relative date/time for an action. I use the template facility you built quite often, but it doesn't handle this situation when there is a variable timing element present ("deposit rebate check within 30 days of receipt"). I kludge around it by adding an action to the template that just has me fix the due date for the action in question, but...

Udo, you should definitely make an official request by using the Help->Send Feedback command in OmniFocus. Requests only posted to the forums aren't noted in their development database, and they do take the number of requests into consideration when planning what to do.

Curt, I love your script - but "dates set on the items relative to the project dates" I don't see anywhere in the readme file??

I do see this: "Dates will be adjusted when the template is populated. "

So do I need to use a «date» parameter in the due date field of the project? Or how will the populate script set the due dates?

FYI I have a core due date that I want the project steps on both sides to adjust central to that date...

You just set up your template so the project start or due date is set (or both) and all the item dates are set relative to that. When the script runs, if the project has a start or due date, the script will prompt you for the new start or due date. Then the script will automatically adjust all the item dates to maintain their relative "distance" from the project date.

So, you don't need to use the placeholders for dates. The placeholders are only for item titles.