New feature idea: default start date (now)
 

I've got an idea for a feature, I'd like to see what folks here think about it, possibly evolve it through discussion, and then submit it to OF.

One of the biggest problems in GTD is: "my tasks are perfectly arrange -- how do I decide what to do?". One solution to this that I am trying out is to sort tasks by their start times. All else being equal, I'll do the task that started first, first. To do this effectively, I have to give all tasks relevant start times. For tasks that don't have any other reason to have a start time, the most relevant start time is the time that the task was created.

[B]And so, without further ado, my feature idea:[/B] default start date. In particular, the current date and time. When a task is created, the start date is automatically populated with the current date and time.

[B]And/Or[/B]: the addition of a completely new column, creation time. The problem here is that it would mess up my sorting strategy described above, in cases where a task DID have a start date that wasn't its creation date.

Thoughts?

While this feature is not automated, typing 'now' in the start field populates the field with the current date and time. Typing 'today' populates the field with the current date, 12:00 AM time. Typing the time in hours and minutes format populates the field with the current date, assigned time (typing 8a makes the start date and time today at 8:00 AM). These shortcuts fill my needs to assign the date/time perfectly.

They already capture the "Added" date (you can see it in the inspector), but it doesn't show up as one of the columns you can display or use as a sorting filter.

[QUOTE=Vramin;61513]They already capture the "Added" date (you can see it in the inspector), but it doesn't show up as one of the columns you can display or use as a sorting filter.[/QUOTE]

Actually, 'Added' is a sort filter although, as you mention, the date is not displayed in a column. Go to context view, view group by 'Added' an then you have additional sorting capability in the sort actions filter.

[QUOTE=Greg Jones;61514]Actually, 'Added' is a sort filter although, as you mention, the date is not displayed in a column. Go to context view, view group by 'Added' an then you have additional sorting capability in the sort actions filter.[/QUOTE]

Sweet. I had missed that it showed up as a grouping filter.

@greg - yep, typing 'now' is my current solution and has 100% of the functionality i'm looking for, but it would be nice if it were automated

@Vramin - wow-- that is amazing -- we can indeed sort by 'added' (in project mode too, btw). that's hilarious that i missed that -- i guess because, as you mentioned, it's not a column.

that pretty much solves my problem -- although, it is sorted from newest to oldest -- is there a way to reverse the sort order, from oldest to newest?

I'd also really like a default "now" option. I don't want to sort by added because sometimes I create actions whose start date is in the future, and they would not end up in the correct place.

[QUOTE=jjb;61969]is there a way to reverse the sort order, from oldest to newest?[/QUOTE]

I don't think so. You can use [URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=3734"]Help --> Send Feedback[/URL] to submit feature requests.