Nested items in a project
 

Hi-

I'm wondering if the following is possible using the iPad version of OmniFocus.

I have a project, let's call it Project A. I create three actions for it:
- Action 1
- Action 2
- Action 3

My project is sequential and every action takes place in the same context, let's say @Home.

As with any other project, if I'm in context mode and am looking at my @Home context, I will see Action 1 listed (I have the view set up to show only what is available). When I mark Action 1 complete, I see Action 2. So on and so forth...

Let's say that I determined that Action 2 actually has a couple of steps to it, but I don't want to make Action 2 its own project. I nest some actions and now my project looks like this:

- Action 1
- Action 2
- Action 2.1
- Action 2.2
- Action 3

Going back to my @Home context view I see this flow as I work my way through:
Action 1 -> Action 2.1 -> Action 2.2 -> and then I see NOTHING from my project in my @Home context.

I would expect to see this:
Action 1 -> Action 2.1 -> Action 2.2 -> Action 3, or at the least:
Action 1 -> Action 2.1 -> Action 2.2 -> Action 2 (so I can then decide if Action 2 is indeed done) -> Action 3.

Is this possible... am I missing a setting somewhere or does this need to be a feature request?

Two things:

1) do you have a context assigned to Action 2? If you do, and it is the context you are viewing, you'll see it appear after you check off Actions 2.1 and 2.2 as completed, and when you check it off, Action 3 will appear (I'm assuming you're in a Next Action or Available view mode). Note that if you are only showing one context, and Action 2 happens to have a different context, it won't appear in your view, much like what happens in the other possible case I'm about to describe.

2) do you have OmniFocus set to show projects and action groups in context mode (used to be controlled via View->[Hide|Show] Parent Items in Context mode, now a preference in the Data pane)? If you have them hidden, when you've completed Actions 2.1 and 2.2, you will not see Action 2 unless you go to Project mode, or switch to showing Remaining or All actions. You will get a report that there is at least one action available, even though none are shown, which at least gives you a clue that you need to investigate, but that's a subtle clue, and easily missed if other projects have actions in the current context.

The setting of the option in 2) above is carried around by OmniFocus sync. If you decide to do some experimentation, I'll caution that at the moment, OmniFocus does not properly recalculate the display when you change the option to show parents, so it may appear that the setting didn't get synced (or didn't do anything) unless you temporarily show Remaining actions or a different context to force it to recalculate the display.

I.. well... darnit, Bill covered it all. :-)

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;100529]Two things:

1) do you have a context assigned to Action 2? If you do, and it is the context you are viewing, you'll see it appear after you check off Actions 2.1 and 2.2 as completed, and when you check it off, Action 3 will appear (I'm assuming you're in a Next Action or Available view mode). Note that if you are only showing one context, and Action 2 happens to have a different context, it won't appear in your view, much like what happens in the other possible case I'm about to describe.
[/QUOTE]

I do. All actions in the project have a context of home. After checking off Action 2.2 I see nothing from my project (which also has a context of home).

[QUOTE]
2) do you have OmniFocus set to show projects and action groups in context mode (used to be controlled via View->[Hide|Show] Parent Items in Context mode, now a preference in the Data pane)? If you have them hidden, when you've completed Actions 2.1 and 2.2, you will not see Action 2 unless you go to Project mode, or switch to showing Remaining or All actions. You will get a report that there is at least one action available, even though none are shown, which at least gives you a clue that you need to investigate, but that's a subtle clue, and easily missed if other projects have actions in the current context.

The setting of the option in 2) above is carried around by OmniFocus sync. If you decide to do some experimentation, I'll caution that at the moment, OmniFocus does not properly recalculate the display when you change the option to show parents, so it may appear that the setting didn't get synced (or didn't do anything) unless you temporarily show Remaining actions or a different context to force it to recalculate the display.[/QUOTE]

RE: your 2nd point, Bill, I am using OF for iPad. I do not have the setting you describe.

One other note. I do have the setting Bill describes in OF Mac and Action 2 DOES show up in context mode when I check off Action 2.2. I would like this in OF for iPad (especially since I won't have my iMac at work much longer).