Problems w/ parallel vs. sequential projects
 

I must be missing something...so would some of you much more knowledgeable users please explain it to me...

I develop a new sequential project in planning mode. I then add tasks. All the tasks are visible (action filter set to "remaining"). Let's say I place due dates of today on all the tasks I enter. All the tasks turn orange as their due dates are today. This is as expected. In context mode w/ action filter set to "next" I only see the topmost task from the planning mode until I complete this task and the next task in the project list appears. This is all as I understand it should be...maybe I don't understand though.

Now let's say I develop the same project...but now set to parallel. I then add tasks. All the tasks are visible (action filter set to "remaining") in planning mode. I place the same due dates of today on all my tasks. All the tasks are still visible. I would expect all the tasks to be available. I would expect all of these tasks to be available as this is a parallel project. In context view with action filter set to "next" I would expect to see all of these tasks from my parallel project with todays due date of today visible, but once again only the topmost action from the project list is visible and it seems to behave like a sequential project. What's up with this?

And a separate question...but related. I have a parallel project with 3 tasks and an action groups with 4 tasks. The action group is sequential. For the sake of this example, let's say I set the due date of the 3 individual tasks and the 4 tasks from the sequential action group all at today. In context view w/ the action filter set to "next" I would expect to see 4 tasks visible. The 3 indivdual tasks and the topmost task in the action group. Once again, the whole project is behaving as I would expect only a a sequential project would behave. With the action filter in context view set to "next," only the topmost task is viewable.

If I haven't been clear...or have been too verbose...I apologize.

Any help would be appreciated.

[QUOTE=bpwhistler;51666]I must be missing something...so would some of you much more knowledgeable users please explain it to me...

I develop a new sequential project in planning mode. I then add tasks. All the tasks are visible (action filter set to "remaining"). Let's say I place due dates of today on all the tasks I enter. All the tasks turn orange as their due dates are today. This is as expected. In context mode w/ action filter set to "next" I only see the topmost task from the planning mode until I complete this task and the next task in the project list appears. This is all as I understand it should be...maybe I don't understand though.
[/quote]
You understand correctly. By the way, the due date part is somewhat irrelevant to the questions you pose -- the answers would be the same with or without due dates.
[quote]
Now let's say I develop the same project...but now set to parallel. I then add tasks. All the tasks are visible (action filter set to "remaining") in planning mode. I place the same due dates of today on all my tasks. All the tasks are still visible. I would expect all the tasks to be available. I would expect all of these tasks to be available as this is a parallel project. In context view with action filter set to "next" I would expect to see all of these tasks from my parallel project with todays due date of today visible, but once again only the topmost action from the project list is visible and it seems to behave like a sequential project. What's up with this?
[/quote]
Even though it is a parallel project, OmniFocus still acts as though the ordering of the actions in the project is significant. If it isn't, well, you can't say that it has chosen the wrong next action. If it is, OF has shown you the next action at the top of the list. If you were making a paper list, you'd have to put something at the top of the list, right? If you look at available actions, you'll see the view you are expecting.

Now, if you had made a single-action list instead of a parallel project, thus indicating that all of the actions really are independent of each other, and perhaps not even related, you would see that all available actions show up in a next action view. You can change the type of a project mid-flight if you like, so if you really wanted to see all of your potential next actions for that parallel project, you could change it to be a single-action list and change it back to being a parallel (or even serial) project when that is more appropriate. Just select the project, bring up the inspector, and click on the desired project type.
[quote]
And a separate question...but related. I have a parallel project with 3 tasks and an action groups with 4 tasks. The action group is sequential. For the sake of this example, let's say I set the due date of the 3 individual tasks and the 4 tasks from the sequential action group all at today. In context view w/ the action filter set to "next" I would expect to see 4 tasks visible. The 3 indivdual tasks and the topmost task in the action group. Once again, the whole project is behaving as I would expect only a a sequential project would behave. With the action filter in context view set to "next," only the topmost task is viewable.
[/quote]
I think my previous answer applies here as well, unless I misunderstood your example.
[quote]
If I haven't been clear...or have been too verbose...I apologize.

Any help would be appreciated.[/QUOTE]
Anyone who has read many of my posts knows that I'm a big believer in pictures in examples to reduce the possibility of being misunderstood :-)

[QUOTE=bpwhistler;51666]Now let's say I develop the same project...but now set to parallel. I then add tasks. All the tasks are visible (action filter set to "remaining") in planning mode. I place the same due dates of today on all my tasks. All the tasks are still visible. I would expect all the tasks to be available. I would expect all of these tasks to be available as this is a parallel project. In context view with action filter set to "next" I would expect to see all of these tasks from my parallel project with todays due date of today visible, but once again only the topmost action from the project list is visible and it seems to behave like a sequential project. What's up with this?[/QUOTE]

It sounds like you might want to look at your "Available" actions rather than your "Next" actions: the only difference between Available and Next is that Available will show you all the parallel actions in a parallel project, while Next will only show you the first action.

(Some people find it distracting to see more than one action per project, even if all of them are currently available—that's why we have the option to show just one next action per project.)

Thanks. I think using single-action lists more extensively will accomplish what I want.

Brett

Although "available" seems to do the trick as well. I'm not as acquainted with OF as I thought. I definitely need to explore more.

Thanks Ken.

Hi Folks :

I guess I doubt I have has been answered as a side effect of the "Available / Remaining" comment ...

However, I suggest to make that clarification in the manual :

- My original doubt was related to why, if I create a serial project, and lets say (for testing) I assign every single activity in the project to the same context, If I switch to CONTEXT mode and to the particular context, I am seeing every single activity of the project "to be done" in the context ...

- The comment I refer to ("Available / Remaining") makes clear the why : you have to choose either AVAILABLE or NEXT ACTION if you want sequential project to behave the way they suppose : according to the lattest manual "In a sequential project, only the next action is available" ... if you have choosen REMAINING it shows all the activities of the sequential project ... makes sense, but it was confusing first ...



Saludos
Arturo