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Email as action item on iPad Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Has anyone developed a workable solution for creating an action item that relates to a specific email message using OF on the iPad? What is the current best practice?

I have GoodReader, Instapaper and Evernote available if needed.

I know I can copy the body of the email into the notes field but a that doesn't give me the ability to quickly find the email when I want to address the task. I also understand how to open an attachment in GoodReader and link the OF action item. But again that doesn't help me get back to the original email.

What is the most effective and efficient replacement for the Clip-O-Tron when using only the iPad version?
 
I doubt Apple would be willing to add it to the default Mail application, but we have sample code available which should make it pretty easy for the author of a third-party mail application to add support for a "Send to OmniFocus" feature.

(Apps on iOS devices have more limited cross-product communication options than exist on Macs. Some of those differences mean that the features we added on the Mac aren't possible on the mobile devices.)

Last edited by Brian; 2010-12-09 at 05:41 PM.. Reason: hit post too soon. Wasn't finished. :-)
 
Just a thought here:

The way I handle this currently is:
I have a folder on the mail server called 'hold for processing'
When I come across a message I need to be on the desktop to process or a mail I want to add to OmniFocus, I move it to this folder. This gets it out of my inbox and when I'm at the desktop I can clip it to OmniFocus.

I don't know how much work this would be for omnigroup, but if there was a way for me to designate a mail folder for OmniFocus to process items into the inbox, OmniFocus could log into the server, check the mailbox folder, and add items in that folder to the inbox. Or clip items from that folder into the inbox.
 
I have a similar system.

All emails which require some form of action are flagged in outlook and I put an action in OF such as 'reply Email to Bob about Links'

I know where to find them then in Follow up.
 
I've been reading up on this and I think I'll do something similar with a pending queue.

If I know my Mac is running then I'll use the +@omnifocus rule

If I know (or suspect) my Mac is logged out/asleep/off then I'll leave the email in the inbox (*gasp* I KNOW! But stick with me).

When I'm done with processing I know I'll only have emails with actions remaining.

Then switch to Safari, go to gmail.com and (if you use the low bandwidth HTML version) each email will have a unique link.

So... Open the mail, hit the add to omnifocus bookmarklet and there you go, a link to the mail in notes and you're ready to verb your task.

Anyone else use this method? Seems the simplest so far for Gmail users who pull Gmail into Mail on iPad.

Until OG add an 'email task to OF address' service using their servers to parse mails into tasks (a la Evernote) I think this is the best route.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Rose View Post
Until OG add an 'email task to OF address' service using their servers to parse mails into tasks (a la Evernote) I think this is the best route.
Check http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=19421, it describes the 'email task to OF address' service.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arrow View Post
Has anyone developed a workable solution for creating an action item that relates to a specific email message using OF on the iPad? What is the current best practice?

I have GoodReader, Instapaper and Evernote available if needed.
Hi Arrow,

Late last year (!) I made some headway with the developer of a mail App about using the Send to OmniFocus code to provide a link in OF to an email. We even got around to discussing how to implement this in a way that would be helpful to those who also use OF on the desktop.

I got as far as suggesting that you would hit StOF from his mail App and it would place a copy of the email into OF as an attachment (when OF finally gets Document Interchange) whilst also maintaining a live link to the source email in the Notes field. The StOF would also have an interrupt so you would be able to specify the Action title and any additional Note info from within the mail App (if that doesn't make sense, see the attached pic, although this example is actually for an entirely different App).

The live link initially proved problematic because the linked email could eventually get knocked off your iDevice inbox by subsequent incoming emails. He suggested solving this by having a copy of any email that had used StOF stored locally in his App within an OmniFocus email folder. I thought this a great idea as it would mean you could immediately see emails with Actions. I also discussed with him the possibility of syncing to this folder from the desktop via MobileMe, Dropbox, etc.

However, at the same time I was talking to several other developers about how I envisaged StOF working with their Apps (an RSS reader, a mind-mapping App, etc.) but after receiving some feedback and discussing this with Omni, I decided to pull the plug on my requesting developers to incorporate StOF as I honestly don't feel that Omni are offering enough encouragement to developers willing to undertake the effort of incorporating StOF into their Apps.

If you want to pick up where I left off (how's your Japanese?!) PM me and I'll get back in touch with the developer and ask if he's still willing to implement StOF into his mail App with the help of a new playmate!
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Last edited by endoftheQ; 2011-01-02 at 02:21 AM..
 
 


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