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Originally Posted by Danworld
You lose functionality in context mode. For example:
- As mentioned, you can no longer see your projects on the left.
- It takes subtasks out of their imbedded structure, and you can't add subtasks to tasks.
- Adding new tasks to projects or subtasks becomes awkward.
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Originally Posted by whpalmer4
Yeah, but you also lose most of that when you are only showing a subset of actions in project mode, and that's what you are doing by only showing flagged tasks.
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Originally Posted by CatOne
I disagree on this.
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Really? On what grounds? Let's break it down point by point.
"As mentioned, you can no longer see your projects on the left" — true, you don't get a list of projects in the sidebar in context mode. However, this whole discussion arose from a request to see just the projects containing available flagged actions. What do you need the project list in the sidebar for if you are examining the available flagged actions? Why would you be looking at the list of available flagged actions, except to do them? If you are going to do them, you don't simultaneously need a list of the names of other projects that you aren't working on, do you?
"It takes subtasks out of their embedded structure, and you can't add subtasks to tasks" — again (partially) true, but arguably irrelevant where true. It doesn't take them out of the embedded structure if you use the view I proposed; it shows them in a different but equivalent structure. Context mode is like using an RPN calculator; you get a bunch of operands (actions) followed by a grouping operator (action group or project). Project mode is using prefix notation; you have a grouping operator followed by operands. Anything you can express in one you can express equally well in the other.
As for being unable to add subtasks, just right-click on the action's row handle and select Focus in New Window (alternative: option-double-click the row handle). Now you have that action in its full context and you can easily add subtasks or reorder to your heart's content. Click the close box on the window and you're back to where you were. CatOne, I know this is old news for you, but I don't know if Danworld knows about it.
"Adding new tasks to projects or subtasks becomes awkward." See previous discussion.
My "you lose most of that" was referring to seeing the project structure and ease of adding tasks. If you are only viewing some of the project's actions (remember, we want to see only flagged, available actions according to the original request), you cannot see the project structure in general. Doesn't matter whether you are in project mode or context mode! Similarly, you can't very well add much in the way of structure if you can't see where the actions are going.
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Originally Posted by CatOne
This, for me, is the #1 source of frustration and friction with OmniFocus. When you're working on context mode you're a slave to contexts. They are what you have to organize by. You've lost your task groups and you've lost any kind of organization you've had in project mode. You completely lose context on that, and any structure you have is COMPLETELY down to how organized your context structure is, and how much time and effort you've put into defining a sensible context hierarchy. If you haven't done that work, then you have a mishmosh of viewable tasks, which can be grouped, but only by a set series of things (like project, start date, etc.).
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Context mode is eminently workable even if every single action is in the same context (or has no context). The OP seems to be suggesting that contexts aren't useful to him because they are all always available. Such a statement tells me that either his work is truly homogenous (possible, but I'm skeptical), or he hasn't figured out how to factor it effectively yet (no condemnation intended by that; it's definitely not a one-size-fits-all affair!). The notion of a physical context is just one possible way to do it. If the list of tasks isn't too daunting, then there isn't a need to find another way to subdivide it. But if you've got 100 next actions staring you in the eye, daring you to pick one and do it, many people would welcome the ability to look at a list of 10. The idea is making it easier to pick something to do, because until you've done that, you aren't going to get to the important part, which is doing it! Picking from a list of 10 is easier than picking from a list of 100. The context mechanism just gives you another way to divide up the pile. Some contemplation of how one naturally decides to organize a large amount of work which is of roughly equal priority and schedule might give enlightenment about what would be useful to do with the context mechanism.
Context mode, group by project, sort by project, show available. It's like working in project mode, except without the cruft you're complaining about.
Linear Mode
