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Confused about prioritizing and Contexts... Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
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Hello.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I have a task X that belongs to a project that is towards the bottom of the list (in relation to other projects).
This same task has a context that is also placed almost at the bottom of the main list. It doesn't have Start or due dates (only a flag, like the other tasks).

NEVER THE LESS, OF is placing that task before other tasks whose projects and contexts are towards the top of their respective lists...

Why is this?
I thought OF would prioritize the tasks according to the context position when sorting by context.


The context perspective that is giving me trouble is set like this:
Grouping: Ungrouped
Sorting: Context
Availability filter: Available
Status Filter: Due or Flagged
Duration: Any Duration

Thanks!
 
Upon further experimentation, I could only make it work by grouping by context.

If I use the setting at the bottom of my post above, then the tasks are all over the place... like almost randomly placed...

I even tried a different project from scratch with those same settings, just to make sure it was not some kind of file corruption.
I also trashed OF's preferences (the Plist), but it didn't help...

So did I understand the concept wrong in the first place?
Is the only way I can see my tasks in the same order as the contexts by grouping them? If so, why wouldn't it work without grouping and only sorting by context?

Thank you.
 
I think I'm having similar issues. I'm trying to tweak some perspectives. I've ordered my contexts in the sidebar in a specific way to prioritize the way items sort.

First, I have a main context of Home with various sub-contexts. Next I have a sub-context of Computer with various sub-contexts. Then assorted other contexts.

Sidebar:
Home (main)
Home Office
Home Kitchen
Home Bathroom
Home Garden

Computer (main)
Computer iTunes
Computer OmniFocus

If I set:
Context: Remaining
Grouping: Ungrouped
Sorting: Context
Available/Any/Any

I get:
Computer (main)
Computer OmniFocus
Computer iTunes
Home (main)
Home Bathroom
Home Garden
Home Kitchen
Home Office
...other random contexts

If I just change the ungrouped to group by Context, the order of the contexts is:
Home (main)
Home Office
Computer (main)
Computer iTunes
Computer OmniFocus
...other random contexts
Home Kitchen
Home Bathroom
Home Garden

So with the second scenario, the Home sub-contexts are in the right order, and Home is properly above Computer, but I can't figure out why the other random contexts are in the middle there and why the Home Contexts are split up. I thought it might have to do with which contexts have active actions and which don't, but that doesn't appear to be it either.

The ungrouped one has me completely baffled.

Is expecting them to show up in the sidebar order incorrect in either or both of these instances?
 
Partially figured it out...

I shut down OF and re-started it and the grouped version now behaves as expected.

And upon further inspection, I figured out what is going on with the ungrouped one, but it's not what I'd expect and has generated another question.

When ungrouped, it's sorting alphabetically by context name. But the reason that this wasn't readily discernible is that it's sorting on the entire name ie: "Home Kitchen" not just the "Kitchen" that's visible with the context column showing.

Is an alphabetical sorting what should be expected here?

And my real follow up question:

Is there a way to get Home Kitchen to show up in the context column instead of just Kitchen?

ETA: Remembered how to get the whole Context to show up (setting in Preferences) follow up-follow up question:

Is there a way to have the whole context show up, but not the whole project/folder path?

Last edited by malisa; 2011-07-08 at 11:33 AM..
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by malisa View Post
When ungrouped, it's sorting alphabetically by context name. But the reason that this wasn't readily discernible is that it's sorting on the entire name ie: "Home Kitchen" not just the "Kitchen" that's visible with the context column showing.

Is an alphabetical sorting what should be expected here?
It looks that way. Which is a pity because this doesn't seem terribly useful, does it?

I reread Dr. Dini's chapters on prioritization. From his book, page 434 (I hope quoting this short paragraph is Ok):
Using this order, one can use the “Grouping” Filter set to “Contexts” to set the order of
doing tasks. I prefer, for example, making my phone calls prior to most other tasks. Listing
them higher in the context list presents these tasks first.


So it seems I didn't get the concept right the first time. Apparently one must use the Group setting for this to work. Sorting without Grouping will definitely not work.

Perhaps someone could explain to me how this behavior is useful?
Why would I want to see my contexts listed alphabetically?

Is this the way it was intended to work, or is it a bug? At this point it would be nice to hear from someone from Omni Group.
 
I think this is the same behavior discussed over here: http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=20307

I'll add your thoughts to our feature request.
 
.

I appreciate that, Lizard. Thank you : >)
 
 


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