[Oogiem]

I'm having an inconsistent problem where sometimes, and I have no clue how or why, actions that are set to repeat are being duplicated. I am using OF on my Mac and on my iPhone.

Anyone got any ideas?

[whpalmer4]

Are you sure you aren't inadvertently marking the items as complete on both? That will get you a duplicate. Each device creates a new instance, and the sync code isn't clever enough to figure out there should only be one new copy.

[Oogiem]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

Are you sure you aren't inadvertently marking the items as complete on both?

Perhaps, I generally try to use the iPhone only for doing and checking off and then sync before I do anything on my Mac but it is certainly possible I've missed stuff. I still have the occasional issue with the sync server not starting up when I start Omni, not sure if the duplicates come after that or not.

[GeoffAirey]

The other option is that you have both the Task and the Project set to reoccur, this means that when you complete the task, it re-occurs, you then complete the project and end up with two new tasks in the new project. it can quickly multiply from there.

The rule is that either a task or a project should reoccur, but not both.

[Brian]

Just filed a feature request on some sort of detection/warning for the "repeating item in a repeating project" situation. Thanks, Geoff!

[Oogiem]

AH HA, that's it. I have a number of repeating projects that have some actions that repeat within them. Guess the issue now is I have to figure out how to fix all that. I think I'll take it one area at a time. I currently have about 800 projects total both active and on-hold and I am sure there are a bunch that fit that criteria just because of my job.

[Oogiem]

But how do we handle the projects that are like that?

I've discovered that is fairly common in my world as I try to clean them up.

I guess it's yet another plea for much more robust and tunable repeat options, All I want is what Palm had back in 1996!

[whpalmer4]

A repeating project with repeating actions doesn't really make sense to me — as there are currently no limits on repeating actions, the project never completes unless you mark it complete. Then it recreates itself? What's the problem you are trying to solve by doing this? Seems like you are making extra work for yourself, and opportunities to make mistakes...

[Oogiem]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

What's the problem you are trying to solve by doing this?

Here is an example of what is not working for me now:

I have a project called Treat sheep for coccidia. This is a repeating project that is set to re-start 5 weeks from completion. Ideally I'd have it set to start 5 weeks after the start date and be due 7 weeks after because the parasite I am treating needs to be controlled within that window.

Within that project there are several pieces, one is for each group of sheep or pasture verify whether that group needs treatment. Those actions do not repeat. But if I find a group that needs to be treated the treatment is 3 days in a row of drugs for every sheep in the pasture or in any adjacent pasture that shares a fenceline. Ideally I'd repeat that action 3 times. The drugs have to be given 24 hours apart. I can't set individual actions easily because part of the treatment is I have to look at the weather for the next 3 days to be sure it will be suitable for treating the sheep. If it's too hot or too cold I can't do it so I need a window of 3 days in a row with appropriate weather within the 5-7 week timeframe from last treatment. Setting specific dates and times doesn't really work in this instance because I can never know in advance exactly which days I do it.

In the old Palm OS I could set number of times to repeat, set only weekends, set things like MWF or T, Th or first Saturday of every month or a vast array of choices. For this project I I could set the action to treat the sheep to repeat 24 hours later from the time and date last done and only for 3 times without setting a start date.

That's the sort of problem I am running in to with OF and that is just one of several examples.

And yes, part of the problem is OF cannot set a certain number of repeats it's either repeating or not which is inadequate for my needs.

[GeoffAirey]

Wow, this is massively complicated and I would see this as Planning exercise / Proper Project planning rather than task management / GTD.

I can think of ways to do some of it in OF, but most of them are kludges to say the least, and most of them involved projects in folders with every possible action pre populated even if you're not going to need them.