gTasks and google calendar integration

[flape]

Dear all,

shortly I'll be putting up test version of gTasks that syncs tasks,
one way, into dedicated google calendar.

What are the main goals:
*be able to see the tasks on calendaring applications ...
*receive unified reminders in all places: be it at mobile, or other
devices (PC/other smartphones/or cells over SMS) ...

Currently all gTasks lists are synced into one gCalendar, where
- tasks with due date will show up on calendar
- @5PM with "popup"
- alert 1h before

Warning!

DO create a NEW calendar for this, do not use existing one...
All events in the specified calendars will be WIPED!

END of WARNING!

PS: yes ... gTasks could do it automatically ... yes it will be added
later ...

[flape]

ok new version is up at http://andappstore.com/AndroidApplications/prerelease/224161!show

[dssy...@gmail.com]

Hello Peter,
I installed 0.3.39a and created a blank calendar in Google. When I
goto gTasks settings, I selected "calendar sync" then tried choosing
the new calendar I created. The radio button next to the calendar I
chose will not stay selected and on the settings screen, the target
calendar still shows "calendar".

I understand the sync is one way (gTasks -> gCal), but what if I make
edits in the gCal? Will they get deleted at the next gTask sync?
When does gTasks sync to gCal? Does the sync follow the other sync
settings (timed autosync, sync on start, sync on change, etc)?

Thanks for a great app!

[Peter Flachbart]

On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 01:10, <dssy...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Peter,
I installed 0.3.39a and created a blank calendar in Google.  When I
goto gTasks settings, I selected "calendar sync" then tried choosing
the new calendar I created.  The radio button next to the calendar I
chose will not stay selected

no worry ... it just doesn't show (yet) the selected cal ...  (the preferences are quite hard to work with ... )
just sync ;)

and on the settings screen, the target
calendar still shows "calendar".

I understand the sync is one way (gTasks -> gCal), but what if I make
edits in the gCal?  Will they get deleted at the next gTask sync?

yes, changes get deleted
 

When does gTasks sync to gCal?

every time gTasks syncs with google tasks, at the end gTasks syncs with cal ..

 Does the sync follow the other sync
settings (timed autosync, sync on start, sync on change, etc)?

so yes
 

Thanks for a great app!

On Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 14:18, flape <fla...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear all,
>
>  shortly I'll be putting up test version of gTasks that syncs tasks,
> one way, into dedicated google calendar.
>
> What are the main goals:
> *be able to see the tasks on calendaring applications ...
> *receive unified reminders in all places: be it at mobile, or other
> devices (PC/other smartphones/or cells over SMS) ...
>
> Currently all gTasks lists are synced into one gCalendar, where
> - tasks with due date will show up on calendar
> - @5PM with "popup"
> - alert 1h before
>
>
> Warning!
>
> DO create a NEW calendar for this, do not use existing one...
> All events in the specified calendars will be WIPED!
>
> END of WARNING!
>
> PS: yes ... gTasks could do it automatically ... yes it will be added
> later ...
>

--
Peter Flachbart

[dssy...@gmail.com]

Hello Peter,
I completed my first gTasks to gCal sync. It understandably took a
long time. Does gTasks keep track of what items are already synced to
the target calendar so subsequent syncs happen faster? What if I
later choose a different calendar that already contains entries? Will
gTasks only sync changes or will it overwrite the calendar again?
What happens if I delete or rename the calendar via web gCal? Because
one could accidentally turn on this feature and/or change the
calendar, there is risk of overwriting existing data.

I see all the gTasks items are created at 17:00-18:00. If I have more
than a few tasks on a particular day, the tasks cluster together and
with entries on other calendars near 17:00-18:00 and become
unreadable. I need to tap on each task to read the contents. Perhaps
you could set the tasks with no time, so they appear sequentially at
the top of each day without clustering?

While I appreciate the intent, I am returning to 0.3.371a until the
overwrite risk is addressed. Thanks.

[Peter Flachbart]

Hi,

On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 06:47, <dssy...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Peter,

I completed my first gTasks to gCal sync.  It understandably took a
long time.  Does gTasks keep track of what items are already synced to
the target calendar so subsequent syncs happen faster?

Should be like that, haven't tried with very long list, where the speed diff would be significant

 What if I
later choose a different calendar that already contains entries?

Good point ... let's say it was mishap ... then one is out of luck with this version

 Will gTasks only sync changes or will it overwrite the calendar again?

Currently cause of bug in google calendar sync(tested on And 1.6) I can't use the full extent of calendar API
so the only way is to push the changes/new entries into the cal and then wipe the rest ..

 

What happens if I delete or rename the calendar via web gCal?  Because
one could accidentally turn on this feature and/or change the
calendar, there is risk of overwriting existing data.

The problem of renaming the calendar was already taken care of ... 

I see all the gTasks items are created at 17:00-18:00.  If I have more
than a few tasks on a particular day, the tasks cluster together and
with entries on other calendars near 17:00-18:00 and become
unreadable.  I need to tap on each task to read the contents.  Perhaps
you could set the tasks with no time, so they appear sequentially at
the top of each day without clustering?

I thought about it, there is one drawback .. .one will always get alert before the start of the event. that means one gets the alert one day before the task is due ...

there might be one way - that is, to show tasks as whole day events, and solve reminders some other way:
e.g. create the event grouping not at 5PM but 23:30, so usually one even wont see the clutter ( but this would show the tasks twice in agenda style view ) ...

or may be just order tasks automaticaly from 5PM onwards ...

--
Peter Flachbart

[Peter Flachbart]

one other idea comes to mind ...
when syncing task->cal ... overwrite only title/note ... if the date is the same, leave it as it is ... if the date changed, move the event to proper date whereas leaving the time part untouched ...

and when inserting new tasks into cal, they get either as wholeday events or just put starting 5PM one after another ...

so the user can do the time management on his own ...

--
Peter Flachbart

[dssy...@gmail.com]

Hello Peter,
I have multiple lists each containing many tasks and observe that
every task from every list appears in the selected calendar. I keep
tasks in separate lists because I work on one task group at a time.
Implementing this in gTasks -> gCal sync may be difficult. Having
separate calendars for each gTask list might let the user toggle which
calendars are displayed. Not sure if tracking all the calendars in
gTasks will be difficult.

You mention taking care of renaming a calendar, but what if I delete
the calendar in web gCal while gTasks still has the sync-to-cal turned
on? At the next sync, where do the changes go?

There is a potential issue setting the reminder times starting at
17:00 and onward. If there are many tasks, the reminder times will
spill into the next day.

Some difficult problems to consider. :)

[Peter Flachbart]

On Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 11:09, <dssy...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Peter,

I have multiple lists each containing many tasks and observe that
every task from every list appears in the selected calendar.  I keep
tasks in separate lists because I work on one task group at a time.
Implementing this in gTasks -> gCal sync may be difficult.  Having
separate calendars for each gTask list might let the user toggle which
calendars are displayed.  Not sure if tracking all the calendars in
gTasks will be difficult.

I've been considering it ... and from user perspective, though its more general solution it is more complicated(especially from user perspective to set it up) as well ... 

You mention taking care of renaming a calendar, but what if I delete
the calendar in web gCal while gTasks still has the sync-to-cal turned
on?  At the next sync, where do the changes go?

As the cal is not present anymore, nowhere ...

 

There is a potential issue setting the reminder times starting at
17:00 and onward.  If there are many tasks, the reminder times will
spill into the next day.

we are really playing with corner cases ... i guess not many users would have so many due dated items per day ...

 

Some difficult problems to consider. :) 

Then where would be the joy ;)
 

--
Peter Flachbart

[mlewissmith]

On Feb 26, 9:00 am, Peter Flachbart <fla...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I thought about it, there is one drawback .. .one will always get alert
> before the start of the event. that means one gets the alert one day before
> the task is due ...

Is this a bad thing? A reminder that you need to do something, as
opposed to a reminder that you've missed it?

> there might be one way - that is, to show tasks as whole day events, and
> solve reminders some other way:

This would get my vote -- I'm not even sure that I would want a
reminder, so long as it appears in the agenda.

An excellent app, by the way.

[Benjamin Crist]

I haven't updated to the latest version as I don't know if I really want the calendar integration - can that be turned off? Thank you.

-Benjamin Crist

[Peter Flachbart]

it has to be turned on

--
Peter Flachbart

[Eric]

Hello All,

It's a great idea to have gTask sync with gCal (btw why google does
not even bother to think about it?). I have not yet tried the alpha
version, but from the thread i noticed the task are set at 17:00 (or
so). I think it may cause some misleading information to the users.

Say I have created a task which is dued tomorrow, something like
"clear the cheque by 15:00". The "Actual Due Time" should be 15:00,
but if gTask create it as an event at 17:00... By looking at the
calendar/agenda, I maybe late for the task if I'm not careful enough.

On Feb 26, 7:10 pm, Peter Flachbart <fla...@gmail.com> wrote:

[warman]

Where do we create the new calendar? In calendars on the Android
device, or in Google Calendar?

[Peter Flachbart]

better do it in Google calendar (it can be done in mobile, but then the gCal needs to be synced )

--
Peter Flachbart