MLO, Outlook, and KeySuite

[David Rees]

Hi Calvin,

I have forwarded my response to the group for others to see and comment
on...

I use MLO with Outlook and KeySuite the following sync settings (if
something is not listed then it is NOT checked, even if it's a default).
I've also attached them as a settings file if you just want to import them.

"General" Tab
MLO <--> Outlook
Add records to both sides
Show warning on conflicts
Use redemption library

"Outlook Categories" Tab
Sync MLO Places and Projects
Assign Place Categories only for To-Do Visible Tasks
Add prefix for Places categories: @
Assign task to corresponding project category

"Priority Mapping" Tab
Map MLO task priority to Outlook
Map MLO Priority to LMH priority
Encode MLO task priority into Outlook task subject
Encoding Method: Numerical
Encoding Notation: *Priority* TaskName

"User defined fields" Tab
Fill the following User Defined Fields in Outlook



In Outlook I then have a view with
Group by: Category
Sort: Subject
This allows me to see tasks by project or context. Within a context or
project I then see projects ordered by priority (due to the prefix) and then
by name.

Unfortunately we don't have "<All places"> synchronizing with Outlook yet,
so I have a second view without the "group by". This allows me to see the
full ToDo list.

I also have a third Outlook view I have just started using that I really
like. I use the Outlook Timeline view with the following settings. This
allows me to see a weekly view. I am using projects because I already use
Weekly Goals for something else and Month/other goals are not visible in the
outline like Weekly Goals (one my top requests).
Group by "Categories"
Filter (Advanced):
Complete equals No
MLOHidden equals No
MLOProjectStatus is not empty


In KeySuite I just sync the folder. By switching between categories I get
the same context/project grouping as Outlook (with the added bonus of an All
category to see the ToDo list).


For sync I do the following:
Sync Palm/Outlook
Sync MLO/Outlook
Do organization in MLO
Sync MLO/Outlook
Sync Palm/Outlook


Note the ordering above. If you move things around in MLO then all your ToDo
tasks are recreated to get the new priority prefix. This means if you do the
following you will get a KeySuite conflict and the Outlook version of the
task will stay in Outlook.
Do all the above
Complete a task in KeySuite
Change any task in MLO
Sync MLO/Outlook
Sync Palm/Outlook

Another current issue is completed tasks. As they start to build up they
slow things down. Until we have purge support in MLO, I have been deleting
them on the Outlook side. However, you have to be careful not to delete a
completed parent task that doesn't have completed children. This will orphan
the children and they will show up again in MLO (see my other post).


d


-----Original Message-----
From: PhotoKing [mailto:c...@calvincummings.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 9:21 PM
To: David Rees
Subject: Re: MLO Outlook sync PUBLIC beta

David:

I have a new laptop with MS Outlook 2003, a new SprintPCS Treo 650 with
KeySuite installed (so I can take advantage of my extensive use of
Outlook Categories for Tasks, Contacts and Calendar items) and am
evaluation MyLife Organized and Achieve Planner. I've already
purchased Achieve Planner, but am seriously thinking of switching to
MLO.

Could you please enlighten me as to how you are using MLO, Outlook and
KeySuite?

I use to have LifeBalance on my Desktop PC and an older Palm smartphone
and liked it, but it didn't sync with Outlook which I really need.
Also, it always felt like it was dictating what I should be doing,
which I didn't like.

I have been trying to implement GTD, but am certainly no expert at this
point.

I had looked at Agendus (Palm app), but, despite being full featured,
it doesn't support Outlook Categories which are critical to me (Places,
Projects, Focus Areas, etc.).

Anyway, you're the first person I've seen a post from that appears to
use MLO, Outlook and KeySuite and any insights you could provide,
positive or negative, would be much appreciated.

Also, if you have any knowledge of Achieve Planner, a comparison of
that app and MLO would be great!

Thanks,

Calvin



David Rees wrote:
> If you get something with more than 15 categories and multiple category
> support (KeySuite, BeyondContacts, probably others) you can really start
to
> use the place/project synchronization support he added.
>
> Personally, I use KeySuite for tasks and notes, but the built-in apps for
> Contacts and Calendar (may upgrade the last one to something though).
>
> d
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: myLifeO...@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:myLifeO...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
techv...@gmail.com
> Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 6:02 AM
> To: myLifeO...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: MLO Outlook sync PUBLIC beta
>
>
> Um, I think that was addressed to me. I am using the standard Treo650
> task application. Everything else is too bloated or funky for my needs

[PhotoKing]

David ~

You are an ANGEL ( I hope that's okay to say on a forum like this !).

I think you have convinced me to dump Achieve Planner and give MyLife
Organized a serious try.

A Question and a Clarification:

Q: Since I have not actually purchased the software yet, once I do,
how do I import your "settings.mos"?

C: In two of your last paragraphs, you said the following:

=============================

For sync I do the following:
Sync Palm/Outlook
Sync MLO/Outlook
Do organization in MLO
Sync MLO/Outlook
Sync Palm/Outlook

Note the ordering above. If you move things around in MLO then all your
ToDo
tasks are recreated to get the new priority prefix. This means if you
do the
following you will get a KeySuite conflict and the Outlook version of
the
task will stay in Outlook.
Do all the above
Complete a task in KeySuite
Change any task in MLO
Sync MLO/Outlook
Sync Palm/Outlook

====================================

I "get" the first "sync order". However, the 2nd paragraph about what
NOT to do confuses me.

I plan on doing three task processes:

1. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on Treo 650 using KeySuite while out in the
field.

2. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on my laptop using Outlook 2003 [and more
specifically using Avidian Technology's Prophet 2004 (Outlook sales and
contact management software add-in)] while doing my prospecting/sales
calls at my office desk.

3. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on my laptop using MLO during my periodic
visionating / goal setting / project management / weekly review at home
/ work / whereever.

If I understand you correctly, it sounds as if I need to do the
following sync order after each of these three task processes, and NOT
do more than one of these three task processes without syncing first.

1. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on Treo 650. Sync order: (1) Sync Palm <->
Outlook and then (2) Sync Outlook <-> MLO.

2. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on laptop using Outlook. Sync order: (1)
Sync Outlook <-> Palm and (2) Sync Outlook <-> MLO.

3. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on laptop using MLO. Sync order: (1) Sync
MLO <-> Outlook and then (2) Sync Outlook <-> Palm.

Is that right?

Am I missing anything?

Again, your detailed input above has been invaluable. I owe you one!
Big time!

:-)

Calvin
Pasadena, CA

[da...@ubiqsoft.com]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: myLifeO...@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:myLifeO...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of PhotoKing
> Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2005 1:38 PM
> To: myLifeOrganized
> Subject: [MLO] Re: MLO, Outlook, and KeySuite
>
>
> David ~
>
> You are an ANGEL ( I hope that's okay to say on a forum like this !).

Thanks, I guess ;)

>
> I think you have convinced me to dump Achieve Planner and give MyLife
> Organized a serious try.
>
> A Question and a Clarification:
>
> Q: Since I have not actually purchased the software yet, once I do,
> how do I import your "settings.mos"?
>

File >> Setup Outlook Sync >> Advanced >> Import

> C: In two of your last paragraphs, you said the following:
>
> =============================
> For sync I do the following:
> Sync Palm/Outlook
> Sync MLO/Outlook
> Do organization in MLO
> Sync MLO/Outlook
> Sync Palm/Outlook
>
>
> Note the ordering above. If you move things around in MLO then all your
> ToDo
> tasks are recreated to get the new priority prefix. This means if you
> do the
> following you will get a KeySuite conflict and the Outlook version of
> the
> task will stay in Outlook.
> Do all the above
> Complete a task in KeySuite
> Change any task in MLO
> Sync MLO/Outlook
> Sync Palm/Outlook
> ====================================
>
> I "get" the first "sync order". However, the 2nd paragraph about what
> NOT to do confuses me.
>

Yeah, I hesitated to put it in because I knew it would be confusing ;).

> I plan on doing three task processes:
>
> 1. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on Treo 650 using KeySuite while out in the
> field.
>
> 2. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on my laptop using Outlook 2003 [and more
> specifically using Avidian Technology's Prophet 2004 (Outlook sales and
> contact management software add-in)] while doing my prospecting/sales
> calls at my office desk.
>
> 3. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on my laptop using MLO during my periodic
> visionating / goal setting / project management / weekly review at home
> / work / whereever.
>
> If I understand you correctly, it sounds as if I need to do the
> following sync order after each of these three task processes, and NOT
> do more than one of these three task processes without syncing first.
>
> 1. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on Treo 650. Sync order: (1) Sync Palm <->
> Outlook and then (2) Sync Outlook <-> MLO.
>
> 2. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on laptop using Outlook. Sync order: (1)
> Sync Outlook <-> Palm and (2) Sync Outlook <-> MLO.
>
> 3. Add/Edit/Delete Tasks on laptop using MLO. Sync order: (1) Sync
> MLO <-> Outlook and then (2) Sync Outlook <-> Palm.
>

Yes

The problem stems from the inserting the *Priority* and that it is a
relative 1-100 value rather than a computed non-relative value. This
essentially means that when you change the priority of a task (by changing
its importance, urgency, date, or location in outline) you essentially
change the priority of all of the tasks after it. This means they are all
"changed" in Outlook after a MLO/Outlook sync.

Since MLO does the changing it is smart enough to ignore this.

However KeySuite can't, so it considers all of these tasks changed. So if
you have modified any of them in the Palm also then you have a conflict.

The way around it is to get the Palm changes in first. Then do the MLO sync,
which will catch the Palm changes while ignoring the priority changes.

So if you have done anything on the Palm, you need to do Palm/Outlook before
MLO/Outlook to get the Palm changes to Outlook before MLO changes everything
around.


d

[PhotoKing]

Thanks David!

You're the best!

Blessings,

Calvin

[RD]

All very good stuff. One question though, David. You wrote...
___________________________________________

I also have a third Outlook view I have just started using that I
really
like. I use the Outlook Timeline view with the following settings. This
allows me to see a weekly view. I am using projects because I already
use
Weekly Goals for something else and Month/other goals are not visible
in the
outline like Weekly Goals (one my top requests).
Group by "Categories"
Filter (Advanced):
Complete equals No
MLOHidden equals No
MLOProjectStatus is not empty

____________________________________________

When I set up all three filters as you suggest, I have no tasks visible
in the Timeline view of Outlook. If I remove the MLOProjectStatus
filter, the tasks appear. What exactly does this filter do? I also do
not undersatnd what you mean by "I am using projects...". I would love
to be able to see a weekly view.

RD

[da...@ubiqsoft.com]

Hi RD,

MLOProjectStatus is basically set if you mark the task as a project in MLO.
It will be set to the project status - In Progress, Suspended, Complete, Not
Started. So essentially I am saying I only want to see projects.

d

> -----Original Message-----
> From: myLifeO...@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:myLifeO...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of RD
> Sent: Saturday, October 22, 2005 7:44 AM
> To: myLifeOrganized
> Subject: [MLO] Re: MLO, Outlook, and KeySuite
>
>