Feature request.

[Gaston]

Hello,

I have started using the software only a short time ago. I am using it
to map processes for my job which includes managing the same kind of
projects over and over again and several at the same time. Since most
of the tasks repeat, having templates helps a lot.

I find, however, that I am missing something to make this application
a killer. Conditional tasks.

For example, a task that can be answered Yes or No and that would
trigger a different set of tasks to be activated or deactivated.

Please advise on the feasibility of such an implementation.

Best regards,

Gaston

[Lisa Stroyan]

For example, a task that can be answered Yes or No and that would
trigger a different set of tasks to be activated or deactivated.

It would be a bit kludgy but you could have two tasks, the "Yes" task and the "No" task (which I believe could be hidden from the Todo view), and then a different set of children tasks that are dependent on each of those, so they only show up if Yes or No is completed (checked).

Of course later you would want to delete all of the other branch, which would be a pain.

Lisa

---

Lisa Stroyan, mailto:lstr...@gmail.com
www.empathic-parenting.com

[Gaston]

Thanks Lisa,

I actually thought of that. but it's just too much trouble. I've
noticed that there are a chunk of processes that stick together and
need to be done in succession. The ability to branch would be really
useful.

Also, because of the nature of the projects, dependencies are
extremely important. One of the worst setbacks I've found is the fact
that dependencies cannot be exported in MLO or set up to be relative
to a task. Which means that I cannot create a "master task list" full
of dependencies and re-use it without having to set up the
dependencies all over again.

I absolutely love the way MLO handles the tasks in the To Do list. I
would love to have that tool to guide me through my daily tasks at
work, but I sincerely don't have the time to plan projects from the
ground up every time around.

Rgds,

Gaston

On Nov 23, 5:12 pm, Lisa Stroyan <lstro...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >For example, a task that can be answered Yes or No and that would
> >trigger a different set of tasks to be activated or deactivated.
>
> It would be a bit kludgy but you could have two tasks, the "Yes" task
> and the "No" task (which I believe could be hidden from the Todo
> view), and then a different set of children tasks that are dependent
> on each of those, so they only show up if Yes or No is completed (checked).
>
> Of course later you would want to delete all of the other branch,
> which would be a pain.
>
> Lisa
>

> ----------
> Lisa Stroyan, mailto:lstro...@gmail.comwww.empathic-parenting.com 

[Lisa Stroyan]

At 02:05 PM 11/24/2009, you wrote:

One of the worst setbacks I've found is the fact
that dependencies cannot be exported in MLO or set up to be relative
to a task.

Ick - you are right.  I would expect them to be relative, but I just tried it and they aren't as you found out.

[nschm873]

> One of the worst setbacks I've found is the fact
> that dependencies cannot be exported in MLO or set up to be relative
> to a task.

I do this differently with partially better results. I create a top
level directory called "templates" in my existing outline that I have
marked "hide branch in the TODO list." Now when I copy a project from
the templates hidden tree to an active tree the dependencies are all
there. They just point to the task in the templates project not the
active projects. This means you still have to go into the newly
created project and "fix" the dependencies. However, this is much
easier then creating them from scratch.

MLO has an icon on the right side of the icons column that show
dependencies. You just need to go to those tasks that have that icon
and point the dependency to the newly created task. The name you need
to use is there already so it is simply adding the new dependency with
the same task name in the active project branch and then deleting the
old dependency of the same name.

>For example, a task that can be answered Yes or No and that would
>trigger a different set of tasks to be activated or deactivated.

As for the conditional tasks, I don't see why you can't manually do
that. If you create a "conditional task" you can have two trees under
that branch. If you are using a copy of the original project then you
can just delete the branch "this time" that you don't want to use.

If you are using a recurrent project then you can simply mark the
other branch using "complete task and all subtasks". That ability is
located by right clicking on the task and going into the advanced
feature. There really aren't any repercussions that I can think of to
mark a subtree of a project completed since MLO only logs the project
being completed.

Also you can highlight your "conditional" tasks with an automatically
created icon. In the automatic formatting rules add a rule that
displays a question mark based on something in the caption such as the
word "condition". Then you will get a question mark in the icons
column for any task with the word condition in it. Now it is pretty
easy to see which tasks are your "conditional tasks" and you can then
manually "trim out" the subtrees that you don't want to use.

So basically one pass of your newly "recreated" project to fix the
dependencies and another pass to fix your conditional "choices" and
you are good to go.

[Gaston]

Hello there,

I will try the conditional workaround you propose and let you know how
it works for me. With regards to the dependencies, I also tried to
keep a template directory but my projects have over 30 dependencies
within them and I need to activate them pretty quickly and start using
them right away. Fixing the dependencies is just not an option.

Thanks again.

Gaston

[nschm873]

+1 on having the dependencies of a task created from a template with
internal dependencies, to have them point to the new project's tasks
instead of the original template's tasks.

In the meantime, if the dependencies are really that much of an issue
then the alternative is to use the template as the project. You can
then create a recurrence for the top level of the "template turned
active project" solely to be used to recreate the project when you are
finished with it.

Steps to use the project would be:
uncheck the "hide branch in TODO list" of the project
create recurrence for top level tree (lets say "yearly" regenerate 1
year)

Use the now active project and when complete it will recreate itself
for a year in the future...

Now to put the "future" project back in storage:
In recurrence "remove recurrence"
uncheck "Due Date" and "Start Date"
check the "hide branch in TODO list"

And it is now ready for re-use at your leisure...