Cross-outline node editing

[Terry Brown]

I've found that having edits on a node in one outline simultaneously
reflected in another node in another outline works surprisingly well.

I do a lot of to-do item project managing with Leo, with lists of todo
items (managed with the todo plugin) in each projects outline.

A script rapidly assembles a global list of todo items using
the .../external/leosax.py parser to scan all the project files without
leo having to fully load them. The script builds a tree of todo items
which uses the UNLs to make them into bookmarks which can jump to the
corresponding node in the project's outline, opening it if necessary.

Which works fine for general "what should I work on next" use, but is
still clumsy if you want to edit a lot of todo items at once, adjusting
due date or priority etc. You have to double-click the item in the
global view to jump to its source in its project's outline, edit it
there, switch back to the main outline, etc.

So now the script which generates the global view tags the items with a
marker which, when seen by the todo plugin, causes it to apply todo
item edits in the global view to the corresponding node in the
project's file as well. This means the first time you edit a todo item
there may be a pause while that project's outline is loaded, but
everything carries on as it should afterwards, and on-going todo item
editing is quick once the outlines are loaded.

I'll push the updated todo.py code which checks for a
v.u['annotate']['src_unl'] marker to know if a todo item is a proxy for
one in another file and propagate the edits, but unless you have a
script which assembles todo items from diverse files and tags them as
proxies it doesn't really do anything.

Really I just wanted to highlight how this approach, edits on a proxy
node causing the opening and editing of a node in another outline,
really can work in a usable way - I'm sure there are all sorts of
possible applications.

Cheers -Terry

[Kent Tenney]

That flow would sure make a great webcast!

(ie: I don't get it, but I can tell it's cool)

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[F.S.]

It appears that the F-35 program could have benefited from your approach:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/29/us/in-federal-budget-cutting-f-35-fighter-jet-is-at-risk.html?ref=us

They are still pasting paper on a wall to manage the project. Imagine if the project manager learned to use Leo.

[Matt Wilkie]

Kent, I echo your thoughts :)

as I was reading Terry's post I kept thinking I'd like to watch him work sometime. A few times I've tried setting up a Todo system in Leo for myself, but I've thus far always abandoned the project as it turned into more work than a simpe pad and pen kept close at hand. (Albeit with drawbacks. There's a pad at work, another at home, a 3rd in my jacket sometimes, and content intermixed between them "on the wrong one").

cheers,

-matt

--
-matt