Tips for tasks (and their dependents) that can no longer be completed

[Adam]

Hi All, I have been using MLO off and on for many years (even during the Windows PPC days!!!) but have only recently really decided to get very serious and start using its more powerful features to implement a more robust task management system. I have always felt having nested tasks essential and no one else has come close to how well this is implemented, but now I am digging in a bit deeper. 

I am trying to map out a number of tasks and some have dependencies. Certain tasks must be done by a certain date or they can never be completed but if they are never completed then their dependent tasks never need to be completed either. For example, since it is getting near Halloween, I will use that as an example. If I decide to get a costume this year, I have to decide what it will be, order the parts if it is to be made, assemble the parts to make the costume and of course wear it. In this case, each task is dependent on the previous. However, if I don't get a costume before Halloween, then obviously none of the other tasks are relevant. 

Here is what I would like for my use case: 

1) I would like to have a record that I didn't complete the task, like a failed completion (sort of like an x instead of a check, but I know that is likely way overkill for this uncommon use case)

2) I would like to have the task become inactive so it no longer shows up on to do lists but also is no longer visible in outline views

3) All of the dependent tasks should also remain inactive and should also should become hidden in most views. 

Number 1) above is a nice-to-have, but given that I doubt the feature would get much use and the complexity it might introduce, I doubt it is worth trying to implement. Number 2) can be accomplished possibly with a context or text tag to filter against in all views or to set available hours to none and then it wouldn't show up on todo lists. However, I would still like to remove it from view easily with a toggle like how the completed/uncompleted tasks can be done. An alternate strategy might be to mark it as complete with some other way to tag it wasn't actually completed and the dependencies should never become active. 

My instinct was just to delete the task, but then I lose the record that it wasn't actually done, but also if I delete the first task, the others lose their dependencies (maybe ask in a dialog box how to handle the depencies?) and then could become active. 

A more common use case might be for tracking of meeting or failing to meet goals. 

I am wondering how many of you have found yourself wanting a similar feature and/or how you have dealt with this kind of situation. 

Thank you all, 

Adam

[MOK | MATSURU]

for me, i'll just:

01. delete the tasks as it is no longer relevant.

02. add a "[ ✘cancelled ]" tag at the beginning of the task name and checked it as done. 

In GTD, tasks you've decided no longer relevant/decided not to do, are considered as a completed tasks.

03. Simply add a "[ ✘cancelled ]" context and keep the context hidden. Checked off the tasks.

Method 2 & 3 preserved your tasks and still searchable if you want to review them.

If you want to view all cancelled tasks, just use the [ ✘cancelled ] tag in the search. or filter using context.

Hope this is helpful.

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[Nick Clark]

Depending on how important it is to record the non-completion I'll either delete the task or move it to a failed tasks folder which is marked as Hide in ToDo lists. I might ask add a note regarding the reason for failure.