Best way to use org-mode as a work log
Ethan
discovered org-mode. It seems as if it would be very well suited to
use as my work log--I currently just use a regular text file.
Since a work log is based around daily entries, I'm wondering if
anyone can recommend the best way to use org-mode for such a purpose.
I perused the FAQs but didn't see anything. Org-mode apparently
integrates with the emacs calendar/diary so there is probably a "right
way" to do this. If there's a FM out there that deals with this I'm
happy to RTFM.
Thanks for you help.
to...@tuxteam.de
Hash: SHA1
On Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 10:51:49PM -0800, Ethan wrote:
> I've been an emacs user since about 1990, but have just recently
> discovered org-mode. It seems as if it would be very well suited to
> use as my work log--I currently just use a regular text file.
Same here. I'm using it at the moment as a work log (one top-level entry
per day, one second-level entry within each day for each task, with a
:PROPERTIES: drawer within it, stating, among other things which
customer/project/subproject to bill the working time to), but I'm still
unsure whether this is the right way to use Org.
So I, too would be interested on insight/ideas on this "modus operandi".
Regards
- -- tomás
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David Maus
At Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:51:49 -0800 (PST),
Ethan wrote:
> Since a work log is based around daily entries, I'm wondering if
> anyone can recommend the best way to use org-mode for such a purpose.
> I perused the FAQs but didn't see anything. Org-mode apparently
> integrates with the emacs calendar/diary so there is probably a "right
> way" to do this. If there's a FM out there that deals with this I'm
> happy to RTFM.
You may take a look at Worg, "a set of Org files collectively edited
by people who like Org-mode and want to share tutorials, ideas, code
snippets, etc."
In addition, the Orgmode mailinglist at
http://news.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode
is a good place to ask questions on specific setups. There's a good
chance that someone participating in the mailinglist uses org as a
work log and can explain his/her setup.
-- David
--
OpenPGP... 0x316F4BE4670716FD
Jabber.... dmj...@jabber.org
Email..... maus....@gmail.com
ICQ....... 241051416
Vagn Johansen
> Since a work log is based around daily entries, I'm wondering if
> anyone can recommend the best way to use org-mode for such a purpose.
I do not if it the best way but "remember templates" could be useful
for this.
http://orgmode.org/manual/Remember-templates.html
--
Vagn Johansen
Ethan
> ICQ....... 241051416
Thanks David. I've made a posting over at http://news.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode
Steve Revilak
ethandbrown> recently discovered org-mode. It seems as if it would be
ethandbrown> very well suited to use as my work log--I currently just
ethandbrown> use a regular text file.
A few months ago, I began using org-mode as a combinatin work log and
calendar. Before org-mode, I used a plain text file.
As a work log, I like org-mode a lot. It's a fantastic piece of
software.
Here are the org-mode-specific portions of my ~/.emacs.
(setq
org-clock-into-drawer nil
org-tags-column 60)
(define-key global-map "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
(defun sr-org-boot ()
;; interactive, in case I start emacs before mounting /path/to
(interactive)
(let ((f "/path/to/work.org"))
(cond ((file-exists-p f)
(setq org-agenda-files (list f))
(appt-activate 1)
(org-agenda-list)
(org-agenda-to-appt))))
)
tomas> I'm using it at the moment as a work log (one
tomas> top-level entry per day, one second-level entry within each day
tomas> for each task, with a :PROPERTIES: drawer within it, stating,
tomas> among other things which customer/project/subproject to bill
tomas> the working time to), but I'm still unsure whether this is the
tomas> right way to use Org.
I use a similar system -- a top level for months, a second level for
days, an a third level for tasks within each day. I clock and tag
everything at the third level.
maus.david> You may take a look at Worg, "a set of Org files
maus.david> collectively edited by people who like Org-mode and want
maus.david> to share tutorials, ideas, code snippets, etc."
maus.david> http://orgmode.org/worg/
Worg is a great resource, as are the tutorials on
<http://orgmode.org/>. One of the tutorials is a 45 minute video of
Carsten Dominik giving a tech-talk at Google:
<http://orgmode.org/GoogleTech.html>. If you have 45 minutes to
spare, the talk is a nice introduction to org-mode, and the philosophy
behind it.
Steve
Dmitri Minaev
> Ethan <ethan...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Since a work log is based around daily entries, I'm wondering if
>> anyone can recommend the best way to use org-mode for such a purpose.
>
> I do not if it the best way but "remember templates" could be useful
> for this.
I second that. Besides, I have set up a keyboard shortcut in my window
manager (Stumpwm) which raises the Emacs window and calls the template
selection dialog, so I can add and entry to the log with just a few
keystrokes.
--
With best regards,
Dmitri Minaev
Russian history blog: http://minaev.blogspot.com
Ethan
> On Sat, Dec 19, 2009 at 6:47 PM, Vagn Johansen <gonz...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Ethan <ethandbr...@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >> Since a work log is based around daily entries, I'm wondering if
> >> anyone can recommend the best way to use org-mode for such a purpose.
>
> > I do not if it the best way but "remember templates" could be useful
> > for this.
>
> I second that. Besides, I have set up a keyboard shortcut in my window
> manager (Stumpwm) which raises the Emacs window and calls the template
> selection dialog, so I can add and entry to the log with just a few
> keystrokes.
>
> --
> With best regards,
> Dmitri Minaev
>
> Russian history blog:http://minaev.blogspot.com
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm definitely going to read up on the
Remember Templates. Here's how I've done my initial (very simple)
implementation:
I have a work log spanning the last 5 or so years on my current
project. It's a plain
text file that I just edit in emacs, plain and simple. Here is how my
work log is organized and how I've done my initial conversion to
org-mode. My current format is of the form:
========================================
05/14/09
Accounting system:
Work on CSS for tables
** Use standard fonts!
Design schema for SAP integration.
....
05/15/09
.....
05/16/09
.....
========================================
So when I start my work day, I just add the current date to the end of
the file and type away. After reviewing the Org-mode docs and
playing around a bit I decided to just start simple and work my way
slowly into the more complex features. I decided that my
implementation would set a top-level outline for each day and then set
the daily tasks with appropriate tags. I needed to convert my current
work log, which contains entries from the last 5 or so years. The
conversion was quite simple:
(1) Replace all lines with "*" in the first character to "+" as the
first character so as not to inadvertently create an outline entry.
M-x replace-regexp RET ^ *\* RET + RET
(2) Replace all daily start entry lines with top-level outline
entries. So lines of the form:
05/15/09
would be transformed to to lines of the form
* Day Entry [2009-05-14]
M-x replace-regexp RET
^\([0-9]\{1,2\}\)/\([0-9]\{1,2\}\)/\([0-9]\{2\}\) RET * Day Entry
\[20\3-\1-\2] RET
And voila! My work log was converted to org-mode format and I'm ready
to go. Here's my work log for today in my new format, previous days
collapsed:
* Day Entry [2009-12-17] ...
* Day Entry [2009-12-18] ...
* Day Entry [2009-12-19]
** DONE Convert worklog to emacs .org file. :work_organization:
CLOSED: [2009-12-19 Sat 09:23]
*** DONE Replace all lines with * in the first character to +.
CLOSED: [2009-12-19 Sat 09:10]
*** DONE Change all lines with starting entries XX/YY/ZZ to day
entries of the
CLOSED: [2009-12-19 Sat 09:23]
form * Day Entry [20ZZ-XX-YY]
Use emacs replace-regex
^\([0-9]\{1,2\}\)/\([0-9]\{1,2\}\)/\([0-9]\{2\}\)
=> * Day Entry \[20\3-\1-\2]
I'm currently using KTimeTracker for doing my project time tracking,
but I'm going to read up on the org-mode timers and perhaps switch
over.
--Ethan