RE: [MLO] Templates in MLO
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Michael Emerald, CFA
Dec 16, 2012, 5:55:27 PM12/16/12
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Great question and I’m looking forward to hear how others answers. I always have a few templates on hand, called, for example:
“ASSAULT TEMPLATE”, which is a non-project task template that is set to my default contexts, recurrences, etc.
“CLIENT MEETING TEMPLATE”, Which is a project that has the generic tasks I need to set up a client meeting
“ANALYST MEETING TEMPLATE”, which is a project with tasks specific to a stock analyst meeting
.
.
What I do when I have, say, an actual client meeting is “duplicate” the template, rename it, and set its status to active. If I need to start a non-project task, I do the same with the “ASSAULT TEMPLATE”.
Any other ideas anybody?
From: mylifeo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:mylifeo...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Dino Moskos
Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2012 15:20
To: mylifeo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [MLO] Templates in MLO
I am thinking of buying this program. I have matters that have the same tasks in them. Is there a template function with this program whereby I can set up multiple to dos set up at a predetermined schedule? Otherwise, I have to type the same tasks for every matter and make sure that the time frames are correct each time. Thanks.
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Dmitry_N
Dec 17, 2012, 3:12:16 AM12/17/12
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What I do is first export a task as MLO XML and then import it back when needed.
Please mind you will have to always click on "Insert as subtask" in the import dialog (instead of mporting the template to the root of your current file, as your last option doesn't stick.
Please mind you will have to always click on "Insert as subtask" in the import dialog (instead of mporting the template to the root of your current file, as your last option doesn't stick.
Lisa Stroyan
Dec 17, 2012, 10:06:03 AM12/17/12
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Dino, there is not a specific template feature, but there are ways to do this, sort of. There is a free version of MLO that should give you what you need to try out these ideas, and I think a trial period of the full version.
First, MLO supports extensive recurrence options, so any task I have that is daily, weekly, 10-days-after this one, etc -- I use recurrence. The nice thing about recurrence is that it adjusts the dates of the subtasks when the parent recurs. It's pretty slick. So if you have a parent that starts today and is due tomorrow, but children that start tomorrow and are due the following day, and set the recurrence for daily, then complete the parent (which you can have done automatically when all children are complete, or other options), all of those intervals will be shifted by one day.
For non recurrent tasks, I have a branch called Templates that is marked "Hide-branch-in-todo". This makes all tasks under it "hidden" in all "active" views (Active is a powerful concept in MLO that incorporates whether a task is able to be worked on or not, for various reasons).
- Because "hide-in-todo" is inherited but not set on the children, making a copy of a subtree and moving the copy out of the "templates" branch effectively removes "hide-in-todo". You have to replace text that is specific to that task, manually.
The date shifting only occurs on task reset due to recurrence. It doesn't happen when you edit dates, for example on your copy. However, there is a kludge...you could, I suppose, click on recurrence on the parent, change it to 'recur X days after this task is completed' (you would have to calculate "x" from the task's original date which would be a pain), and complete it once -- then all the intervals would be up to date.
Anyway, I think you will find there are so many rich features in MLO that it would be hard to return to other programs...hopefully something here will work for you well enough but I encourage you to try out the program on some test data.
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Dwight Arthur
Dec 18, 2012, 9:45:56 AM12/18/12
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Dino, MLO (this program) offers three layers of support for you, depending on exactly what you need.
_Recurrence_ was described by Lisa in a previous answer. If it's just that you have a group of tasks that you want to schedule repeatedly, every day, every week, the second and fourth wednesdays of each month, or whatever, just create a recurring task and it will reschedule itself, This is extremely powerful and useful.
The second answer is to create a template within your outline. Again, Lisa has described how to set up a branch in a hidden "template" folder, but there's more. When you need another copy of your template, you don't have to make a copy and move it out of the folder. Here's what else you can do: go to the place in your outline where you want the new branch to go. Select an existing task that's at the same level as where you want the new branch placed (called a "sibling".) Right-click on the sibling to bring up a "context menu" and select "new from template." MLO will pop up a window with your outline in it, you should scroll to where your template folder is, expand it, select the branch you want to use and click OK. MLO will make a copy of your template in the place you have selected. You probably have to edit the top item in the branch to give it a name or description and to set the dates, if the lower level tasks are inheriting their dates from the parent then you are probably done.
Finally, you can create a template file. This is helpful if having a "template" folder in your outline is confusing or annoying. In MLO, in the File menu, select "New". You will see a list of existing template files. Ignore them, select "create new blank file". You will now be in a totally empty workspace. Set up your templates as branches in this workspace. For example, create a task called Template1 and create the appropriate subtasks. Then back to the root and create another task called Template2 and its subtasks. When you have finished creating them, from the File menu select "Export". On the "Save As" window that pops up, set "Save As Type" to "MyLifeOrganized Template (.mlt)" and enter a name for the file, then save it. Then, back to the File menu, select Open and pick your saved profile. (If MLO asks if you want to save the file you can say "no" because it's already saved as a template. (Unless you want to save this outline as a profile to make it easier to edit and re-save the templates.) Now, find the place in your outline where you want the template tasks added, select a (parent) task or folder under which you want your new branches created, and from the File menu, select "Import". In the "open" window, set file type to "MyLifeOrganized Template (.mlt)" From the list of template files, select the one you saved, and select that you want "subtasks of the selected task". Hit OK and your new branches will be created from the template, ready for you to update the descriptions and dates.
Dino, MLO has a lot of functionality and nobody really uses all of it. If you find that one of the answers to your questions sounds useful and easy, you can just focus on that solution and ignore the other answers. Good luck, and I hope to see you here on the MLO users forum in the future.
-Dwight
_Recurrence_ was described by Lisa in a previous answer. If it's just that you have a group of tasks that you want to schedule repeatedly, every day, every week, the second and fourth wednesdays of each month, or whatever, just create a recurring task and it will reschedule itself, This is extremely powerful and useful.
The second answer is to create a template within your outline. Again, Lisa has described how to set up a branch in a hidden "template" folder, but there's more. When you need another copy of your template, you don't have to make a copy and move it out of the folder. Here's what else you can do: go to the place in your outline where you want the new branch to go. Select an existing task that's at the same level as where you want the new branch placed (called a "sibling".) Right-click on the sibling to bring up a "context menu" and select "new from template." MLO will pop up a window with your outline in it, you should scroll to where your template folder is, expand it, select the branch you want to use and click OK. MLO will make a copy of your template in the place you have selected. You probably have to edit the top item in the branch to give it a name or description and to set the dates, if the lower level tasks are inheriting their dates from the parent then you are probably done.
Finally, you can create a template file. This is helpful if having a "template" folder in your outline is confusing or annoying. In MLO, in the File menu, select "New". You will see a list of existing template files. Ignore them, select "create new blank file". You will now be in a totally empty workspace. Set up your templates as branches in this workspace. For example, create a task called Template1 and create the appropriate subtasks. Then back to the root and create another task called Template2 and its subtasks. When you have finished creating them, from the File menu select "Export". On the "Save As" window that pops up, set "Save As Type" to "MyLifeOrganized Template (.mlt)" and enter a name for the file, then save it. Then, back to the File menu, select Open and pick your saved profile. (If MLO asks if you want to save the file you can say "no" because it's already saved as a template. (Unless you want to save this outline as a profile to make it easier to edit and re-save the templates.) Now, find the place in your outline where you want the template tasks added, select a (parent) task or folder under which you want your new branches created, and from the File menu, select "Import". In the "open" window, set file type to "MyLifeOrganized Template (.mlt)" From the list of template files, select the one you saved, and select that you want "subtasks of the selected task". Hit OK and your new branches will be created from the template, ready for you to update the descriptions and dates.
Dino, MLO has a lot of functionality and nobody really uses all of it. If you find that one of the answers to your questions sounds useful and easy, you can just focus on that solution and ignore the other answers. Good luck, and I hope to see you here on the MLO users forum in the future.
-Dwight
Dino Moskos
Dec 19, 2012, 8:52:05 PM12/19/12
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Thanks, Dwight. Before I received your reply, I was playing with the program and realized it had the "new from template" feature. As I worked with my list I saw the templates expanding. Today I arranged my to do list so I had a separate Template Folder. That way, as I realize new steps that have to take place, I can simply put them in the template for the next project. The interesting thing is that by doing so I have started to put together a system to do various activities in my office. All I will need to do is copy and paste the tasks to a word processor and, voila, I have a system that only needs a little tweaking to be used in the office. I am happy about that. Two birds, as they say. Again, thanks for your help.
Dino
Dino Moskos
Dec 19, 2012, 8:52:54 PM12/19/12
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