Multiple Instances How to?

[Alexis]

It would be nice to have multiple instances of MLO regarding the
same .ml file. So one could see 2 different views and maybe drag &
drop between them. There is an "Allow Multiple Instances" - option to
check in the options/behaviour menu. But how does it work?

Thank you.
Alexandra

[Richard Collings]

I don't think it allows you to open the same file more than once - I am
still on a much older version when you open a second copy of MLO and then
try and open the .ml file that you have open in the first instance, the
focus just switches to the first instance.

This has been a much requested feature and as fast as I am aware Andrey has
not responded to previous request - which I normally take to be a 'No'.

Whether the recent changes make this facility easier to implement or not, I
don't know.

If it was implemented, then I would upgrade in a flash - as I find the
current methods available for moving tasks around in the hierarchy just
don't work for me. I frequently find myself wanting to work though a list
of tasks, moving them to different locations and then doing various things
to them there once I can see them in context.

There are two options:
* drag and drop is very slow and you lose your place in the original list
* Ctrl + M which allows you to move stuff a bit more quickly without losing
your place - but you have not control over where the item goes when you drop
it on a task/folder - it always gets added at the end of the list and you
can't make any adjustments to it once it is in its new home.

If MLO allowed you to open the same file twice and allowed drag and drop
between the windows, then I would upgrade in flash.

Richard

[Mark Levison]

On Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 6:56 PM, Richard Collings <r...@rcollings.co.uk> wrote:

I don't think it allows you to open the same file more than once - I am
still on a much older version when you open a second copy of MLO and then
try and open the .ml file that you have open in the first instance, the
focus just switches to the first instance.

This has been a much requested feature and as fast as I am aware Andrey has
not responded to previous request - which I normally take to be a 'No'.

Whether the recent changes make this facility easier to implement or not, I
don't know.

If it was implemented,  then I would upgrade in a flash - as I find the
current methods available for moving tasks around in the hierarchy just
don't work for me.  I frequently find myself wanting to work though a list
of tasks, moving them to different locations and then doing various things
to them there once I can see them in context.

There are two options:
*  drag and drop is very slow and you lose your place in the original list
*  Ctrl + M which allows you to move stuff a bit more quickly without losing
your place - but you have not control over where the item goes when you drop
it on a task/folder - it always gets added at the end of the list and you
can't make any adjustments to it once it is in its new home.

If MLO allowed you to open the same file twice and allowed drag and drop
between the windows, then I would upgrade in flash.

Yes but since applications open files as a monolithic entity you would have the problem that the last writer wins. Do you really want multiple instances of the application? Or multiple views of the same data in memory? The difference while seeming subtle is vast.

If I understand what you're saying you need a way to see the two different parts of the tree at once and move data between them? Is that right/

Cheers
Mark

 

[Alexis]

I want:

- see more than one view at once. Have the possibility to view at
least two tasks and their properties (notes etc. to compare etc.) at
once. The current state means a vast limitation compared to outlook
where you can open an endless number of tasks and view them
simultaneously.

- drag & drop tasks between two views. If contexts are missing to be
visible in that view those could be automatically added (for
example).

- drag & drop tasks in the To-Do List (in same window). Do i really
have to change all those importance, urgency, due date parameters to
repriorize my tasks? I mean importance or computed score is relative.
What happens if something more important is to do? Maybe a good idea
would be the possibility to copy those computed-score relevant
properties from one task to another.

Think simply of Outlook, where you can run multiple instances of the
same PST-File. Every change you make in one window is instantly
performed in the other window too.

Alexandra

[Richard Collings]

All I can say is Agree Totally x 3

Unfortunately, it looks as if we are in a minority. The focus of recent
releases has been on improving filtering and on formatting. I am hoping
that this work is now complete (as it is of little interest to me) and that
Andrey will turn his attention to some of these other issues.

On the views on the same file, I am worried that the MLO software
architecture will just not support this. As previously indicated Andrey has
never responded to indicate whether this is possible and where it fits in
his order of priorities (as far as I can remember). For me it is a top
priority.

And on the drag and drop in To Do list this has been much requested for the
reasons you outline - the computed priority gets you so far but then you
want to be able to order things manually. Particularly in my case as I can
never get things into the order I want using the urgency and importance
sliders. So also top priority.

I think Andrey has made one post to indicate that he is thinking about this.
However, I can see that it is quite a tricky thing to do.

It will be interesting to see where Andrey goes next and whether these two
things feature in his plans.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: myLifeO...@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:myLifeO...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Alexis

[Alexis]

Uhps, thats bad news. I think we are on the same side, Richard. 1.000§/
@%$()/ Values of Importance & Urgency doesn´t ring a bell to me while
the order of my tasks makes the whole difference. At the moment it use
this workaround:

I open the view which will display the task (appropriate context). I
select the task just a little more important than the new one and
duplicate it (CTRL+D). So the new task will appear under the old task.
I type in the name, delete the notes and make other adjustments. For
this the order of my tasks will be fine. But of course things start
getting complicated if i want to change the order of existing tasks.
For that reason i programmed a menu which contains 10 Buttons for
setting importance and urgency of selected tasks from min to max. Also
those values are indicated in every tasks line. (red, blue arrows)

See MLO Graphics Bug.JPG in the File area for more.

Alexandra

[Mark Levison]

Thanks Richard and Alexis - this was insightful. I don't share all of your needs but at least I understand them a little better.

If you had to choose which to have first
1) Improvements to reparenting tasks in the tree (which is what I think you're accomplishing with Drag and Drop) or
2) Being able to view properties for multiple tasks at once

Which would you choose?

BTW this the sort of situation where UserVoice would be very handy for the MLO forum. We could very quickly see where the majority of the community wanted effort invested on its behalf.

Cheers
Mark

[Alexis]

Hi Mark,

if you mean with reparenting the changing of the taskorder in the To-
Do List this would be the feature i miss most. Actually it has nothing
to do with multiple instances but would be of great value for me. BTW
it is something Outlook does with no problem if you set "Sort by" to
none. Than you can reorder tasks freely by drag & drop. I already
suggested that MLO could calculate (adapt) I & U values accordingly to
the dragged (new) position.

Don´t you really feel the need to an fast and intuitive reordering
process? In my company constantly new tasks can make look "important"
tasks created a week ago very "relative important" to say the least.

Multiple instances to view properties for multiple tasks at once would
come second for me. I guess there would be a majority for my point of
view but let´s see.

Alexandra