Feature Request: Add/Edit entries in "Project Status" field

[MATSURU]

As per the subject line, this request is to have the option to edit/
add entries in the"Project Status" Field.

Currently, We only have "Not started", "In progress", "Suspended" &
"Completed".

My wish is to have the ability to alter and add in additional
entries to the field, which is similar to the "Context" field where we
can enter/delete the entries freely.

I understand that messing too much on the "Project status" field
might create some problems on sorting out projects. In that case, We
can set the 4 default entries as permanent status, while we the user
can add out own define project status entries, such as "Project on
hold", " Project on deck", "Project later", "Project postponed",
"Project delayed", "Project someday", "Project Maybe" ...etc.

To prevent/reduce the software load/process time, maybe we can limit
the number of entries in the "Project Status" field to maybe 10 custom
entries.

I hope this request is useful for any of us who prefer to use our
own words to describe our project status.

Thank you for reading and please share what do you think about this
request.



regards,

-MOK-

[Phillip]

I think it is a bad idea. The project status should be as is, with a
context giving more descriptive. This way you can list all suspended
projects and then colour them according to context (@postponed,
@delayed, etc). Or unstarted projects with contexts (@someday, @maybe,
etc).

Keeping the project status fixed will give any statistics projects a
proper API to work with. ie if you want stats and graphs on completed
projects, keeping the options fixed is the only was the statistics
module can tell which projects are complete.

Phillip.

[MATSURU]

In that case, maybe we should have another field = sub-project
status. :)

I have alot of contexts, just dont wanna mix everything up. it would
be hard to distinguish.

Just a thought. :D

[Dwight Arthur]

Hi, Mok. There are two frequently requested features related to project status. The first is for an additional value for the status field, and you suggestion shows an excellent way to meet that request. The second it for some workflow automation between the Project Status field and the task status, for example, that all tasks in a Not Started project would be inactive tasks. Would your solution to the first request make it more difficult to implement the second? Would we have to chose which request we liked better and abandon the other?
-Dwight

On Wednesday, November 10, 2010 5:17:56 AM UTC-5, MOK | MATSURU wrote:

... My wish is to have the ability to alter and add in additional
entries to the [Project Status] field, which is similar to the "Context" field where we
can enter/delete the entries freely. ...

[Lisa Stroyan]

 I would be concerned with the idea of automating changes based on project status. The concept of "Active action" is already complicated enough for new users. I'm not saying I am completely opposed, but it needs to be very well thought out to make it usable.

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[robisme (Olivier R)]

I've just discovered today that a taks belonging to an inactive project is not automatically considered as inactive. This should be the normal behavior, shouldn't it ?

To add to Mok idea, that I find good:

I also have a lot of context and it is a mess now.

I think that a kind of categorisation/organisation of contexts would be good.

Two possibilities came in my mind:

1: to add a second context field

2: to be able to group contexts (as an outline of contexts)

Lisa Stroyan, mailto: ...@gmail.com

[m...@grantsmiths.org]

Hi, Olivier.

Group contexts already exist. Try this:

1.       create a concept “group” (you probably want a better name).

2.       Hit F8 (or select “Manage Contexts” from the MLO “Tools” menu)

3.       Select “group” from the list of contexts in the left pane of the “Manage Contexts” popup

4.       In the right pane, make sure the “included contexts” tab is selected and check off the contexts that should be included in Group.

5.       Hit “close”

Group contexts can have their own tasks or can just contain other contexts. Examples: my @computer context contains no tasks, just other contexts (+laptop, +phone, +web). My @home context has something over 100 active tasks right now and also contains two other contexts, +yard and +basement. You can make multiple layers – one of the contexts included in “group” can itself be a group and contain other contexts.

 

 

I’m confused by your phrase “inactive project” – Like any item, projects have an activity status which can be active or inactive depending on dates, dependencies, uncompleted children or siblings, time of day in relation to open/closed hours of the assigned context, and other factors even more obscure. But it does not sound like this is what you are talking about. I think you mean project-not-started status.

 

Are you supporting the request for some automated process that changes project-not-active status and/or the activity status of tasks within the project in order to promote better alignment between the two?

 

I am philosophically in favor of such a thing but I share Lisa’s concern that it would need to be thought through very carefully. Many people use MLO in different ways and a small, obviously-beneficial change often has the effect of making big problems for a group of users who are doing something you never thought of. For example, when I tried to come up with a rule that would work, I thought of this: If any task within a project or the project itself has reached start date while project status remains not-started then change project status to In-progress. But then I realized that this would destroy a view I use that shows projects that should have started but didn’t. Then, I thought about saying that when any task within a not-started project is completed, change the project status to in-progress. Then I remembered recently when I was buying materials for a project I was starting and I also picked up materials for a project that was coming up. I went into the future project and marked the “buy materials” task completed. But the project was definitely not started, and should not start yet. It would have been a definite distraction for the future project to be showing up on my “today’s work” view.

 

If you think this should be done, why don’t you try your hand at writing a rule that says “if [condition] (…and/or/not [condition]) then change [indicator] to [value]) and post it here. Forum members will be able to see if it would work for them and maybe we will get somewhere.

-Dwight

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[robisme (Olivier R)]

Hi Dwight,

I have probably not very well expressed my request about grouping context.

It is not about included context, rather about an ability to expand/collapse and set different categories of context. Like this:

- group "places" include contexts "bank", "grocery", "baker", etc.

- group "people" include contexts "Dwight", "Lisa", "Mok", "Phillip"

- group "activity" include contexts "cerebration", "DIY", "cooking"

This way, instead of having a long flat list of contexts, we could pick-up contexts in a outlined list of context.

By inactive project, I really mean "not started" or "suspended". Perhaps am I wrong, but I think that if my project is "not started", some subtasks still may be displayed in a Todo view.

But as I'm writing, it seems that it has bee fixed.

I feel like some view are not refreshed immediatly after a change if I don't save them.

Finally, lets drop this "inactive project issue". I'm not that sure anymore.

Olivier

[Lisa Stroyan]

On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 1:59 PM, robisme (Olivier R) <robillar...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Dwight,

I have probably not very well expressed my request about grouping context.

It is not about included context, rather about an ability to expand/collapse and set different categories of context.

Can you be more specific about the difference? That is how I use included contexts--for categories. Let's suppose this is what "included" contexts means. What would you like to see in the UI? Are you saying that you would like to see the list of contexts in the filter pane be hierarchical? Or are you saying you would like two levels of grouping of contexts in your task lists? 

 Now here would perhaps be a really cool feature -- how about "Group by" options "Context" and "Context Tree"? Then in the group-by you could see a tree of contexts. (Would have to worry about multiple parents though).

Lisa

[robisme (Olivier R)]

I'd like 2 levels. A category of context, and the context itself.

Included context is not the same purpose. It is to allo to filter to , say, "errands" and display all task with conttexts like "grocery", "baker", because they are included in "errands".

My idea is to support Mok when he says "I have alot of contexts, just dont wanna mix everything up. it would. be hard to distinguish. "

I mean, adding a project status "Posponed" between "Post office" and "Polycopy" doens't make sense.

I'd like a category "project status" with 'postponed, delegated", a category "places" with "post office, bank".

If I decide to act this todo in a certain place, I first select "places", then the place.

Id I prefer to do it when I am with someone, I select "Pepole", then appears the list when I pick up "Lisa"

[m...@grantsmiths.org]

+1 for group by context tree

-Dwight

 

From: mylifeo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:mylifeo...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Lisa Stroyan
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 4:14 PM
To: Groups, Email
Subject: Re: [MLO] Re: Feature Request: Add/Edit entries in "Project Status" field

 

On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 1:59 PM, robisme (Olivier R) <robillar...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Chris]

What there was the ability to tag tasks? Then it could be up to the user if this was meant to indicate a category, a sub-project status, or whatever. And you could view, group, or sort by one or more tags. Just an idea.

[robisme (Olivier R)]

+1 for Chris idea.