Maybe we (the users) should continue throwing out ideas about how dependencies and/or subtasks could be implemented, in case the developers are still trying to find a simple yet effective way to allow us to have this functionality. My point really is that there are many features that could be helpful for RTM users but if they were ALL implemented they would like screw up a great interface. Virtually the only online to do list manager that I know of that has a dependent task option ( Hiveminder) was built from the beginning as a business task management/project management app.
They are, however, commonplace in project management situations, which is why I think they belong in a project management app. I can imagine dependent task situations but not too often ( buy X bands tickets if they go on sale November 1, maybe), but I think they are rare for the average user. Most of the time, the daily to-do list consists of either chores ( get haircut, clean room) which don't require the completion of a prior task, or various one-off tasks. Bu I ( and suspect most people) would not regard a dependent task option as NECESSARY in running their daily to-dos. Of course, you will always find some situations in which having a dependent task option is helpful. As a side note, perhaps this new Requires tab could eventually contain other properties that would be needed before the task became active, ie. I feel that having this in a new tab like "Requires" would help those with no concept of dependencies just ignore the whole thing.
Either way, a new search operator would allow filtering out those tasks that depend on an incomplete task. 3) Either by default all tasks could be listed, even those that depend on another incomplete task, but distinguishable visually (perhaps they are a lighter gray), or else they are normally not visible until active. A newline would be used to separate different tasks. I think the best way would be a variation on the way you add tags to a task: you begin to type, and a list of tasks (and perhaps tags) that contain the letter sequence you've typed appears in the drop down list. 2) In this tab/property, a method of selecting (multiple) tasks that the current task(s) depends on. Alternatively just a new property in the Task tab. Perhaps it could be implemented like this: 1) A new tab in the right-hand box (alongside Task and Notes) called "Depends" or "Requires". However I think this feature could be immensely powerful yet intuitive. I understand that Emily and co at RTM are being cautious not to complicate the user interface. I would find the ability to make some tasks dependent on others INCREDIBLY useful.
0 kommentar(er)
