TaskPaper 3 is out

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Posted by Bernhard
Mar 16, 2016 at 03:16 PM

for about $18 (http://www.taskpaper.com/)

Posted by Paul Korm
Mar 16, 2016 at 03:54 PM

The version on taskpaper.com today (3/16) is a “Preview” copy.

Bernhard wrote:
for about $18 (http://www.taskpaper.com/)
> >

Posted by Jesse Grosjean
Mar 16, 2016 at 11:20 PM

Not sure if there was an old ULR at that time, but it should be that you get version 3.0 (non preview) when you download.

Posted by Jesse Grosjean
Mar 16, 2016 at 11:43 PM

I’m curious to get everyone’s take on TaskPaper 3’s outlining (folding and item movement) model. I think it’s a bit different compared to what’s come before.

I think the two default models for outlining are:

1. Traditional outliner where folding and item movement is constrained to the outline hierarchy. Folded regions are skipped over by edits. (For example “Return” in an item will skip over any folded items to create a new sibling item). And movement is constrained to the hierarchy and always brings children with the moved items.

2. Programers text editor where folds are represented as single characters that stand in for all text. So you can select and delete folded content. Generally folded content is not moved along with parent when it is moved. Folded regions are not skipped over by edits.

TaskPaper mixes the two in a way that I at least think is nice and interesting. It implements what I would consider a true outliner model, but in a text editor UI where you can select and edit over the entire outline text without a separate block selection mode. (Normal outliners that I now about limit raw text editing to a single item at a time)

In particular:

1. Item movement feels like a text editor. When you move an item it doesn’t by default bring along it’s children.

2. As a result item movement is free, you aren’t constrained by the hierarchy… because the moved item won’t capture other items in the hierarchy until you decide on it’s end position.

3. You can over indent if you want.

4. If you’ve folded an item, then it will bring along the folded items. The rule when moving items is basically move the visible line. If an item is collapsed then the collapsed region is considered part of the visible line. So it’s all moved.

4. But unlike a text editor (and like an outliner) folded regions are skipped over by edits. For example you can’t delete backwards and accidentally delete folded items. When you press Return on an item with folded children those children are not captured by the newly created item.

5. On the other hand if you select over a fold, that content is cut/copied/pasted as you would expect.

6. TaskPaper also allows you to indent content under a folded item, without expanding that item. So you’ll just see the time you’ve indented, but not the other children. This makes it possible to move items around without the view having to auto-expand all over the place.

I think it’s an interesting approach. TaskPaper is very much backed by a “true” outline. But lots of people feel constrained by outliners, and I think/hope the TaskPaper model makes it feel unconstrained, while still being a full outliner model.

Would love to hear thoughts and pointers to other apps that do similar things that I might learn from.

Jesse

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