When creating a new task, do not overwrite current line

[sarahscheffler]

Hi there,

I'm trying to understand how creating a new task works. What I'd really like when creating a new task is to create a new line with the new task, rather than replacing my current line as a new task. Is this possible? I checked the settings, the limitations page, and the Q+A and discussions, and didn't see anything about this, but my apologies if I missed something.

[claremacrae]

I'm trying to understand how creating a new task works.

The behaviour is documented here, if you haven't seen that already:
https://publish.obsidian.md/tasks/Editing/Create+or+edit+Task

This is the relevant section:

[sarahscheffler]

I didn't mean I want to understand how to make a new task (which I provided as background info to make clear that I'm not a tasks expert). Perhaps this was not clear, but I want to not do the behavior you're describing, where creating a new task modifies the existing line. I always want it to create a new line and make a new task (leaving the previous line untouched). I'm coming to understand this may only be possible with the Tasks API; the default behavior is explicitly not what I want.

[claremacrae]

OK, however, once a behaviour is documented, the barrier to changing it is really, really high. Hence pointing out that the behaviour you are describing is the documented, intentional behaviour...

Anyway, another possibility is to use the Macro facility in the Commander plugin to create a macro command that:

• Inserts a new line
• Invokes the Create or edit Task command.

Then you can add a hotkey for the new command...

[sarahscheffler]

Ah, macros! That's great, that's basically exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

[sarahscheffler]

FYI, what I ultimately ended up doing was the following, involving the QuickAdd and Code Editor Shortcuts plugins in addition to Tasks. Thanks @claremacrae for suggesting macros. I also especially wanted to highlight Code Editor Shortcuts because it took me a while of googling and mucking around with templates to try to figure out how to insert a newline. (It seems templates, quickadd macros, newlines, and cursor movement do not play well with each other.)

Using QuickAdd, I created a new macro*, checked the little lightning bolt button that lets you call it from command palette, and then bound it to Ctrl+T. It does the following four Obsidian commands in order:

1. Daily Notes: Open today's daily note
2. Code Editor Shortcuts: Insert line above
3. Code Editor Shortcuts: Move cursor up
4. Tasks: Create or edit task

(There is a way to directly let QuickAdd add a task, but it gives you a raw textbox rather than the nice Tasks box with the emoji completion and stuff.)

*When creating a macro in QuickAdd, you can't go to "Manage Macros", you have to click the button-that-is-a-secret-dropdown-menu that says "Template", instead select "Macro", name the macro, and then click "Add Choice." If you set it up that way, you get the option to call it from command palette. If you instead create it from "Manage Macros," it cannot be called from palette. (None of this is Tasks's fault, I put the blame on QuickAdd for having a very obtuse UI, I will be complaining there.)

Closing the loop here, I do think it's reasonable for people to want to create a hotkey for creating a totally new task without the risk of overwriting an existing task; I wish this was a toggle-able option in the Tasks settings (or that there was a separate command for "Create" as opposed to "Create or Edit"). But I can understand Tasks wanting to remain at a lower level than that. Also, maybe there is a better way to do this, I dunno, I'm new at this. In any case, thanks to everyone who jumped in to help.

[claremacrae]

Thanks for writing up what you did.

[claremacrae]

What I'd really like when creating a new task is to create a new line with the new task, rather than replacing my current line as a new task. Is this possible?

Yes, it is, via the Tasks API. There is an example of a QuickAdd script to invoke the Create or edit Task Modal to create a new task. You can use QuickAdd to also add a new line...

https://publish.obsidian.md/tasks/Advanced/Tasks+Api

This is not something we would have the capacity to help with, however.

[sarahscheffler]

Okay, later on when I have the time I will see if I can use the API to create a new line and then call the creation of a new task (thereby leaving the original line unmodified). Thank you for the pointer!