CSV-based tasks "database"

[mattjastremski]

I know it's a bit out of scope for this plugin, but has anyone gone down the path of just storing/managing tasks from a dedicated file?
I just see every task-related plugin inventing their own schema for marking up tasks - at some point doesn't it just make more sense to have a lightweight "database" for these items?

[therden]

Hi @mattjastremski!

Applications that manage tasks using dedicated, task-focused "databases" are common.

What I most appreciate about Tasks is that it allows my todo items to "live" anywhere within the md files in my Obsidian vault:

• Note-related tasks (like - [ ] develop the above thought further; see [[other note##sage observation]]) located in the context to which they apply within a draft note
• Project-related tasks contained within dedicated note for each project (or, rarely, scattered across multiple notes contained in the project's dedicated sub-directory) where their order and indentation can be used to convey how they relate to each other
• One-off tasks captured within my Daily notes.
• Recurring tasks managed within topic-specific files:
  • anniversary dates (associated with gift, phone call, or card obligations) in one note file;
  • homeowner, car owner, and household tasks in another note file;
  • checklists for Weekly, Quarterly, and Annual reviews in three other note files.

That said, if the idea of a single, dedicated file of tasks appeals to you, you may want to check out todo.txt.

Although I'm not aware of an Obsidian community plugin that does so, it appears that by editing todo.txt's default configuration file, you could use .md in place of of .txt extension you could use todo.md, done.md, and report.md files within Obsidian to implement the todo.txt approach.

[schemar]

Thank you @therden. Very well put. The point of Tasks is not to move the tasks out of the vault.

One plugin that utilizes an external tasks database is the Todoist plugin. There might be more, you could check the list of task management plugins in the Obsidian Community Hub.