Make date format configurable (including links like [[2021-04-05]])

[wenlzhang]

Currently, text like ✅ 2021-04-09 would be appended to the end of the task when it is marked as DONE. Is it possible to customize this? For instance, if ✅ [[2021-04-09]] is appended, then one can check in the Graph View what tasks have been completed on a specific date; if ✅ 202104141210 is appended, then one can know the specific time when a task is completed.

[schemar]

From an implementation point of view it shouldn't be too much work, unless I am forgetting something.
Would this be configurable in the settings? Would there be a pre-defined list of options to choose from or could you add your own? Or both? 🤔
If you change the setting, would it update all existing tasks? 🧐

Just for clarity, if it was ✅ [[2021-04-09]], you could check in the graph view which days link to notes which have tasks in them that were completed on that date. You wouldn't see the tasks themselves. For this, you would still need to use a ```tasks block.

[wenlzhang]

Would this be configurable in the settings? Would there be a pre-defined list of options to choose from or could you add your own? Or both? 🤔

I would imagine this as follows:

• One can define several options (texts to append) in the settings, and set a default option for appending, e.g. 202104141416, as this would be used in most cases.
• One can choose (e.g. from the pre-defined dropdown list/box that is defined in the settings) to append a different text other than the default one when completing a task. For instance, one can append [[2021-04-14]] for certain important tasks that one wants to know the completion date.
  • The box would be filled with the default text before selecting other options.

If you change the setting, would it update all existing tasks? 🧐

I think it may not be necessary to update existing completed tasks. It may work when completing new tasks, as one may have different needs in the future.

Just for clarity, if it was ✅ [[2021-04-09]], you could check in the graph view which days link to notes which have tasks in them that were completed on that date.

Thanks for clarifying this.

[wenlzhang]

Is it possible to also append customized text to an ordinary Markdown task like - [ ] Test ... by completing the task using this plugin through some hotkey? One may complete such tasks in their original locations rather than in the queried task page, if this makes it easier to achieve this.

[schemar]

Is it possible to also append customized text to an ordinary Markdown task like - [ ] Test ... by completing the task using this plugin through some hotkey? One may complete such tasks in their original locations rather than in the queried task page, if this makes it easier to achieve this.

The plugin works on regular checklists by now. So this should be done.

The original request of custom date formats is still valid, of course 👍

[schemar]

I think it is out of the scope of this plugin to achieve that for regular task lists. It was a deliberate design decision to separate todos that you want to track from "regular checklists".

If you complete a task from this plugin (- TODO) in preview or edit mode, it also appends the done date. No need to have a ```tasks block for that.

You can specify a hotkey in the config to toggle a task status between TODO and DONE in edit mode (or use the command Tasks: Toggle Done from the command palette - note that it is only available when your cursor is on a line of a task).

[wenlzhang]

I think it is out of the scope of this plugin to achieve that for regular task lists. It was a deliberate design decision to separate todos that you want to track from "regular checklists".

I understand this. Thanks for the clarification.

You can specify a hotkey in the config to toggle a task status between TODO and DONE in edit mode (or use the command Tasks: Toggle Done from the command palette - note that it is only available when your cursor is on a line of a task).

Being able to use hotkeys to toggle task status is very convenient.

[TfTHacker]

Great work and very much appreciated. Want to build on this discussion. I also agree supporting a date in brackets is valuable. Allows:

• click linking to your DNP
• Linking tasks in your vault to your DNP on the linked references pane, along with the graph view (why not let tasks be a part of your networked thoughts.

Next to that, while the emoticon looks very nice, it would be nice if that is optional. Just makes it easier to insert tasks with dates, especially on mobile devices with limited keyboards. And mostly, if not needed, it reduces textual dependencies for a dated task to be recognized. HOwever for recurring tasks, this makes sense as they are more complicated.

[schemar]

The second point is a different topic. I would say that’s not within reasonable effort to implement. The emoticon set-up is very easy. If I removed those, then how would I, for example, differentiate due and done date while keeping both optional?

[wenlzhang]

Just want to add more thoughts on how to query tasks based on completion date if the data format is customized. For the case of ✅ [[2021-04-09]], it may not be a problem, as the completion date is already included as the default completion date. For the case of ✅ 202104141210, the completion date and time are both included. Maybe one can even query tasks based on completion time with this date format.

[GitMurf]

Just wanted to add to this convo. I have been following this plugin since it came out and I LOVE the idea of it and it works great... BUT the only thing holding me back is not being able to use the Daily Notes Page links [[yyyy-mm-dd]]. Everything in my vault revolved around my daily notes page links and this is how I currently do/tag tasks outside this plugin. If you are able to implement this ability, or maybe even just a setting where we can define the format we want to use, that would be amazing and I would surely then commit to using this plugin.

Either way, awesome job and thanks for all your hard work!

p.s. do you have a "buy me a coffee" type link for contributions?

[wenlzhang]

Just want to add some thoughts on how to customize date and time format.

In the plugin Reminder, one can set the "Date format" for all-day reminders and "Date and time format" for reminders at a specific time. Therefore, it would be great if the following can be set separately in the configuration pane:

• Date format, e.g. 2021-09-01
• Date and time format for identifying tasks, e.g. 2021-09-01T09:00
  • It would be great if all the following can also be supported, 2021-09-01T09:00, 2021-09-01T09:00:00 and 2021-09-01T09:00:00:000 as certain parameters at the end may be optional according to the ISO format definition.
• Date and time format for completing tasks, e.g. 2021-09-01T09:00

This discussion can be found as follows:
uphy/obsidian-reminder#9 (comment)
Support automatically adding customized timestamp after completing tasks · Issue #9 · uphy/obsidian-reminder

[schemar]

Let's focus this discussion on different date formats. Supporting time in addition to dates would be a separate change. Tasks relies on the fact that all tasks are scheduled at 00:00:00 of a day at the moment to do comparison/filtering/etc.

[claremacrae]

Just to note that in a duplicate request, I pasted in a list (most) of the steps required to implement this:
#2394 (comment)

[DaddyLongLegs142]

I've just landed on this discussion while doing some research for building my own plugin with more advanced task handling. Let me add my two cents.

It seems to me that the primary use case for customized date strings would be to integrate with Daily Notes and Periodic Notes. Based on this assumption, I would suggest handling the initial implementation of this feature in the same way as those plugins: i.e. updating the format in the plugin's settings only affects future tasks, and anything that the user wants to port over from the old format will have to be changed manually.

Since there is precedent for this implementation in two of the most popular plugins in the community, I think that it is a good starting place. It would give some support for custom date formats for those who want/need it while at the same time keeping the initial scope of the feature from growing too large. It could then be updated into a more robust system in the future if deemed appropriate.

[claremacrae]

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment.

i.e. updating the format in the plugin's settings only affects future tasks, and anything that the user wants to port over from the old format will have to be changed manually.

I'm not comfortable with that outcome.

I covered that in the comment linked previous to your note... It's not that simple. It requires all future code to be able to read the old and new formats, even though the old one is now no longer in the settings.

There are other issues listed in that comment too.

[DaddyLongLegs142]

I'm not comfortable with that outcome.

Say no more. Keep up the amazing work!

[claremacrae]

Just to set expectations on this...

Tasks is in the fortunate position of having contributions being made at a faster rate than I can keep up with them.

I'm often pairing 2 or 3 times a week with other contributors. Always at least once a week.

And so I'm rarely getting time to develop the things that I personally would use, and therefore wish to see implemented. (This isn't a thing that I would particularly use, either)

Therefore, this is unlikely to be realistically implemented in the foreseeable future by anyone currently contributing to Tasks.

I'm not adding the 'help wanted' label, as a "good-enough" implementation is such a large task that it would require a lot of my time to shepherd an implementation through.

[mbeckenbach]

@claremacrae I respect what you do here with this plugin a lot. But custom date format is super important for anyone living outside of the english speaking world. Please consider that.

[claremacrae]

@mbeckenbach I have to be transparent and say that I am completely and utterly drained by the volume of remaining work on this project, and the rate of repeated requests for existing features.

I recently reviewed the backlog and updated the Roadmap to make the prioritised work visible, and to allow me to focus on the things I wish to work on, to best support users.

It was an oversight not to including this facility, so I have just added it to the roadmap.

As you will see, it is competing with a lot of other equally important things that other people think to be super important, some of which are preparatory things that need to be done before this is.

[claremacrae]

I do of course understand the value of this and many of the other requests.

[claremacrae]

I have created an issue from this, so that I can track it in the Roadmap.

Keep up-voting here though...

• Make date format configurable (including links like [[2021-04-05]]) #3372