Project next task not showing in unified list
Aloha - when I go to the Next Action screen - I see all standalone tasks but no next steps actions from a project.
The tasks from the project are sequential and are set to repeating - although when I create a non-repeating project task and move it to the top of the project list, to be a next task, it doesn't show in the next task folder as well.
I also have task number counts turned on and it correctly shows the total number of next actions in the next action folder - but no project tasks.
I just did a little more testing and the projects that do not
have repeating tasks are working correctly
Thanks
2 Posted by Proximo on 06 Feb, 2012 01:04 AM
@bane
Make sure to set your Next list to "Unified" mode. Click on the asteric on the top right and then select "Unified List"
3 Posted by bane on 06 Feb, 2012 03:52 AM
Aloha Proximo - yes the Next list was set to unified mode.
When I switched to sequential mode it showed the project's next actions.
Mahalo
4 Posted by Proximo on 06 Feb, 2012 06:46 PM
Great. You need the combination of both. The Next list set to "Unified List" and your projects in "Sequential" mode.
5 Posted by bane on 08 Feb, 2012 04:38 AM
Aloha Proximo - I'm sorry if I didn't explain the issue correctly --
when I'm in the next action screen - and have selected unified mode - I didn't see a project's next task if it's a project that has a repeating task.
when in next action mode - and have switched to sequential mode - the project's next task show.
my projects are set to sequential as default.
Mahalo
6 Posted by Folke on 08 Feb, 2012 06:44 AM
I tested your situation and found that having a repeating task anywhere within a project somehow inhibits even the first normal Next task from being shown in the unified list.
Just out of curiosity: Why do you have repeating tasks within a project in the first place? I mean, if the project is a normal sequential one in reality, then if you have repeating tasks that depend only on date, what are you actually trying to achieve? Maybe there is some way around it?
7 Posted by bane on 08 Feb, 2012 08:20 AM
Aloha Folke - mahalo for tasking the time to test.
I have the same set of compliance reports due every month on the 28th. There's a series of steps that I need to follow to gather the data, verify, enter and QA/QC.
I figure it would be PITA to enter this project every month.
These damn TPS reports kill me...
8 Posted by Folke on 08 Feb, 2012 08:32 AM
Maybe a checklist within a standalone repeating task would do?
I use that a lot. In the task notes, if you start a line with a hyphen it actually shows up as a checkable checkbox when you open the note for viewing later. Handy.
And if you have many related such repeating tasks, you could tag them instead of putting them in a "project". Or you could put them in a "parallel project", which I assume is intended as an alternative to tagging if you want to group tasks together for some reason regardless of whether they are actually a project or some other kind of categorization - with no particular "execution sequence" among the tasks. This seems to be the case for you.
9 Posted by dafyren on 08 Feb, 2012 07:40 PM
I also experience this issue. Actually I wrote about it about a month ago:
http://help.nirvanahq.com/discussions/problems/1449-not-all-next-ac...
Now I can replicate this issue.
Regarding repeated actions in a project: I think that is useful in many situations and should not influence on whether next actions are shown or not.
10 Posted by Folke on 08 Feb, 2012 08:04 PM
@Dafyren
Please explain how you would like it to work in an ordinary sequential project. (It already works in the "parallel projects"/"categories".) But I am bewildered as to where in the sequence of a sequential project you would like Nirvana to squeeze in the repeat actions. (I am not arguing the benefits, only trying to understand.)
11 Posted by dafyren on 08 Feb, 2012 08:52 PM
Thanks for pointing out Folke.
I believe that current implementation of scheduled/tickler actions in sequential projects is flawed and leads to misunderstandings (as the one you are pointing out).
I have suggested an improvement in this thread:
http://help.nirvanahq.com/discussions/suggestions/1293-improve-impl...
Basically, scheduled actions should be split out and not be a part of the sequential order. Problem solved :)
12 Posted by Folke on 08 Feb, 2012 09:30 PM
For non-repeating scheduled actions it could also have a certain use to be able to hold the remainder of the project until that date has arrived, so this is not necessarily a flaw. If you do not want the scheduled task to hold your project, then why can't you simply move them down to its appropriate position where it should hold up the project? Or put it outside since it appears to have nothing much to do with the project's execution anyway? Or use the parallel form? I imagine there will be more options if/when multiple actions can be made active in sequential projects, and even more if/when projects can be nested.
For repeating actions I still do not quite understand your intended role here in a project. Do you mean, for example, that you have one branch of the project being sequential, and another branch parallel to the first one, and the second one consists of X repeated instances of the same action, say, "Paint one more layer of the kitchen wall"). In this case, without nesting, you would have to put them as two separate main projects, or, in this simple case, to put the repeat action as a standalone repeat.
Support Staff 13 Posted by David McLaughlin on 09 Feb, 2012 04:14 PM
As @Folke mentioned, the ability for a scheduled (or Waiting) task to suspend the rest of the project from being actionable is intentional and not likely to be changed.
I suspect that since a recurring task IS a scheduled task, it's the cause of invoking the behavior @bane posted about - although I haven't personally tried testing/thinking through all the connotations.
It might be possible to ignore a pattern task from affecting the sequential project flow, but that raises a couple issues I would think would be better handled after we have some sort of ability to have a "parallel" task in a seq. project as I suspect the scheduled task should be placed in Next & Focused - in parallel - with the manually sequenced tasks of the project - and not subvert that order, or be not visible in the UNL if it doesn't.
David
14 Posted by bane on 10 Feb, 2012 05:00 AM
Aloha , for my issue - a repeating monthly project would work.
All the tasks that are in the project need to occur in sequential order.
Mahalo
Support Staff 15 Posted by David McLaughlin on 15 Feb, 2012 02:01 PM
@bane - recurring projects as opposed to recurring tasks is on the futures list to look at. Not sure if and when it will get to the Focus list; it's a Someday at this point.
David
16 Posted by jber on 15 Feb, 2012 05:12 PM
David:
Instead of programing Nirvana to allow for recurring projects, would it be easier for you to enable the creation of project templates? I would LOVE this!! For me, it would be extremely valuable to have templates that can be duplicated/activated when the need comes up.
17 Posted by Folke on 15 Feb, 2012 06:55 PM
@jber
Maybe as a workaround you could use the checklist feature that already exists within the notes - just start each line with a hyphen and it shows up as a checkable checklist later when you click the notes icon. I use this a lot. (It is not a project template, for sure, but often exactly what I need.)
Support Staff 18 Posted by David McLaughlin on 20 Feb, 2012 06:29 PM
@jber - actually not much different in terms of approach (though I suspect somewhat more effort for the recurring projects) and copying a project (or a project template) might actually be a first step.
Again, that's still preliminary thinking and nothing guaranteed.
David
19 Posted by jber on 20 Feb, 2012 08:19 PM
Folke and David:
Thanks for the replies to my question about a project templates. Templates would be my first choice, but being able to copy a project seems like it would work as well.
20 Posted by Mark Hewitt on 16 Apr, 2012 05:36 PM
I have this issue too - I have my weekly review set up as a project. It's very useful to be able to have a set of repeating tasks (ie "check intray", "check email/action folder"), and then be able to throw in other one-off review-related tasks that come to mind through the week.