Re: Re: Added support for "habit tracking"

From: Carsten Dominik <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>
To: Matt Lundin <mdl@imapmail.org>
Cc: Org-mode Mode <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>
Subject: Re: Re: Added support for "habit tracking"
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:29:30 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <4F1F6D95-0A72-4A24-998D-4625BC4A7437@gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <87fx9erwn2.fsf@fastmail.fm>

On Oct 20, 2009, at 4:02 PM, Matt Lundin wrote:

> John Wiegley <jwiegley@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Tracking habits isn't suited to a regular task manager, however.  You
>> can see that the task needs to be done in your agenda, but you don't
>> know if it's a task that sorely needs attention because you've been
>> neglecting it, or if you've really been on the ball and don't _have_
>> to do it today.
>>
>> Well, I've implemented the functionality of Sciral for Org.  It works
>> just as described on the Sciral webpage, complete with colorful  
>> graphs
>> that appear to the right of the task name in the agenda buffer.  The
>> graph even follows the same coloring algorithm as Sciral.
>>
>> To test out this new feature, apply the attached patches and read the
>> new manual section on "Tracking your habits".
>
> Thanks for this addition to org mode! I had written a tutorial on
> tracking habits with org-mode on Worg:
>
> http://orgmode.org/worg/org-tutorials/tracking-habits.php
>
> I'll have to update that now. :)
>
> A few constructive comments:
>
> 1. The syntax for defining habits seems fairly complex. One must add a
> repeating scheduled timestamp, a repeating deadline timestamp and a
> property. I was wondering if there could be anyway to automate  
> creating
> new habits---e.g., a dialog that asks for the appropriate time spans.
> (My own preference would be to use a new timestamp notation to  
> indicate
> habits. I'm not sure what this would look like. Perhaps something like
> this: SCHEDULED: <2009-10-17 Sat !+2+2> --- where the first number is
> the repeating span and the second is the "grace period". Of course, I
> have no idea whether this is possible.)
>
> 2. It is somewhat cumbersome to add two repeating timestamps to the  
> same
> entry. If one sets up the first repeating timestamp, then one cannot  
> add
> a second timestamp automatically. I.e., the following error message
> appears:
>
> "Cannot change deadline on task with repeater, please do that by hand"

I don't seem to be able to reproduce this.  Can you please explain
in more detail?

>
> 3. The faces for the graph are difficult to read against dark
> backgrounds. (See attached image.)
>
> 4. I currently use the tag :HABIT: to track habits. This allows for  
> easy
> filtering in the agenda. I'm wondering whether there might be an  
> option
> to designate habits with a user-defined tag rather than the STYLE
> property. The advantage would be much faster agenda searches for  
> habits.

I like the idea to shift this functionality to being a tag, also
because this is immediately visible.

- Carsten

>
> Thanks again!
>
> Matt
>
> <habits-orgmode.png>_______________________________________________
> Emacs-orgmode mailing list
> Remember: use `Reply All' to send replies to the list.
> Emacs-orgmode@gnu.org
> http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-orgmode

- Carsten