From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: John Hendy Subject: Input on organization of files for multiple projects? Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:33:05 -0500 Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([140.186.70.92]:39926) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1Qk5aG-0005MV-8z for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:35:25 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1Qk5aF-00085s-1v for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:35:24 -0400 Received: from mail-fx0-f52.google.com ([209.85.161.52]:50376) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1Qk5aE-00085e-SQ for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 21 Jul 2011 22:35:23 -0400 Received: by fxd18 with SMTP id 18so3667189fxd.39 for ; Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:35:21 -0700 (PDT) List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: emacs-orgmode Hi, I've debated this before tangentially, but having used org-mode for more than a year, now, I'd like to revisit this with some more formal inquiries. [1] I just finished a mid-phase review for one of my projects and will also be interviewing for a potential new position in my company, and this has made me want to "regroup" and see if my use of org-mode is what it could/should be. My main method has been: - one file per month ~/org/yyyy-mmMMM.org (~/org/2011-07Jul.org) --- at the end of a year, I dump all the month files into ~/org/archive_yyyy.org - my notes look like so: #+begin_example * [date-stamp] ** Something I did :proj_tag: Notes about what it was, summary of things, or sub-level todo items ** todo [/] Something with some sub-steps :proj_tag: - [ ] step 1 - [ ] step 2 - [ ] step 3 ** Some data I collected :proj_tag: | a table | for my data | | etc | etc | #+end_example In any case, this works pretty well, but I think I'm becoming more and more sensitive to the fact that I'm not as interested in just tracking "journal" type entries. I now have bigger projects that are more coherent and on-going vs. just supporting other people's projects and noting what I contributed and test results. I find more often that I used C-a s to search for something and end up in a file a couple months back with some open todo items that I need to take care of. But then I run across and update or new data... and I find myself debating about whether to add it to 2011-05May.org or create a new timestamp for it in 2011-07Jul.org. So, I'm in the mood for input and suggestions. I've read a lot of the org tutorials (norang in particular), but not a lot quite put the whole picture out there -- how many files, how are they organized, etc. A lot of people describe having files per "activity" (writing, chores, research), but I'm in the same job, but contributing to perhaps 5 or so main projects as well as my ideas/brainstorming stuff (I work in R&D engineering/product development). I'm hoping to hear some input about big picture structuring, keeping track of year+ long projects, todo flows, if files have ever gotten too big (a fear of mine), if and how you archive, etc. I've thought of going to a structure with proj1.org, proj2.org, etc. and then archiving into an archive_yyyy.org with main headings for each project as I finish todos or as things get old. Or maybe I won't need to. Maybe an org file can survive an entire project and just get archived for reference when I'm done working on it. I'll probably still need some kind of "odds and ends" file for things that don't belong to a specific project. Thanks for bearing with the rambling. Just itching for input and learning from those more experienced. Best regards, John --- [1] http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-orgmode/2010-03/msg00390.html