From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Carsten Dominik Subject: Re: Newbie Questions Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 06:27:05 +0200 Message-ID: References: <4A565502.1000808@up.edu> <9547.1247195772@gamaville.dokosmarshall.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v935.3) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1MXp8n-0001pE-Qm for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:27:17 -0400 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1MXp8i-0001p0-Th for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:27:17 -0400 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=52639 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1MXp8i-0001ox-Ma for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:27:12 -0400 Received: from mail-ew0-f211.google.com ([209.85.219.211]:56138) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1MXp8i-0001Ao-Ai for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:27:12 -0400 Received: by ewy7 with SMTP id 7so1037417ewy.42 for ; Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:27:10 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <9547.1247195772@gamaville.dokosmarshall.org> List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: nicholas.dokos@hp.com Cc: "Andrew M. Nuxoll" , emacs-orgmode@gnu.org On Jul 10, 2009, at 5:16 AM, Nick Dokos wrote: > Andrew M. Nuxoll wrote: >> >> 3. Once I set a deadline for a task, it'd be nice if the priority >> would >> increase as the deadline approached. Ideally the criteria for >> increasing the priority could be specified via a customizable >> formula. >> Does this functionality (or anything like it) exist? >> > > I don't think anything like that exists, but with a Small[1] Amount of > Programming (TM), it could probably be cobbled up - maybe as a cron > job? In fact, the priority does increase. Org-mode has two notions of priority. 1. The specified priority like [#A] 2. A computed numerical priority The specified priority is set solely by the user, and it is also the only thing that influences how prioritized lines are displayed according to `org-agenda-fontify-priorities'. The computed priority is a number that all items in the agenda have, you can look at the actual number pressing `P' in the agenda. The number is composed of the specified priority times 1000, so #C items have 0, #B items have 1000 and #A items have 2000. TO this values, certain amounts are added depending on how close you are to the deadline, or how long ago an item was first scheduled. This computed, numerical priority is used when sorting items. The numbers added for closeness to a deadline are usually not large enough to make an overdue item with specified priority #B to score higher than one with #A, but within each group of specified priorities, closeness to a deadline does make a difference. If you want items to change from #B to #A automatically, you need to do some programming, as Nick says. The formula is not configurable currently, nor is it documented anywhere, nor do I remember exactly what the formula is :-D . I am not a big fan of priorities, because I don't think one should trust the system so much that it will actually decide for you what to work on. However, I could dig up the formula, even make it configurable if there was a need for it. HTH - Carsten