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Outline numbering to organise major projects

(closed account) says:
I'm having a lot of success using an outline numbering scheme to organize major projects, as in:

1. project
1.2 subproject
1.23 task.
The various items line up in a nice neat hierarchical list -either in its own " real" list or as a result of clicking on a tag.
What's more I have instant access to any part of the hierarchy via search . For example, a search for tagged PROJECT NAME and has the words " 1.2" gives me a neat list of the tasks listed under subproject 1.2.
I now believe that there is really no need for RTM to tinker much with the interface to add " subtasks".
All thats needed is the right name/numbering scheme to organize even a multi- level project.
Posted at 10:00pm on October 14, 2007
gogo97 says:
I use something similar- I have my "Lists" categorized in broad categories such as "Illustration: Creative Projects" and "Teaching: New Courses & Projects."

Within those I list project names with the designation 1.0, 2.0, etc..

Under those projects I list tasks as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 (under project 1.0, for example) or 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 (under project 2.0).

Under tasks I move into sub-tasks with 1.1.a, 1.1.b, and so on. Pretty similar and seems to work for me.
Posted 16 years ago
crystal.mckenzie says:
Boy it would be nice to be able to have a numbering system built-in ... I tried using this, but found myself continually having to renumber when I wanted to shuffle things around or add more! Maybe such a numbering system would be easier to implement than more vague sub-tasks... the shortcut to the number could even be #, couldn't it?

Posted 16 years ago
(closed account) says:
Renumbering is a problem. I'm working on a workaround.
Posted 16 years ago
crystal.mckenzie says:
I just had a flashback from BASIC programming! If we decide we want to add new steps in between existing ones, just make sure there's numbers to use in between the existing ones! In BASIC programming, that usually amounted to numbering each line of code as a multiple of 10, e.g.
10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD!"
20 GOTO 10
Heheh.
For RTM, we can even use decimals... perhaps starting the numbering with 1.100, 1.200, etc. and if stuff needs to be inserted in between, just use 1.150, 1.160 ... and that leaves room for even one more layer of stuff to be inserted (1.152, 1.154, ...) Subtasks could then be numbered like 1.100.01, 1.100.02, ...

..or not. :P I'm not sure I could get that pedantic in my actual system, because then it would surely drive me nuts.

Happy Monday Morning, all! :P
-Crystal

Posted 16 years ago
raymond.bergmark Power Poster says:
I suppose this could be used for recurring sets of tasks like some have described, where a number of activities follow each other the same way over and over again. Just fix the numbers correctly once and you're set!
Posted 16 years ago
bruzzi says:
I have used a system like this myself, but spend a large amount of time renumbering or adding sub-sub-sub-sub-numbers to get things in the right order. An enhancement to allow linking dependent tasks could solve this (hint, hint). :)
Posted 16 years ago
(closed account) says:
I used the tag "na" rather than renumbering. The tag means "next action." I use the numbering simply to move the needed tasks from my brain to the screen-paper and to keep them ordered under the correct project. My only decisions are: Which tasks are next (thus getting the na label) and what tasks need to be added. I use a smart list to give me a NA list daily, which is what I work upon that day/week.
Posted 15 years ago
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