• Getting Started
  • What You Will Need
  • Starting ToDo Manager
    • Using the Mouse
    • Command Line
• Descriptions
  • Task List
  • Task Name
  • Due Dates
  • Modifying Tasks
  • Setting Priority
  • Phantom Fields
  • Importing from Other Formats
  • Exporting to Other Formats
• Troubleshooting
  • Configuring Window Positions
• Command arguments
• Accelerator Keys

Getting Started

What You Will Need

First, make sure that you have Python 1.6 or higher installed along with Tkinter. If not, you can find it at www.python.org. Windows and Mac users need merely download the Python installation file, as it already contains Tkinter. (For Mac information see Jack Jansen's MacPython page.) If you're not using either one of those platforms you will have to install Tkinter separately. See here for details.

Starting ToDo Manager

Since Python programs are cross-platform, you should be able to run it on any operating system for which Python is available. It has been tested with Python 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2.1.

Once you have Python set up, all you have to do is launch the "todo-manager.py" file that is found in the todo-manager folder.

Using the Mouse

If the file has a "Python" icon, then just double click the file. A Python console window will open up, followed shortly by ToDo Manager. If you're a Windows user the Python DOS window can be bypassed simply by double clicking on the "todo-manager.pyw" file.

Using the Command Line

Open up a Dos prompt on Windows or a console in Linux

• "cd" to the todo-manager directory
• type: "python todo-manager.py" (NOTE: Windows users may have to type the full path to Python i.e. "C:\Python\python.exe todo-manager.py")
• See below for optional command line arguments.
• For users on UNIX variants, the shell script "todo-manager" in the todo-manager directory can be used.

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Descriptions

Task List

The task list is where all of your tasks are displayed for easy review, where task priorities are set, and where tasks can be marked as "Finished". If a task is due today it will be displayed in bold and if it is overdue it will be colored dark red (yellow when selected). Clicking on a task in the list will display its other properties in the text fields below.

Task Name

Simply where the name of a new task can be entered and where the name of a selected task is displayed.

Due Dates

The date the current task is due.
FORMAT: MM/DD/YY (i.e. 08/27/01 is August 27th, 2001)

Modifying Tasks

To modify a task, first select it in the task list, then simply edit the notes or due date and then click "Add" or press Enter. It is not currently possible to modify the task name without creating a new task.

Setting Priority

To reset the priority of a task, click on the number and a vertical bar with numbers from 1 to 5 will appear. Just click on the number of your choice and the priority will be reset.

Phantom Fields

I know the name doesn't make any sense but that's the whole point. Phantom fields are regular text fields that automatically update and clear themselves based on your, the user's, actions. "Due Date" and "Notes" are the only fields that have Phantom enabled right now. Once a task is added to the task list, the Phantom fields will become inactive, selecting one of these inactive fields will return it to the active, editing, state. If the the fields are inactive, they will automatically be cleared once the text in the "Task Name" field is changed. Phantom fields become inactive whenever a task is added/modified or selected in the task list.

Importing From Other Formats

If you want to import a file that is in a different format that the standard ToDo Manager style; select File->Import-> Format. If the file format that you want is not listed, check the web site for a list of user submitted plugins or, if you are feeling adventurous, you can write your own. Information on how to do this is in the "README.txt" file in the "plugins" folder.

Exporting to Other Formats

To export a task list to another file format such as HTML, first load the list from a file for create it from scratch. Now select File->Export-> Format and type in what you want to call the file. Your task list should now be saved in the format of your choice. If the file format that you want is not listed, check the web site for a list of user submitted plugins or, if you are feeling adventurous, you can write your own. Information on how to do this is in the "README.txt" file in the "plugins" folder.

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Troubleshooting

Configuring Window Positions

If you are running a system that has a desktop environment that runs on top of X windows (UNIX, Linux, etc.) then you may notice that the ToDo Manager window does not return to the same location that it was in when you last exited. Since Tk only knows the screen location of its parent frame and not the exact position of the outer window, some compensation must occur to fix this. If you are experiencing this problem, the easiest way to fix it is open the options dialog and click the "Configure" button in the offset frame.

Alternatively, place the ToDo Manager window in the upper left hand corner of the screen (so the position of the window is: 0, 0) and exit. Next jump into your favorite text editor and open the "todo-manager.ini" file in the "todo-manager" directory. Then copy the value of "mainwinxposition" to "mainwinxoffset" and copy the value of "mainwinyposition" to "mainwinyoffset". All this does is set the compensation level for the window manager that you use.

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Command Arguments

• --help, -h : list all of the available commands
• --version, -v : display the version number and exit
• -N : start with a new file instead of loading default.tmf
• -I : disable configure information.
• ToDo Manager file (*.tmf) : load the file (i.e. "python todo-manager.py my_tasks.tmf")

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Accelerator Keys

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