Creating new project

TP 3.2 on OSX 10.11.4.

Using the “+” button, it shows “New Project”. Using the button seems to create a sub-project, though, no matter where the cursor is.

IOW, if my file has three projects in it already, there’s nowhere I can put the cursor that will cause the “New Project” to create a fourth project. It always creates a new sub-project underneath one of the other three. The only way I can get it to create a new project is to add a blank line and then use the button. But if I have to position to the end of a project and add a blank line, then it’s a lot easier to just type the project name at that point instead of using the button. The button should be the shortcut that keeps us from having to do the other two things.

If it was a choice only between one or the other, I would say “New Project” should always create a top-level project, on a level with and following whatever project the cursor is on/in.

But a better solution would be four choices on the button instead of three, adding “New Subproject”. (Which would of course imply “New Project” would always be top-level.)

It’s using the same indentation logic that’s used when inserting with “Return”.

  • Current line is where the cursor is.
  • Insert at level of first visible child in current line.
  • If current line has no visible children insert at level of current line.

It will insert at the top level in this situation:

  • Place cursor in a top level project that’s collapsed.
  • Then the new item commands insert a sibling, since the “current” item has no visible children.

I understand it’s imperfect for all use cases, but I feel like the current behavior is the most strait forward and consistent with respect to default “Return” behavior.

I don’t really want to add extra options, instead I would recommend a custom script if it’s really wanted.

I don’t think the current behavior is the most straight-forward because it 1) does not do what you want 99% of the time, and 2) in order to do what you want, you have to do two other things before it will do what you want, in which case the shortcut is no longer a shortcut.

The most straight-forward thing to do is create a top-level project because that’s what we want the huge majority of the time. We can discuss where the new project goes (below the current one, above the current one, at the end, etc.), but creating a new top-level project is almost always what’s desired.

Further, it’s actually not the same logic as inserting with Return. If I put the cursor at the far left of a project line, whether it’s open or closed, a Return will create a blank line above the current project. And that’s exactly what I expected to happen when I hit “New Project” at that location — for it to add a new top-level project above the current project. Instead, it created a sub-project beneath that one.

But, as already noted, it’s a shortcut for a new project. I don’t see a reason for it to follow the same logic as a “Return”, and doing so renders the shortcut almost useless.

That’s my one rebuttal. Thanks for listening! (And for being so on top of comments here, by the way. That really is awesome!)

Ok, good point!

Truth is that I never use the new project UI or the keyboard shortcut myself. I always manually just type the “:” to make a project. I added that UI early on for discoverability, so people could created projects without having to know about the syntax rules right away.

I like the current implementation because to me it seemed the most simple. But I’ll agree that inserting above the current item is also very simple. What about for “tasks” and “notes”. Do you think they should also get inserted above the current item?

Sorry, work has kept me busy for a few days.

The Project shortcut is (would be) handy when we’re two levels deep in another project and remember/realize we need to add a new one. Hitting one key and typing instead of hitting the cursor key several times and hitting enter and typing is a good productivity gain.

Personally (and I realize I am just one opinion), I think Project is “special” in this regard in that most people very rarely need/want sub-projects. That means creating a top-level project is the right thing to do as a default, and if we need a sub-project we can do what you do and just hit Enter and type. To create a sub-project, we don’t really need a shortcut.

New task and new note, on the other hand, are usually wanted below where we are, and so I would leave the shortcuts as they are, because they already do what you want the large majority of the time.

(I know, that’s a difference. As I said, I think Project is special. :slight_smile:)