In most cases I move them, they’re the same. So what’s the difference?
The difference is based on the underlying outline structure (items indented under other items) of your lists.
Move by line moves only the current line one position up/down/left/right, it doesn’t know anything about the underlying outline structure.
Move by branch on the other hand preserves outline structure. When the cursor is on an item that has other items indented underneath it, and you move that item, then those contained items will be moved along with it.
Move by line is a text editor command. Move by branch is an outliner command.
@jessegrosjean, Indent/MoveRight and Outdent/MoveLeft has exactly the same effect on my end. Both change the indentation of the selected line(s) only, not of the line the cursor is at and its descendants. What am I missing? Thanks.
When this thread was started TaskPaper had two separate sets of move commands. One for lines, one for branches.
But a bit after this discussion I took out the move branch commands. I decided having the two sets of commands for moving things was to much overlap and caused to much confusion. I think the move line commands are clear, because they only effect the lines that are visually selected.
Going into the distant future I am considering the idea of add a “block” selection mode, as many outliners have. In that mode the smallest unit of selection would be an entire item. And I think in that mode it would be good to move things by branch. So I do have long term ideas of bringing the branch commands back, but long term.