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Author Topic: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks  (Read 16658 times)

wraith808

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NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« on: December 31, 2017, 09:22 AM »
NANY 2018 Entry Information

Application Name PlainTasks
Version 1.0
Short Description Displays 3 tasks for the day, one at a time.
Supported OSes Windows 7 and above (Any Windows OS that supports .NET 4.5.2)
Web Page http://thinkshui.net...software/plaintasks/
Download Link https://my.pcloud.co...dByYFLlveFYTMfYHPkny

PlainTasks
Overview
PlainTasks is a very simple task manager. I start out with the best of intentions, but have a problem maintaining a task list over time and making use of it.

This application is quite simple- a transparent window with the ability to load 3 tasks. At any time, only the highest priority will show. When you mark that task done, it will show the second in priority, and ask you for a new bottom priority task. That has been working well for me as an analog idea, and I just wanted to bring it to the digital realm.

Currently, it doesn't save the tasks- to force the idea that these are tasks to be done immediately, and not to be forwarded or put off. I might add features later, but as the analog version of this only has these features, I figured I should start there.

If you wish an analog version, or just want to see where the inspiration came from, check out The OnTask.

Notes
As I put a lot into software normally, but most of the features are not used, I made this one on the principle of YAGNI.  So, if you use it, and have a feature request, let me know.  Otherwise, I'll assume that this is a good feature set, as it works for me.

Installation
PlainTasks requires .NET 4.5.2.  If you have Windows 10, you probably already have it.  If not, you can get it from Microsoft.

After you download PlainTasks, unzip it where ever you want to run it from, and run PlainTasks.exe.

Uninstall
To uninstall, just delete the folder where you unzipped the archive.

Documentation
As PlainTasks is intended to be rather simplistic, there's not much to using it.  Anytime you run it, it will show a dialog that has three spaces for three tasks.  Enter those, and click OK, and the first Task will be shown.

PlainTasks1.png

PlainTasks2.png

From right to left, the toolbar at the top has the following functions:

  • About this Application
  • Initialize Tasks (If you want to start from scratch with 3 new tasks, this is where you start)
  • Complete Task (Completes the current task, shows the next task in the list, and asks for a new task)
  • Add Task (If you have less than 3 tasks, you can enter another one from here)
  • Exit the application

License Terms

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to use the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use and copy the software package, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do the same. Distribution and publication shall be allowed also without direct cost to the user, other than reasonable costs of such distributions, such as for the media on which the software is published is also allowed with permission and terms of such payment submitted to  for approval. In all cases shall the distribution of the software be subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software, and a link to the original site for the software (http://www.thinkshui...software/plaintasks/) shall be included in prominent view on any site where a download is hosted.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

Note that if you paid money for this software, ask for it back!



Changelog

1.0.0.02017-12-31Initial Release
1.0.1.02018-12-26Added ability to set opacity
« Last Edit: December 26, 2018, 01:47 PM by wraith808 »

mouser

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2018, 07:32 AM »
Nice work :up:

tomos

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2018, 03:31 PM »
hi wraith,
liking this :up:

there isn't an inbuilt always-on-top option?
or would that be problematic i.e. steal focus?

EDIT// I assigned is a hotkey using skwire's WHAT

Veering off-topic:
1. was the thinkshui + logo inspired by the hamburger menu symbol?
2. when I click on the info button, it says copyright 2012 - or is that for the thinkshui brand?
Tom
« Last Edit: January 04, 2018, 04:02 PM by tomos »

tomos

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2018, 03:37 PM »
It doesnt remember tasks on restart here -- should it? or is that planned?
Tom

wraith808

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2018, 04:06 PM »
It doesnt remember tasks on restart here -- should it? or is that planned?
That is planned. It is meant to enforce the idea of tasks per day. That's usually where I have problems- when tasks have multiple days.

tomos

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2018, 04:09 PM »
It is meant to enforce the idea of tasks per day. That's usually where I have problems- when tasks have multiple days.

that would suit me too -- the enforcement of that idea...
Tom

wraith808

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2018, 04:09 PM »
hi wraith,
liking this :up:

there isn't an inbuilt always-on-top option?
or would that be problematic i.e. steal focus?

EDIT// I assigned is a hotkey using skwire's WHAT

Veering off-topic:
1. was the thinkshui + logo inspired by the hamburger menu symbol?
2. when I click on the info button, it says copyright 2012 - or is that for the thinkshui brand?

I don't have always on top... I can add that easily enough.

I'll answer the other when I'm in front of my computer, don't understand how people do this on a phone for longer missives

wraith808

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2018, 05:08 PM »
Veering off-topic:
1. was the thinkshui + logo inspired by the hamburger menu symbol?
2. when I click on the info button, it says copyright 2012 - or is that for the thinkshui brand?

Actually it's more indicative of balance- I got it from a public domain site years ago, and have since forgotten where it was from.  It's the Yin/Yang Symbol surrounded by ideograms; if I remember correctly, the ideograms represent the mandate of heaven, i.e. the balance of the cycle of dynasties.

I created a library years ago, as I became tired of making an about box for each application, so I created a method in a shared library.

Code: C# [Select]
  1. ThinkShui.Libraries.Base.ShowDialog.About(this.View, "PlainTasks", "http://thinkshui.net/software/plaintasks/");

I didn't think about the year in that signature, nor about just blindly updating to the current year.  It's not really an enforceable thing, nor would I want to spend the money even if it were, so I have my doubts if I even will at this point.


tomos

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2018, 05:59 AM »
^ thanks for the info (they were my 'just curious' questions).
Tom

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #9 on: December 24, 2018, 10:21 AM »
Hi Wraith
I was just wondering if there could be a control for the level of transparency. I sometimes use a fairly busy desktop, and I would love it if this program could be a bit more visible.
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.  - Benjamin Franklin

wraith808

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #10 on: December 24, 2018, 11:35 AM »
Hi Wraith
I was just wondering if there could be a control for the level of transparency. I sometimes use a fairly busy desktop, and I would love it if this program could be a bit more visible.

Sure... I can make that happen.  Give me a few days.  It will also give me impetus to finish my NANY, hopefully :)

thomthowolf

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #11 on: December 25, 2018, 12:46 PM »
 :Thmbsup: See, this is why I always come to donationcoder first when I need software. Thanks for the great program and the quick response
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.  - Benjamin Franklin

wraith808

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #12 on: December 26, 2018, 01:49 PM »
Updated application to have the ability to set the opacity of the task window.  Let me know if you need more opacity levels.  I can make it a bit smoother if you need it.

thomthowolf

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #13 on: January 02, 2019, 11:18 AM »
 :Thmbsup: I just tested it out, and it works a treat. I don't need any further layers of opacity, this works just fine. I do wonder if you should consider uprevving this to signal the new feature to other users.
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.  - Benjamin Franklin

wraith808

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Re: NANY 2018 Release: PlainTasks
« Reply #14 on: January 02, 2019, 01:59 PM »
It's a pretty minor feature (though I know major to you :)), so I just upped the minor build.  I might look to see if there's anything I want to add, and up it to 1.1  :Thmbsup: