TaskPaper

TaskPaper is a distinctive plain text based task management application designed for simplicity and flexibility. It leverages the power of outlines and plain text formatting to help users organize tasks, projects, and notes efficiently. Developed by HogBay Software

TaskPaper Alternatives Visit Website

License: Commercial

Categories:

Desktop Application

Available for:

Mac OS X

About TaskPaper

TaskPaper stands out in the productivity landscape by embracing a minimalist, plain text approach to task management. Unlike many feature-rich applications with complex interfaces, TaskPaper focuses on the core functionality of organizing and tracking tasks using a simple, human-readable format. This design philosophy offers significant advantages for users who prefer to work directly with their data without the constraints of proprietary formats or databases.

The application utilizes a hierarchical outliner structure, allowing users to easily create nested projects, tasks, notes, and tags. This structure is intuitive and mirrors how many people naturally think about their work. Each line in a TaskPaper document can be a project (ending with a colon), a task (starting with a hyphen), a note, or a tagged item (using the @ symbol). This simple syntax makes it incredibly fast to input and modify information.

One of TaskPaper's strengths lies in its powerful search and filtering capabilities. Because the data is in plain text, users can perform sophisticated searches using a query language inspired by CSS. This allows for quickly finding tasks based on tags, project hierarchies, keywords, or even specific date ranges. Complex filters can be created and saved for quick access, enabling users to focus on specific areas of their work or review tasks with particular attributes.

TaskPaper also supports the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology through its flexible tagging system. Users can create tags for contexts, priorities, or any other criteria and then use the powerful filtering to view tasks based on these tags. The plain text format also ensures future-proofing; your task lists will always be accessible and editable with any text editor, regardless of future software availability or format changes.

Key features include:

Hierarchical Outlining for structuring projects and tasks.
Plain Text Format for universal compatibility and future-proofing.
Robust Search and Filtering using a powerful query language.
Flexible Tagging System for organizing and categorizing tasks.
Keyboard-Centric Workflow for efficient task entry and management.
Integration with other tools through its plain text nature.

TaskPaper caters to users who value speed, flexibility, and control over their data. It's an ideal tool for individuals and teams who prefer a lightweight yet powerful solution over complex, database-driven task managers.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Extremely fast and efficient task entry and management.
Future-proof data format due to plain text.
Powerful filtering and search capabilities.
Flexible and adaptable to various workflows.
Minimalist interface reduces distractions.

Cons

Lacks built-in collaboration features.
No built-in reminders or calendar integration.
Steeper learning curve for advanced filtering.
Interface may be too basic for some users.

What Makes TaskPaper Stand Out

Plain Text Power

Utilizes a plain text format for universal compatibility, long-term accessibility, and easy integration with other tools.

Outline-Based Simplicity

Leverages a clear and intuitive outline structure for organizing complex projects and tasks.

Advanced Filtering with Simple Syntax

Offers sophisticated filtering capabilities through a plain text query language, providing powerful data retrieval.

What can TaskPaper do?

Task Management

Integrates with Google Tasks for managing to-do lists alongside your calendar events.

Todos

Create to-do lists and tag items for tracking.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigate and perform actions on the board more efficiently using keyboard shortcuts.

Outliner

Provides outlining capabilities to structure and organize longer writing projects.

Tagging

Allows users to add relevant keywords and tags to their uploads, significantly improving searchabili...

Plain Text Format

Stores all data in standard plain text files, ensuring compatibility and accessibility across variou...

Review

TaskPaper occupies a unique niche in the productivity software landscape, appealing to users who prioritize simplicity, flexibility, and control over their data. Its core strength lies in its unwavering commitment to a plain text format and an outline-based structure. This approach may seem minimalist at first glance, but it unlocks significant power and versatility.

The user interface is intentionally spartan, resembling a text editor more than a traditional task manager. However, this is where the power of plain text comes into play. Creating tasks, projects, and notes is as simple as typing. Projects end with a colon, tasks start with a hyphen, and notes can be any other line. Tags are added using the '@' symbol. This natural language approach reduces the friction typically associated with data entry in more structured applications.

Structuring work in TaskPaper is handled through indentation. This hierarchical outline format is intuitive and allows users to break down large projects into smaller, manageable sub-tasks. Moving items and reorganizing the outline is quick and easy using keyboard shortcuts, which are central to an efficient TaskPaper workflow.

One of TaskPaper's killer features is its filtering system. Leveraging a CSS-inspired query language, users can create powerful and specific views of their tasks. Need to see all tasks tagged as '@waiting' and within a specific project? A simple query handles this. Filters can be saved for quick access, allowing users to rapidly switch between different perspectives on their work, such as a daily review of high-priority tasks or a focus on tasks for a particular context like '@office'.

The plain text nature of TaskPaper offers significant advantages beyond just input speed and filtering. Your data is not locked into a proprietary database format. You can open and edit TaskPaper files with any text editor, ensuring that your task lists are future-proof and accessible for decades to come. This also facilitates integration with other plain text-based workflows or tools.

While TaskPaper excels at its core functionality, it's important to understand its limitations. It's not designed for collaboration in the way many modern task managers are. Sharing a TaskPaper file works, but it lacks real-time simultaneous editing features. There are no built-in calendars, reminders, or complex project management features like Gantt charts or resource allocation. Its strength lies in personal task management and simple project outlining.

The learning curve for the filtering language might be a minor hurdle for some users initially, although the syntax is logical and well-documented. Users migrating from more visually complex task managers might find the minimalist interface too basic, lacking graphical elements and visual cues.

However, for users who value speed, flexibility, and control over their data in a simple, non-bloated environment, TaskPaper is an excellent choice. It's particularly well-suited for individuals who embrace plain text workflows, follow methodologies like GTD, or simply want a fast and efficient way to capture and organize their thoughts and tasks without getting bogged down in feature overload.

In summary, TaskPaper is a highly effective tool for focused task management and outlining. Its plain text foundation and powerful filtering system make it a unique and compelling option for users who appreciate simplicity, speed, and long-term data accessibility. It's not a one-size-fits-all solution, but for its target audience, it delivers exceptionally well.