Tasks and schedules

ToDo: the task board

Create tasks, sort them by status or by your own groups, search and filter them, and open, launch or trash them from the ToDo panel.

On this page

The ToDo panel lists the tasks of the active project. Use it to note work, sort it by status or by your own groups, and start agents on tasks. For the description, settings, schedule and history of one task, see Task window.

Where to find it

  • Left sidebar, the ToDo icon (tooltip "ToDo"). The panel title is ToDo. See Window layout to open or close a module.
  • The panel needs an open project. Without one it shows "Create or select a project to manage its tasks."
  • Each project has its own tasks. Each project also keeps its own search text, type chip, Status / Groups choice and collapsed sections.

What you see

Toolbar (top row)

  • Search tasks — a search field. It matches the name and the description of a task. Case does not matter.
  • An icon button with two arrows (tooltip "collapse all", or "expand all" when everything is collapsed).
  • The + button (tooltip "new task") — creates a task.

View controls

  • A two-part toggle (name "group tasks by"): Status and Groups. It sets how the sections are built.
  • The + button (tooltip "new group"). It shows only in Groups mode. It opens a name field (placeholder "Group name…") and the Add button.
  • Type chips (name "filter tasks by type"): All, Task, Bug, Question, Idea, Note. Each type chip has its own mark: ◈ Task, ◉ Bug, ? Question, ◇ Idea, — Note.

Sections (the list)

  • Every section header has: a chevron, a colour dot or an icon, the label, a clock (only for a planned group), the count of tasks, and hover buttons (only for groups). A click on the header collapses or expands the section.
  • In Status mode: Pinned (pin icon, only when a pinned task exists), To-Do, In Progress, Done.
  • In Groups mode: Pinned, then one section per group, then Ungrouped.
  • Trash (trash icon, muted) is always the last section. It is collapsed at first.
  • A group header has two buttons on hover: a play button (tooltip "launch group" and the group name, for example "launch group Backend") and a three-dot button (tooltip "group actions" and the group name).

Task row (left to right)

  • The lead mark (tooltip "Select") — shows the type mark of the task, or a blank for a task without a type. When you point at the row, or when the row is selected, it turns into a check box.
  • A small status dot — only in Groups mode.
  • The task name, on one line.
  • An amber clock (label "scheduled") — the task has an enabled schedule.
  • A badge "↑N" — only on a Done task whose worktree (Worktrees) has commits that are not on the main branch. Tooltip: "N commit(s) not on <branch>". It shows "30+" from 30 commits. It updates by itself when Git changes, unless the setting Watch Git for changes is off (see Settings).
  • A green badge with a dot and a number — N terminals of this task run now. Tooltip: "N terminal(s) open from this task".
  • The play button (tooltip "launch task") — on hover. It is hidden while the task runs.
  • The three-dot button (tooltip "task actions") — on hover.
  • A row with a green left edge runs now. A highlighted row has its task window open on this workbench. A row with an accent edge is selected.

Task menu (right-click a row, or click the three-dot button)

  • Status — three buttons: To-Do, In Progress, Done. The current status is pressed.
  • Move to group — one entry per group (with the group colour and a check on the current one), Ungrouped, and New group….
  • Pin to top (Unpin for a pinned task).
  • Delete (to Trash).
  • For a task in Trash the menu has only Restore and Delete permanently.

Group menu (right-click a group header, or click its three-dot button)

  • New task in group, Launch group, Plan group… (a check shows when the plan is on), Rename, Delete group.

Selection bar (bottom of the panel, only when you select tasks)

  • The text "N selected", the Clear button and the Launch N button.

How to

Create a task

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the + button (tooltip "new task").

Result: a task named "Untitled task" appears in To-Do (in Ungrouped in Groups mode). It has no type and no group. Its task window opens in focus mode. The launch settings of the task come from Settings → Task Defaults (Settings: task defaults and engines). To create a task inside a group, right-click the group header and click New task in group.

Open a task

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click a task row.

Result: the task window opens in focus mode (Canvas windows). If this workbench already has a window for the task, Orkestra brings that window up. See Task window.

Find a task by text

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the Search tasks field.
  3. Type a part of the name or of the description.

Result: every section shows only the matching tasks, Trash too. Clear the field to see all tasks.

Filter tasks by type

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click a type chip, for example Bug.

Result: only tasks of this type show. Click the same chip again, or click All, to remove the filter. You set the type of a task in the task window (Task window).

Create a group

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click Groups in the toggle.
  3. Click the + button (tooltip "new group").
  4. Type a name in the Group name… field.
  5. Click Add.

Result: in Groups mode a new section with this name and a colour appears. It shows "No tasks — assign via ⋯ → Move to group". The Enter key also adds the group. The Escape key cancels. An empty name creates nothing.

Collapse and expand sections

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the header of a section, for example Done.

Result: the tasks of the section hide and the chevron points right. Click the header again to show them. To do all sections at once, click the button with two arrows (tooltip "collapse all"). Click it again (tooltip "expand all"): all sections open, but Trash stays collapsed.

Move a task to another section by drag

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Press the mouse button on a task row.
  3. Drag the row onto another section. The section lights up.
  4. Release the mouse button.

Result: in Status mode the task gets the status of the section. In Groups mode the task joins the group, or becomes ungrouped when you drop it on Ungrouped. You cannot drop on Pinned or Trash.

Change the status in the menu

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Right-click a task row.
  3. Click Done in the Status part of the menu.

Result: the menu closes and the task has the new status.

Move a task to a group in the menu

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Right-click a task row.
  3. Click a group name in the Move to group part. Click Ungrouped to remove the group.

Result: the menu closes. The task is in the group. You see it in Groups mode. To make a new group for the task, click New group…, type a name, and click Add.

Pin a task

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Right-click a task row.
  3. Click Pin to top.

Result: the task moves to Pinned at the top, in both modes. The menu entry is now Unpin.

Launch one task

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Point at a task row.
  3. Click the play button (tooltip "launch task").

Result: the Launch dialog opens. The dialog is in Starting terminals and agents. A launch sets the task to In Progress.

Launch several tasks

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the lead mark (tooltip "Select") of a task row.
  3. Click the lead mark of a second row. Ctrl+click (Cmd+click on macOS) on a row selects it too.
  4. Click Launch N in the selection bar.

Result: the Launch dialog opens for all selected tasks and the selection clears. See Starting terminals and agents. Click Clear to drop the selection without a launch.

Launch a whole group

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click Groups in the toggle.
  3. Point at a group header.
  4. Click the play button (tooltip "launch group" and the group name).

Result: Orkestra starts every task of the group, one after another, with the saved launch settings of each task. No dialog opens. Tasks in Trash do not start. A task without an agent uses the default agent of the project, or the first enabled agent. A failed start shows a launch notice (Starting terminals and agents). The menu entry Launch group does the same.

Plan a group launch

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Right-click a group header.
  3. Click Plan group….
  4. Click the switch (label "enable group schedule").
  5. Type a time in the Time field, as HH:MM.
  6. Choose Once, Every day, Weekdays or Weekends in the Repeat list.
  7. Click Done.

Result: a clock appears on the group header (label "planned"). A note says, for example, "Launches every group member weekdays at 09:00, each by its own settings." The first time, the switch starts with 09:00 and Weekdays. Every change applies at once. Click the switch again to turn the plan off. See Scheduler and routines for the list of all plans.

Rename a group

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Right-click a group header.
  3. Click Rename.
  4. Type the new name in the field.
  5. Click Save.

Result: the section has the new name. The Escape key closes the field with no change. An empty name changes nothing.

Delete a group

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Right-click a group header.
  3. Click Delete group.

Result: the group section disappears at once, with no question. Its tasks move to Ungrouped. No task is deleted.

Send a task to Trash

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Right-click a task row.
  3. Click Delete (to Trash).

Result: the row leaves its section and shows in Trash. The task keeps its status, type and group. If the task has an open task window, the window now shows "This task is in the Trash." and you cannot edit the task. When you restore the task, the window shows the task again.

Restore a task from Trash

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the header of Trash to open it.
  3. Right-click a struck-through row.
  4. Click Restore.

Result: the task returns to the section of its status or its group.

Delete a task for good

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the header of Trash to open it.
  3. Right-click a struck-through row.
  4. Click Delete permanently.

Result: the task is gone. No question comes first and there is no undo. Orkestra also removes the saved draft and the edit history of its description.

Schedule a task

  1. Open ToDo in the left sidebar.
  2. Click a task row to open its task window.
  3. Click the Schedule tab.

Result: the schedule fields are there (Task window). When the schedule is on, the row shows the amber clock.

States and messages

  • "No tasks yet — add one with +." — the project has no task.
  • "No tasks match." — shows only when every task of the project is in Trash and the search or type filter hides all of them.
  • "Nothing here" — an empty status section, Pinned, or Ungrouped.
  • "No tasks — assign via ⋯ → Move to group" — an empty group.
  • "Trash is empty" — Trash has no task (or the filter hides them).
  • A section lights up while you drag a task over it. Pinned and Trash do not light up.
  • A Trash row is faded, its name is struck through, and its lead mark is a trash icon (tooltip "In Trash"). It has no play button. You cannot select it, open it, or drag it.

Limits and tips

  • Order. Tasks sit in the order of creation. There is no sort option and no manual order.
  • In Progress is automatic while a terminal runs. A task with a live terminal always sits under In Progress, even when its saved status is different. The menu still shows the saved status. A launch also saves In Progress on the task, and it stays until you change it. Nothing in this panel sets Done. You do it by drag or in the menu.
  • Pinned. A pinned task shows only in Pinned, not in its status or group section. Use the task menu to change its status or group.
  • Groups. A task belongs to at most one group. The group shows on the row only through the section, so use Groups mode to see it. You cannot change the colour of a group in this panel.
  • Selection. The selection bar counts every selected task, also the tasks that a filter now hides. The panel does not save the selection. The bar has only two actions: Clear and Launch N. A running task has no play button, but you can select it and use the bar.
  • Hidden new task. A new task has no type. When a type chip other than All is on, the new task does not show. Click All to see it.
  • Drag into a terminal. You can drag a task row onto a terminal window. See Terminal windows. The Helm chat field (Helm assistant) and the file editor (File, image and HTML windows) take the same drag.