Linux Format - UK (2020-03)

66 LXF260 March 2020 http://www.linuxformat.com

TUTORIALS Project management

end. This alone gives you the ability to assemble

functional if simple task lists. But you’re not here for

simple are you?

Break it down

A basic part of project management is to break down

large initiatives into smaller pieces that can be

delegated, easily understood, and achieved. In Org-

Mode terms this means taking high-level headlines and

creating sub-headlines beneath them.

Looking back at LXF241, we see that adding asterisks

to the start of the line indents headlines. So for a large

task such as writing this article, we can break it down

into some distinct sub-items, as follows:

* Advanced Project Management in Org-Mode

** Outline the Project Management Process

** List Relevant Org-Mode Features

** Draft Article Text

** Take & Crop Screenshots

** Format for Submission

Adding these as sub-tasks enables you to attack

your project in manageable chunks. Org-Mode also

supports a ‘roll-up’ of your sub-task progress. If you

append [/] to the end of a task that contains sub-tasks,

it will begin to track the number completed versus the

rg-Mode’s motto is, “Your Life in Plain Text”, and

in LXF241 we took a look at how you could use

Org-Mode to author and publish a writing

project, such as that Linux Format article itself (sort of

like getting an OS to finally compile itself?). We also

touched on Org-Mode’s ability to manage tasks, i.e.

items that are either to-do or done. In this article we’ll

look at Org-Mode’s more sophisticated project-

management functions.

Org-Mode tasks

Before proceeding, let’s briefly review tasks at a basic

level. Org-Mode considers any line starting with one or

more asterisks (followed by a single space) to be a

*headline*. Headlines, among other things, can be

assigned a status and thereby made into a task.

By default, you can rotate a headline through the

following three states: blank (no status, it’s just a

headline); *TODO* (a task, but not yet completed);

and *DONE*. The keybinding Shift-Left and Shift-Right

cycle through this order backwards and forwards,

respectively; in addition the command *org-todo* will

cycle forward only.

For the purpose of this article, when we refer to a

“task” it implies that it’s an Org-Mode headline with an

assigned status. We’ll also cite the formal Org-Mode

commands in the article, but we’ll provide a summary of

them with their associated keyboard shortcuts at the

The Properties drawer can be toggled with the Tab key, making it easy

to hide when you don’t need it.

Org-Mode parent

task with rolled-up

progress for five

children. Note also

the checklist in

the first one.

Project management

all in plain text

Taking “Your Life in Plain Text” to the extreme, Aaron Peters shows how to

manage complex projects with Emacs Org-Mode.

Aaron Peters

is constantly

amazed

(confused?) by

the depth and

breadth of

Org-Mode’s

functionality.

O

EMACS

OUR

EXPERT

If you followed

the tutorial in

LXF241, you

may want to

include your

project plan and

the text of your

writing project

in the same file.

If so, change the

#+COLUMNS

line to a

:COLUMNS:

property for the

headline holding

your plan.

66 LXF260March 2020 666March 20TkinMg0k

TUTORIALS Project management

end.Thisalonegivesyoutheabilitytoassemble

functionalifsimpletasklists.Butyou’renotherefor

simpleareyou?

Breakitdown

Abasicpartofprojectmanagementistobreakdown

largeinitiativesintosmallerpiecesthatcanbe

delegated,easilyunderstood,andachieved.InOrg-

Modetermsthismeanstakinghigh-levelheadlinesand

creatingsub-headlinesbeneaththem.

LookingbackatLXF241,weseethataddingasterisks

tothestartofthelineindentsheadlines.Soforalarge

tasksuchaswritingthisarticle,wecanbreakitdown

intosomedistinctsub-items,asfollows:

* AdvancedProjectManagementinOrg-Mode

**OutlinetheProjectManagementProcess

**ListRelevantOrg-ModeFeatures

**DraftArticleText

**Take&CropScreenshots

**FormatforSubmission

Addingtheseassub-tasksenablesyoutoattack

yourprojectinmanageablechunks.Org-Modealso

supportsa‘roll-up’ofyoursub-taskprogress.Ifyou

append[/]totheendofataskthatcontainssub-tasks,

itwillbegintotrackthenumbercompletedversusthe

rg-Mode’smottois,“YourLifeinPlainText”,and

inLXF241wetookalookathowyoucoulduse

Org-Modetoauthorandpublishawriting

project,suchasthatLinuxFormatarticleitself(sortof

likegettinganOStofinallycompileitself?).Wealso

touchedonOrg-Mode’sabilitytomanagetasks,i.e.

itemsthatareeitherto-doordone.Inthisarticlewe’ll

lookatOrg-Mode’smoresophisticatedproject-

managementfunctions.

Org-Modetasks

Beforeproceeding,let’sbrieflyreviewtasksatabasic

level.Org-Modeconsidersanylinestartingwithoneor

moreasterisks(followedbyasinglespace)tobea

*headline*.Headlines,amongotherthings,canbe

assignedastatusandtherebymadeintoatask.

Bydefault,youcanrotateaheadlinethroughthe

followingthreestates:blank(nostatus,it’sjusta

headline);*TODO*(atask,butnotyetcompleted);

and*DONE*.ThekeybindingShift-LeftandShift-Right

cyclethroughthisorderbackwardsandforwards,

respectively;inadditionthecommand*org-todo*will

cycleforwardonly.

Forthepurposeofthisarticle,whenwerefertoa

“task”itimpliesthatit’sanOrg-Modeheadlinewithan

assignedstatus.We’llalsocitetheformalOrg-Mode

commandsinthearticle,butwe’llprovideasummaryof

themwiththeirassociatedkeyboardshortcutsatthe

ThePropertiesdrawercanbetoggledwiththeTabkey,makingit easy

to hide when you don’t need it.

Org-Mode parent

task with rolled-up

progress for five

children. Note also

the checklist in

the first one.

Project management

all in plain text

Taking“YourLife in Plain Text” to the extreme, Aaron Peters shows how to

managecomplex projects with Emacs Org-Mode.

AaronPeters
is constantly
amazed
(confused?) by
the depth and
breadth of
Org-Mode’s
functionality.

O

EMACS

OUR

EXPERT

If youfollowed

thetutorialin

LXF241,you

maywantto

includeyour

projectplanand

thetextofyour

writingproject

inthesamefile.

If so,changethe

#+COLUMNS

linetoa

:COLUMNS:

propertyforthe

headlineholding

yourplan.