Scipting "Due Date" and "Reminder" Checkboxes in Task

J

Jerry Krinock

Hi,

I am a big user of "Tasks", but mainly as "reminders". "Due dates"
are annoying. (Ask my boss!)

So, I'd like an AppleScript to create tasks with the "Due date"
unchecked, so, for instance, it won't annoy me by saying that I've
entered a reminder which is after the due date. But in the
Entourage's AppleScript dictionary for the "task" class, there are no
properties for the "Due date" and "Reminder" checkbox. There is a
boolean property for "Completed". Why not for "Due date" and
"Reminder"? Do I have some conceptual misunderstanding, or should I
file a bug report?

I'm using Word v. X. Is this, by any chance, fixed in Word 2004?

Jerry Krinock
San Jose, CA USA
 
P

Paul Berkowitz

I am a big user of "Tasks", but mainly as "reminders". "Due dates"
are annoying. (Ask my boss!)

So, I'd like an AppleScript to create tasks with the "Due date"
unchecked, so, for instance, it won't annoy me by saying that I've
entered a reminder which is after the due date. But in the
Entourage's AppleScript dictionary for the "task" class, there are no
properties for the "Due date" and "Reminder" checkbox. There is a
boolean property for "Completed". Why not for "Due date" and
"Reminder"? Do I have some conceptual misunderstanding, or should I
file a bug report?

I'm using Word v. X. Is this, by any chance, fixed in Word 2004?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not. I've been repeatedly asking for it for 4 years now.

The workaround, when making a new task, is to simply omit due date and/or
remind date and time properties when making the task:

set newTask to make new task with properties {name:"Test 1",
category:{category 4}, priority:high, content:"Boo"}

or just include one as needed.

Although the value given when _getting_ a due date for no-due-date task, or
remind date and time for a no-reminder task, is always date "January 1, 1904
12:00:00 AM", it does no good setting that: that will give a real due date
or reminder for that 1/1/1904 date. So the only workaround for changing the
due date to no due date, or removing a reminder, is to make a new task and
delete the old one. Here's one that keeps the due date if there is one, but
removes the reminder if there is one:

set {theName, theCategory, thePriority, theDueDate, theContent,
ifCompleted, theReminder} to oldTask's {name, category, priority, due date,
content, completed, remind date and time}
if theReminder ‚ date "1/1/1904" then
if theDueDate ‚ date "1/1/1904" then
set newTask to make new task with properties {name: theName,
category: theCategory, priority: thePriority, due date: theDueDate ,
content: theContent, completed: ifCompleted}
else -- no due date either
set newTask to make new task with properties {name: theName,
category: theCategory, priority: thePriority, content: theContent,
completed: ifCompleted}
end if
delete oldTask
end if -- if no reminder, leave it be


It's a real pane. I can't understand why there aren't booleans for 'has
reminder', 'has due date'. And events need 'has reminder' as well: a value
of '0' will set off a reminder at start time. The 'recurring' property of
event is a good model.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP Entourage
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/toc.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Entourage you are using - **2004**, X
or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions otherwise.
 
J

Jerry Krinock

Paul,

Thanks for explaining the problem and the workaround. I just sent the
following "Feedback on Entourage" to Microsoft:

*************
In Entourage's AppleScript dictionary for the "task" class, there are
no properties for the "Due date" and "Reminder" checkbox. There is a
boolean property for "Completed". There should be boolean
properties for "Has Due date" and "Has Reminder" also.

Furthermore, I believe this issue may be do to some conceptual
problems in the basic design of "tasks". Many times, when trying to
change the recurrence pattern of a task, I find myself running around
in circles with warning dialog boxes trying to edit the "Due date" and
"Reminder". You have many smart people there at Microsoft, and one of
them needs to take a few hours, look at the whole "Tasks" data
structure, and figure out what is wrong and how to fix it.

I am reporting this problem as a user of Office v X, but I understand
from another user that these issues still exist in Office 2004.

Thanks,

Jerry Krinock
San Jose, CA USA
 
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