Creating new task below an action group

[teronel]

How do I create a new task at the end of a project following an action group? Simply or Cmd-N does not work; they both create a task at the top of the action group. It does not matter whether the group is closed or expanded.

I must be missing some key combination that will do what I want without having to create the task then move it into place.

[DrJJWMac]

Your finding is consistent with the standard behavior. I would wish for an intelligent method to handle this as per …

• Action Group Expanded --> add next action inside action group (at bottom position of group actions)
• Action Group Collapsed --> add next action outside action group at next action step below

I made a feature request to the omnigroup support email for this behavior many years ago.

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JJW

[TheWart]

Action Group Expanded --> add next action inside action group (at bottom position of group actions)[/quote]
I agree that this would be desirable behavior. Right now the new action is created at the top of the action group. Perhaps this is to keep the newly-created item in view as opposed to being hidden if the project or action group is long enough to force the last task of the screen’s view.

Thankfully, the keyboard allows us to quickly place items correctly with Ctrl-Alt-Up/Down so you can send the task to the right spot in the action group as quickly as you made it.

[quote]Action Group Collapsed --> add next action outside action group at next action step below

This can be done quickly via the keyboard. If you have the action group selected (expanded or not), the new action will be created at the top of the action group. Then hit CMD-[ to shoot the task one level out in the hierarchy, below the currently selected action group.

[DrJJWMac]

[quote]Action Group Collapsed --> add next action outside action group at next action step below

This can be done quickly via the keyboard. If you have the action group selected (expanded or not), the new action will be created at the top of the action group. Then hit CMD-[ to shoot the task one level out in the hierarchy, below the currently selected action group.
[/quote]

Yes, this method addresses the OP’s question precisely!

The keyboard shortcut combination does not however close the originally-selected Action Group back to its prior collapsed state.

So, I generally find the keyboard method of CMD-N + CMD-[ to add a new action and move it after a previously collapsed Action Group is sloppy both in its need for an additional keystroke and in the UI “mess” it leaves behind.

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JJW

[tekl]

Hello all! OmniFocus 2 knows about a couple different modifiers for its new items that can be applied to the Return key command:

• Holding the Shift key creates any new item above the selected item.
• Holding the Option key ignores a selected action group, always creating a sibling task.

In this specific case, I think the latter applies: select the action group in question, then press Option-Return to add a new item below and outside the selected group. I’ve just tried this in an OmniFocus 2.1 test build, and it seems to work as expected – and it leaves collapsed action groups collapsed, since you’re no longer modifying their contents.

Thanks to those of you that have already sent in email feedback requesting different behavior for the existing key commands. That’s the best way to make sure your comments make it into our development database. I hope that, in the absence of those changes, these keyboard shortcuts help with your workflows!

[teronel]

That was exactly what I was searching for but couldn’t find. It doesn’t seem to be document within the app anywhere. Thanks!

[DrJJWMac]

Hello all! OmniFocus 2 knows about a couple different modifiers …

Thank you. IMO, it would be intelligent when no option key is needed to recognize the state of an open or collapsed Action Group.

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JJW

[DrJJWMac]

Hello all! OmniFocus 2 knows about a couple different modifiers for its new items that can be applied to the Return key command:

Holding the Shift key creates any new item above the selected item.
Holding the Option key ignores a selected action group, always creating a sibling task.

Well, now here’s the rub after a bit more digging around. I assert, this behavior is not only not the most intelligent one, it is NOT consistent with how keystrokes act for Folders and Projects in the left pane. Here is the primary example.

• When a Folder is collapsed and selected, typing Return creates a new Project below the Folder

• When an Action Group is collapsed and selected, typing Return creates a new Task inside the Action Group

In some other keystroke cases, as we look at the left pane versus the right pane, we could argue the fine points of when/how Action Groups really are different from Tasks. In this one case above though, the inconsistent behavior of the keystrokes used in OF is a real design flaw.

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JJW