Custom Journal - is it worthwhile

#1

I think I may need a custom journal tiddler – but perhaps there’s another way forward.

The journal tiddler with it’s fixed date seemed to be the best method for creating new tasks that have a deadline. I want them to appear in a checklist of items to be completed. When complete, I plan to either delete or tag them “repeat” for later reuse if needed.

So I renamed the journal tag but then found it’s no longer associated with the journal button.

Because I also need a traditional journal for documenting events (blog)… which the default journal covers, I reverted the tag-name back to “journal” — but the new empty TEST journal tiddler wiped out the earlier (same-day, no timestamp) journal tiddler that was renamed momentarily to “task” - ouch.

Also — I don’t really want to have the tag-name “journal”. Is it possible to change the journal tag? If so, is that easy (and where do I start)?

I know I can also create “new here” tiddlers (basic/journal) with various ways to include dates (created/modified) and Titles — but not sure which is the better way to proceed.

I’m still at a very basic level of use with TW, and it may well be all I need. But I’ve no idea if “later” I will want to add “clever” features that I’m currently unaware of — and whether what I’m planning to do has limitations in the future.

#2

Another couple of questions - for a different solution…

Does changing the title of a new/old journal tiddler + removing the date affect anything?

I read old posts saying that 2 tiddlers can’t have the same title. Is that still the case?
Would including the hh:mm:ss in the title change that?

#3

Hello,

Maybe this can help (easy creation of a new journal button, but then call it what you like): Charlie's TiddlyWiki Documentation — a non-linear personal web notebook

And yes, tiddler titles must be unique.

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#4

You can change the tags for New Journal tiddlers via Control Panel ->Info Tab->Basic Tab

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#5

Actually I think you best use Journals for journals and not confuse the two, in part because it has its own value. However it is quite easy to make use of the existing mechanism to achieve something like you want. Below are a few things to consider.

  • I think there would be value thinking through your requirements first, they seem a little confused, perhaps influenced by your initial interactions with TiddlyWiki, when in reality you should first focus on what you need rather than how tiddlywiki does it.

Useful tips

While using the standard Journal tag Create a tiddler tagged $:/tags/ViewTemplate containing;

<$list filter="[all[current]tag[Journal]]" variable=~>
Journal Tiddler <!-- in this list widget you can put content to appear on Journal tiddlers -->
</$list>
  • now in between the open and close list widget any content will appear on Journal tiddlers.
  • here we can create buttons and lists to operate on a journal tiddler. With my new-journals-and-journal-date.json (2.4 KB) we have access to the journal-date set when the Journal was created.
    • List tiddlers with the same date
    • Create task tiddlers with todays/journals date
    • List task tiddlers that are not done/done

Just ask, by spelling out what you need rathewr than how tiddllywiki works, and we can help you develop this further.

  • Personallyy I would love to share a realy good approach to task management but I do not want to risk confusing you ubefore you explain your real needs
  • I dont like setting tasks to a due date, because if you dont complete them when due, you may have to set a new date. I’d rather indicate they need to be done, until they are done (with the excveptions of appointments and deadlines)
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#6

Yes, you’re right. My gut feeling was TW might be the perfect tool for me moving forward. Now I’m feeling capable enough to make it work for me with my currently low-level of TW knowledge/experience.

My requirements are confused by the enormity of my task — to organise 30 years of digital files (paper/digital). I’ve now sorted everything (trashed 2TB) and mapped out how I want to reference the rest in TW. I’m starting that process now.

Sorry, I got a bit caught-up in trying to assess IF “journal” tiddlers were more useful to me than ordinary tiddlers. I’m using <<currentTiddler>> (new journal tiddlers) and append a word or two that helps identify the task in a list.

I will definitely test out your tips, thanks. I’ve never used .json - the time has come.

I agree. I use Tasks.app (brilliant) on my phone for ALL my critical reminders. However, dates are useful at this stage (as deadlines) they at least point me back to tiddlers that need to be logically completed before others.

As I sorted, I made a tiddler to record: what I’ve found/done, added “tags”, where many items need further deliberation and so they appear in various checklists. This seems to be working well - at this stage.

I plan to have a section with links that open old websites locally (using MAMP) and may then transfer selected mysql data into tiddlers by hand. If this works well, then I’m hoping I can have other TW-links open selected documents (in related apps) if needed, rather than transfer their contents into Wikitext.

Aside from the above project, I have two other TW files: one for capturing notes while gaming; the other for testing (partially on tiddlyhost).

:rofl: If that helps me prevent my dog peeing on the carpet when it rains, you’re on.

#7

To mark something as a task give it an empty task-date, when you do it stamp task-date with now, or use a date picker to set it to another date/time.

  • Now use the filter [all[]has:field[task-date]!has[task-date]] to list all tasks still to be done (has task-date but its empty).
  • Now use the filter [all[]has[task-date]] to list all tasks already done, noting that you have captured when it was done and can sort or select on that basis.

The same method works for other date fields like started-date empty means ready to start, with a date when it started and can work along side an end-date.

  • One trick is to use this method so any tiddler can be treated as a task, but can be something else as well.
  • Doing this we leave tags available for organization not the operation.
#8

Mehregan edition has a nice Journal tiddler.
It associated with a simple interstitial section at button works like Task.