Commands and Qualifiers

Todour supports the standard todo.txt format plus several powerful extensions. This page documents all available qualifiers and their usage.

Date Qualifiers

Due Dates (due:)

Set when a task should be completed.

Qualifier Standard Description Example
due:YYYY-MM-DD Absolute due date due:2024-03-15
due:+Xd Due in X days due:+3d
due:+Xw Due in X weeks due:+2w
due:+Xm Due in X months due:+1m
due:+Xb Due in X business days due:+5b
due:+Xy Due in X years due:+1y
due:+Xp Due in random 1-X days due:+7p

NOTE: The "Non standard" format will be translated to standard format by the application. Its for input convenience only and WILL NOT be respected if it's not input directly into Todour.

Examples:

Submit report due:2024-03-15 @work +quarterly
Call dentist due:+2d @phone
Pay bills due:+1w @finance +monthly

Threshold Dates (t:)

Hide tasks until a specific date (tasks become "active" on this date).

Qualifier Standard Description Example
t:YYYY-MM-DD Absolute threshold date t:2024-03-01
t:+Xd Threshold in X days t:+30d
t:+Xw Threshold in X weeks t:+2w
t:+Xm Threshold in X months t:+3m
t:+Xb Threshold in X business days t:+10b
t:+Xy Threshold in X years t:+1y
t:+Xp Random threshold 1-X days t:+14p
t:+project Wait for all +project tasks t:+website
t:@context Wait for all @context tasks t:@calls

NOTE: The "Non standard" format will be translated to standard format by the application where possible. Its for input convenience only and WILL NOT be respected if it's not input directly into Todour.

Examples:

Plan vacation t:+30d +personal
Review performance t:2024-02-15 @work +annual
Start diet t:+project +health
Book hotel t:+travel @phone +vacation

Recurrence (rec:)

Automatically recreate tasks when completed.

Basic Recurrence

Qualifier Standard Description Example
rec:Xd Repeat every X days from today rec:1d
rec:Xw Repeat every X weeks from today rec:1w
rec:Xm Repeat every X months from today rec:1m
rec:Xy Repeat every X years from today rec:1y
rec:Xb Repeat every X business days rec:5b

Strict Recurrence

Qualifier Standard Description Example
rec:+Xd Repeat X days from original due date rec:+7d
rec:+Xw Repeat X weeks from original due date rec:+2w
rec:+Xm Repeat X months from original due date rec:+1m
rec:+Xy Repeat X years from original due date rec:+1y
rec:+Xb Repeat X business days from original date rec:+5b
rec:+Xp Repeat random 1-X days from original rec:+7p

Examples:

Daily standup due:2024-03-15 rec:1d @work +daily
Weekly review due:2024-03-17 rec:+1w @work +weekly
Monthly rent due:2024-04-01 rec:+1m @finance +bills
Take vitamins rec:1d @health +daily

Standard todo.txt Qualifiers

Priorities

Format Description
(A) Highest priority
(B) High priority
(C) Medium priority
(none) Normal priority

Projects and Contexts

Type Format Description Example
Project +project Group related tasks +website, +vacation
Context @context Where/how task is done @home, @phone, @work

Dates (Standard)

Format Description Example
YYYY-MM-DD Creation date (beginning) 2024-03-15 Call doctor
YYYY-MM-DD Completion date (after x) x 2024-03-15 2024-03-10 Task

Complete Task Examples

Simple Tasks

Call doctor @phone
Buy groceries @errands +shopping
(A) Submit quarterly report @work +important

Tasks with Dates

(B) Review presentation due:2024-03-20 @work +quarterly
Plan vacation activities t:+30d +vacation @planning
Pay rent due:2024-04-01 rec:+1m @finance +bills

Complex Tasks

(A) Weekly team meeting due:2024-03-18 rec:+1w t:2024-03-11 @work +weekly
Daily workout rec:1d @home +health +daily
Call insurance company due:+3d @phone +tasks t:+1d
Submit expenses due:2024-03-31 t:+project @work +quarterly

Recurring Task Patterns

# Daily tasks
Take vitamins rec:1d @health +daily
Check email rec:1b @work +daily

# Weekly tasks  
Grocery shopping due:+6d rec:+1w @errands +weekly
Team meeting due:2024-03-20 rec:+1w @work +meetings

# Monthly tasks
Pay bills due:2024-04-01 rec:+1m @finance +monthly
Review budget due:+30d rec:+1m @finance +planning

# Quarterly tasks
Performance review due:2024-06-15 rec:+3m @work +quarterly

Advanced Usage Patterns

Project Dependencies

# Phase 1 tasks
Research competitors +website @research @phase1
Define requirements +website @planning @phase1

# Phase 2 tasks (wait for Phase 1)
Design mockups t:@phase1 @design +website @phase2
Write content t:@phase1 @writing +website @phase2

# Phase 3 tasks (wait for Phase 2)  
Build website t:@phase1 t:@phase2 @development +website
Test website t:@phase1 t:@phase2 @testing +website

Context-Based Workflows

# Batch phone calls
Call dentist @phone +health
Call insurance @phone +insurance  
Call bank @phone +finance

# When all @phone tasks are done
Review call notes t:@phone @review +followup

Time-Based Task Management

# Future planning
Plan summer vacation t:2024-05-01 +vacation @planning
Start tax preparation t:2024-02-01 +taxes @finance

# Regular maintenance
Change air filter due:+90d rec:+3m @home +maintenance
Backup computer due:+7d rec:+1w @computer +backup

Best Practices

Effective Task Writing

  • Be specific: "Call Dr. Smith for annual checkup" vs "Call doctor"
  • Use contexts: Group by where/how you'll do the task
  • Set realistic dates: Don't over-schedule yourself
  • Use recurrence wisely: For truly recurring tasks, not one-time events

Organization Tips

  • Consistent naming: Use standard project and context names
  • Meaningful priorities: Reserve (A) for truly urgent items
  • Batch similar tasks: Group @phone calls, @errands, etc.
  • Review regularly: Use weekly reviews to plan threshold dates