Hog Bay Software products

Hog Bay Software

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:58:12 -0500

About Hog Bay Software

Hog Bay Software is located in Bangor, Maine and is run by Jesse Grosjean (me). Check out my user forums to keep track of, and influence, what I'm working on. Or subscribe to my blog to just get the highlights.

My goal is to create simple applications that have just the features you need. My applications are developed using a unique user-powered development process that invites your participation. In addition, developers are free to extend and personalize my applications with scripts and plugins. Please visit the products page to learn about everything that I work on and to find scripts, plugins, and more submitted by Hog Bay Software users.

TaskPaper

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:57:34 -0500

"For the most part, the applications that are specifically designed for project organizing are way too complex, with too much horsepower to really be functional for 98 percent of what most people need to manage." — David Allen

For Mac users who want a simpler way to make lists and get organized. TaskPaper is a plain text to-do list that's surprisingly adept. Unlike alternative organizers, TaskPaper's text based interface provides paper-like simplicity. Requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later

Simplify your work

TaskPaper makes it easy to create lists of tasks and group them by project. All of your information is stored in a simple text file that is easy to take with you on the go, and edit when TaskPaper isn't available. Even on Windows. When TaskPaper opens your file, it auto formats the content to look good and provides lots of enhancements for quickly editing and viewing the content.

Paper-like simplicity

Paper-like simplicity sets TaskPaper apart. Unlike standard organizer apps that have many different views and complex database style user interfaces, TaskPaper is built around a simple text base user interface that looks like this:

    Project 1:
    - task 1
    - task 2 @done
    Project 2:
    - task 3
    - task 5
    Archive:
    - task 6 @done
    - task 4 @done

Organizing your tasks with TaskPaper is as fast, easy, and portable as typing in a text file.

Surprisingly powerful

In TaskPaper's hands your simple text to-do list becomes surprisingly powerful.

TaskPaper excels at the fundamentals of Getting Things Done ®. Nothing is better at quickly entering tasks and projects. The text interface provides a clean, compact way to view your lists. Creating tasks, completing tasks, and deleting tasks can all be accomplished with single keystrokes.

TaskPaper knows how to filter your tasks so you can easily manage thousands of tasks in a single file. Click on a project's title hyperlink to filter out other projects and just focus on that project's tasks. Click on a tag hyperlink and instantly see all the other tasks sharing that tag. Use the project toolbar popup menu to jump to any of your projects. The toolbar search fields stays fast even with thousands of tasks.

Reviews

"It's a very simple, but intriguing and original concept. I've been using it for a few weeks, and it's definitely worth a look." — John Gruber, Daringfireball.net

"Don't buy TaskPaper if you're looking for a sophisticated personal information manager, because it's nothing of the sort. All it can do is manage smart lists for busy people, but it does this very well indeed." — Giles Turnbull, MacUser 5/5 Rating

"Because, friends, TaskPaper is just about fiddle-proof, and, frankly, I know a lot of people who could benefit from that today." — Merlin Mann, 43Folders.com

"TaskPaper’s strength is that it lets you focus on crossing out those tasks instead of building a self-referential web of unfinished business which separates you from the cold, harsh reality of all the work you need to do." — Scott McNulty, Tuaw.com

"Using TaskPaper, I started doing my grocery list. While such a project is hardly complex, I was surprised at how pleasant it was using TaskPaper." — Charles Jade, Arstechnica.com

"Taskpaper is awesome software; great balance of structure and free-form. Lists!" — Jack Dorsey, CEO Twitter.com

"I'm super impressed with the taskpaper format and ideas. Very interesting!" — Ian Landsman, Founder of UserScape

Is TaskPaper the right tool for you?

TaskPaper is designed as a simple alternative to full featured GTD ® programs like OmniFocus. If TaskPaper does everything that you need, then it is likely the better choice. If you're certain that you need more then OmniFocus comes from a great Mac developer with a great tradition. Both apps are free to try, see what works best for you.

Here are the features that I think make TaskPaper special:

Text Interface Using text as the primary interface has many benefits. It's fast: auto-complete tasks are created in a single keystroke. It's flexible: there's no wrong way to structure your file. Text provides the cleanest and most compact display for lists and has the added benefit of portability.
Project Focus A single text file allows you to see everything at once. Project links provide the other essential feature: the ability to focus on a single project and its tasks.
Tagging and Searching TaskPaper looks and feels just like a text file, but it's fast like a database. Click on a tag hyper-link and you'll get an instant list of all other tasks that share that same tag. The toolbar search fields stays instantaneous even with thousands of tasks.
Keyboard Support Everything can be done from the keyboard. Navigate through hundreds of projects and thousands of tasks in a few keystrokes. Command-L to show a list of all projects. Command-D to mark the current task as done. Command-K to delete the current task.
Cross platform support TaskPaper files are just text, they can be viewed and edited anywhere. But on Windows you now also have the option to use TodoPaper a native app for editing .taskpaper files. Or on the web use Tasko, a website for storing and editing .taskpaper files. For more third party options see the related products section at the end of this page.

GTD ® and Getting Things Done ® are registered trademarks of David Allen & Co.

XcodeTemplateFactory

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:19:08 -0500

XcodeTemplateFactory

Easily create Xcode project templates

For Xcode developers who want an easier way to create and update Xcode template projects. XcodeTemplateFactory allows you to select a normal Xcode project and then generate an Xcode template from that source. This project is free and open source.

Download XcodeTemplateFactory Releases

This product will be of use to Xcode developers only.

Xcode project templates are a simple enough concept, but they tend to be a big pain to create in practice. And once you have one working, they are an even bigger pain to update.

With XcodeTemplateFactory you can keep you "template" as a normal Xcode project that's easy to update. When you want to release the template just process your project through XcodeTemplateFactory and out will pop a project that's setup to be used as an Xcode template project.

XcodeTemplateFactory works like this:

Select your source project from which the template will be created. The name of the source project should be something compact with no spaces, such as "BlocksPlugin".
XcodeTemplateFactory will next process through all files in that project copying them to your Xcode project templates folder, and replacing the project name (for example "BlocksPlugin") with «PROJECTNAMEASIDENTIFIER».
As the projects files are processed XcodeTemplateFactory keeps track of which ones had the project name replaced, and also keeps track of which file names had text replaced. This info is used to build the template projects TemplateInfo.plist.

You can find more about Xcode project templates on these sites.

http://briksoftware.com/blog/?p=28">Xcode template maker
cocoadev.com
Macrumors
macresearch.org maker/xcode-template-maker-10/#more-55)
redsweater.com
Xcode 3 Template Location Clarification

Let me know if you have another link that I should include here. XcodeTemplateFactory is free and open source. If you make any improvements to the code please let me know and I'll be happy to add your changes and make a new release.

Thanks,
Jesse

TaskPaper.vim

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:54:59 -0500

TaskPaper.vim

TaskPaper in Vim

This package contains a Vim syntax file and file-type plugin for the simple format used by TaskPaper. It is intended for Mac users who want to edit their TaskPaper lists in Vim from time to time (for example, in a SSH session, or on a non-Mac system) and for anyone who is looking for a simple to-do list format.

taskpaper.vim on www.vim.org

created by David O'Callaghan

TodoPaper by Widefido

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:44:39 -0500

TodoPaper by Widefido

TaskPaper for Windows

TodoPaper is a simple and easy to use to-do list application for Windows inspired by HogBay Software's TaskPaper. TodoPaper records your to-dos without any overhead, allowing more of your time to be spent completing your action items. Simply open TodoPaper and get to work.

TodoPaper is developed and maintained by me, Jordan Sherer of Widefido.

I was an avid user of TaskPaper for some time, but was always struggling with to-do lists at work, since we use Windows PC's there. So, I took initiative and starting building TodoPaper. After 1 month of development and 3 months of beta testing, I give you TodoPaper 1.0.

If you use TaskPaper at all, you will be glad to know that much of the same functionality exists in TodoPaper. With collaboration from Jesse, the saved files from TodoPaper are perfectly cross-compatible with TaskPaper. So, transferring your to-do lists between work and home (i.e., windows to mac) works out of the box.

Also, I am offering a 25% discount to HogBay users. When checking out on the Widefido website, just enter this coupon code: HogBayTaskPaper

For more information, please visit the Widefido website

WriteRoom

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:48:50 -0500

"But if, when it comes right down to it, full screen is your holy grail, and the ultimate antidote to the bric-a-brac of Word, then you must enter the WriteRoom, the ultimate spartan writing utopia." — Virginia Heffernan, New York Times

For people who enjoy the simplicity of a typewriter, but live in the digital world. WriteRoom is a full-screen writing environment. Unlike the cluttered word processors you're used to, WriteRoom is just about you and your text. Requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later

A place to sit down and write

Walk into WriteRoom, and watch your distractions fade away. Now it's just you and your text. WriteRoom is a place where your mind clears and your work gets done. When your writing is complete, exit WriteRoom and re-enter the busy world with your work in hand.

Overcome the challenge of your digital life

With so much e-mail and information pouring in, the digital life we lead can sure be a blur. If you've found it getting harder to focus on the words you want to write, if you've forgotten how great it feels to really write distraction-free, then let WriteRoom help you rediscover your muse.

For writing, and nothing more

WriteRoom is not Microsoft Word. It won't generate a table of contents, it won't place borders around your documents, and it doesn't have an animated paper-clip looking over your shoulder. Instead WriteRoom just provides the essential features required to get words on the page. Stay focused with WriteRoom's distraction free environment. Stay on track with word count. Stay safe with autosave. You just type, and WriteRoom will do its best to stay out of your way.

Furnish to your liking

Your WriteRoom can stay green-on-black, or you can choose your own colors, fonts, and page layout. Scale up your text for easy reading. Show the scroll bar all the time, or only when you need it. Even features like spell-checking and rulers are there if you want them.

Reviews

"But if, when it comes right down to it, full screen is your holy grail, and the ultimate antidote to the bric-a-brac of Word, then you must enter the WriteRoom, the ultimate spartan writing utopia." — Virginia Heffernan, New York Times

"Unlike practically everything else in our digital lives, WriteRoom's minimalist interface implies a truly flattering proposition: It's you, not the software, that matters." — Jeffrey MacIntyre, Slate

"Green text on a blank, black screen, with a square, blinking cursor. This was how most of us wrote on a computer in the early 1980s, and it's resurfacing a quarter of a century later." — Rob Pegoraro, Washington Post

"For those of us who just want to get on with writing, without distractions, WriteRoom is here to save the day." — Craig Grannell, MacFormat

"It looks stunning, and is “minimalistic bliss”. At the moment, I’m not honestly sure I’ll ever use something such as Microsoft Word again!" — David Appleyard, Theappleblog.com

"It’s a primitive application, to be sure — I suspect completely by design — but it may be just what the doctor ordered if you need to get your head out of your butt and put some words on the page. I can see myself spending a lot of time in WriteRoom." — Merlin Mann, 43Folders.com

Is WriteRoom the right tool for you?

WriteRoom is designed for distraction free writing. If you are looking for a programmer's text editor or tool to help you manage large writing projects then there are better choices. If you need syntax highlighting and command line integration try TextMate. If you need to manage large writing projects try Scrivener. If you just need to block out distractions and write then I think WriteRoom is a great choice.

Here are the features that I think make WriteRoom special:

Full-screen editing Get free from your computer and its distractions. WriteRoom's full-screen mode hides it all away leaving just you and your text behind.
Document based auto-save Your documents are stored in standard text file formats and autosaved in the background to help protect your work in case the power goes out*.
Distraction free features The menu bar, scroll bar, and word count appear when you move your mouse to the edge of the screen.
'Retro'-fit your cursor Prefer block cursors to bars? Hate blinking cursors? WriteRoom has every combination you'd want.
Standalone or Edit-In Use WriteRoom on its own for all your text editing needs, or let WriteRoom be your ticket to full-screen editing for text in any compatible program.

QuickCursor

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:49:42 -0600

QuickCursor

Use your favorite editor anywhere.

For Mac users who want to use their favorite text editor everywhere. QuickCursor is menu item that allows you to edit text from any application in your favorite text editor*. Unlike custom “edit in” plugin solutions QuickCursor provides a standard open source solution that uses public API's and doesn’t require input manager hacks to work.

QuickCursor is still in development and not yet ready for public consumption. I'm sharing early so that existing WriteRoom users can try it out, so please don't post to versiontracker, etc.

QuickCursor is meant to duplicate WriteRoom's "Edit in WriteRoom" functionality on Leopard. It is also intended to provide a common solution to the "Edit in" problem. In future releases you will be able to change you preferred editor from WriteRoom to BBEdit, TextMate, Smultron, or any other text editor that supports the ODB Editor Suite.

QuickCursor will be free and open source. The sources are not public quite yet, but if you are a developer and want to work on the code right now drop me an email.

To use QuickCursor:

It's buggy!
Requires latest WriteRoom-Leopard-Test version
Double-click the application icon and a new 'Q' status item will be added to the OS X status items menu bar in the top right part of your screen.
Now go to a text fields in some app (Such as Safari) and click on that text field to give it focus. Then click on the 'Q' status item.
WriteRoom should open with the contents of the Safari text field.
When you save that document in WriteRoom the Safari text field should get updated.

Here's a download link for version 0.1.1:

QuickCursor download

Blocks

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:16:14 -0600

Blocks

Pure plugin framework

Blocks is an open source, Eclipse inspired, plugin framework for Mac OS X. It's a "pure" plugin framework in the sense that everything in a blocks based application is a plugin, the main executable is only a few lines to bootstrap the plugin framework. Blocks is the foundation for all Hog Bay Software applications. Documentation is scarce, but the latest code is hosted here on Google Code.

Tasko

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:06:19 -0600

Tasko - online TaskPaper

Tasko is an online application of TaskPaper which means you can use it as long as you have an Internet connection and a modern web browser. There is nothing to install for you. Tasko supports most features of TaskPaper.

TaskPaper.web

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:58:00 -0600

TaskPaper.web

TaskPaper on the Web

A web implementation of TaskPaper. Primarily designed as a lightweight viewer for documents you have created in TaskPaper. It also provides rudimentary editing facilities for quick edits on the move.

Screen Grab

-- Created by Edd Sowden

TaskPaper.bbedit

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:45:02 -0500

TaskPaper.bbedit

TaskPaper in BBEdit

This package contains a BBEdit codeless language module for the simple to-do list format used by TaskPaper. It is intended for Mac users who want to edit their TaskPaper lists in BBEdit from time to time and for anyone who is looking for a simple to-do list format.

The language module provides color highlighting for projects, tags and notes, and allows for folding of projects with multiple tasks. An outline of all project headings is also available via BBEdit's function popup menu.

created by Matthias Steffens

TaskPaper.tada

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:59:15 -0500

TaskPaper.tada

Ta-da List export to TaskPaper

If you use Ta-da List and want to import that content into TaskPaper try:

http://www.manton.org/2007/08/tada_list.html

TaskPaper.textmate

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:47:21 -0500

TaskPaper.textmate

TaskPaper in TextMate

If you like the idea of TaskPaper, but don't want to leave TextMate then check out this bundle...

http://henrik.nyh.se/2007/08/tasks-bundle