TaskPaper

"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.

Related Projects

These projects extend or relate to TaskPaper. Have fun trying them out, and if you've created a script, plugin, or anything else that you'd like to share let me know and I'll add a link to this list.

Project
TaskPaper.web — TaskPaper on the Web
TaskPaper.vim — TaskPaper in Vim
TaskPaper.textmate — TaskPaper in TextMate
TaskPaper.tada — Ta-da List export to TaskPaper
Taskodone.com — Online TaskPaper
TodoPaper — TaskPaper for Windows
TaskPaper.bbedit — TaskPaper in BBEdit