The IDL Workbench > Tasks View

# The Tasks View

The Tasks View allows you to manage your own Tasks in a Project. Tasks are simply reminders of things you need to do or fix within your program files.

To show the Tasks View, select WINDOW > Show View > Tasks from the Menubar (or WINDOW > Show View > Other > Tasks).

(Complete) - The leftmost column in the list, this field contains a checkbox allowing you to indicate that a Task is done. Only available for Tasks set using the right-click menu.

! (Priority) - Displays the priority of the Task as it was set during task creation.

Description - This field displays the descriptive text you entered when you set the Task in the Editor.

Resource - Displays the name of the file containing the Task.

Path - Shows the location of the file in relation to your current workspace.

Location - Displays the specific place in the file where the Task is set.

Type - Defaults to "Task".

- All fields in the Tasks View are sortable by clicking in the header for that column.
- Double-clicking on a Task's entry (row) will cause the Editor to display the file in which the Task appears.
- Change the description for a Task by clicking in the "Description" field and typing a new description. The new description will populate back to the original file. Note that this only applies to Tasks you set by using the right-click menu (see below).

## Tasks View Menu

The upper-right corner of the Tasks View contains a dropdown menu containing additional View options.

Show - Not functional in IDL 8.2.2.

Group By - Not functional in IDL 8.2.2.

Sort By - Allows you to sort the Tasks by a column you select.

New Tasks View - Add a new Tasks View using this option.

Configure Contents - Create filters for display of the Tasks with this option.

Columns - Allows you to change the order of the columns as they appear in the Tasks View.

Preferences - Use Preferences to select the columns you want to display in the Tasks View.

## Set a Task in a Program

You have two options for setting Tasks in the Editor View: by using the right-click menu or by setting Task Tags as comments within your code. You can use both types of Tasks in the same file.

Once you set either of these two types of Tasks in your program file, and then save the file, the Editor displays a Task icon to the left of your code at the location where you set the Task:

The Editor also displays a small, blue, Task reminder or marker on the right side of your code (to the right of the scroll bar):

Hovering your mouse pointer over either of these two icons will display the description of the Task. Clicking on the Task description here will jump you to the location of the Task in the Editor.

### Set a Task Using the Right-Click Menu

In the Editor View, right-click in the gray area to the left of the line numbers and choose "Add Task." Enter a name for the Task in the "Description" text box, choose a priority (High, Normal, or Low), and select "OK".

If you set a Task by using the right-click menu, you can edit the description for that task within the Task View. Go to the Task View, click in the "Description" field, and type a new description. The new description will populate back to the Task in the original program file.

Note: In the screenshot at the beginning of this topic, the first two Tasks were ones set using the right-click menu.

### Set a Task Inside of Code Comments

You can also set a Task Tag inside of a comment in your code. By default, using any one of the following Task Tags as a code comment will create a Workbench Task. These Tasks display in your Task View once you save your program file.

; FIXME: My Task Description

; TODO: Another Task Description

; XXX: A Third Task Description

By default, `FIXME` Tasks are High priority, `TODO` Tasks are Normal priority, and `XXX` Tasks are Low priority.

Change these default associations in the Task Tags settings in Workbench Preferences (WINDOW > Preferences > IDL > Editor). The Tags that appear here are the only ones that will populate from your code comments into the Task View. If you want to change the text of a Tag, simply type the name of the new Tag syntax in one of the text boxes and click the "Apply" button.

Note: In the screenshot at the beginning of this topic, the Tasks beginning with "TODO:" were set using Task Tags inside of code comments.

## See Also

Class Hierarchy, Command History, Console View, Preferences, Editor View, Menubar and Toolbar, Outline View, Problems View, Profiler View, Project Explorer, Workbench Overview, Variables View