March 31, 2021

TaskPaper IconTaskPaper Icon

TaskPaper - The Text-Based Outliner

Product: TaskPaper
Price: $24.99

Background

I was sad to give up on org-mode. Not interested in the task-management aspect of it. Intrigued by the content creation features of org-mode. The only downside? You have to deal with Emacs. Unfortunately that was a no-go for me. I was disappointed with that.

I tried out a couple of the plug-ins which lets Sublime Text deal with org-mode, and they weren’t right. I was giving up the quest and then remembered, TaskPaper.

TaskPaper is a treasure

TaskPaper is a text editor with outlining power. It is not as full-featured as org-mode but it does perform a subset of the functions.

At its core, TaskPaper is an outliner. It is a text-based outliner. You can make lists with it. You can fold and unfold sections. It is a competent outliner with the added goodness of being a text file which any text editor can deal with. No lock-in.

You can organize your life with it. It handles projects, tasks, notes and @tags. They are elegantly implemented and TaskPaper is an absolute joy to use.

Documentation

TaskPaper is well-documented at Introduction · GitBook. You can go through the documentation to learn what the product can do.

My Use of TaskPaper

TaskPaper WindowTaskPaper Window

I am using it to write. Anytime I need an outline, TaskPaper is where I go. It is a pleasure to write in.

Four features I am fond of:

  1. Typewriter scrolling.
  2. Supports macOS conventions. “Lazy typing” included. That is two spaces turn into a period. The first letter of a new sentence is capitalized.
  3. Keyboard commands galore.
  4. Fold, focus, and filter to concentrate on the section you are writing.

The other advantage of using TaskPaper is that there is a fantastic Sublime Text plug-in called PlainTasks which lets you deal with TaskPaper files in Sublime Text. I can use TaskPaper when I want a deep dive into an outline or list. When it comes to quick edits, Sublime Text with the PlainTasks plug-in lets me stay in the “one-editor” to rule them all.

Recommendation

If you like text files, want an organizer, and a competent text-based outliner, TaskPaper is the answer. Jesse Grosjean, the developer of TaskPaper is an absolute genius for giving us this versatile tool.

TaskPaper is recommended heartily.

macosxguru at the gmail thingie.

Additional Resource: TaskPaper 3 - Matt Gemmell


TaskPaper outliner


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