Filesystem-Based Task Workflow #62

davi-jorge-art commented 2026年05月15日 10:24:33 +02:00

I expect that you receive this idea open minded...I know that your app is for notes..But I've looked for months for the perfect note taking app..Have found yours...I'm looking and looking for a one that, as yours , among the few apps that truly embraces local-first plain markdown files without locking users into a proprietary database AND have some sort of task management for no results....

I would like to suggest a task-oriented workflow that could fit HelixNotes ...It will elevate it to maybe a standard on this field : Notes + tasks ...Tasks that can be linked to Notes by internal links ! I really hope you embrace it. My idea is not to "spread" the tasks all around the app ...

Main Idea

Use:

• 1 markdown file = 1 task
• folders = projects/status/categories

Example:

Tasks/
├── Work/
│ ├── inbox/
│ ├── next/
│ └── done/
│
└── Personal
|---etc
done/
No need of check box for the note/tasks ...Just move it for "done" as in orgzly revived

The body of the task will have description, links, files, subtasks (with the checkboxes if someone like it...)

This works extremely well with:

Syncthing, Android + Desktop , etc...

The "only" missing Piece: Metadata Parsing

Currently, metadata like:

!high
+A

is treated only as plain text.

It would be incredibly useful if HelixNotes could parse simple inline task metadata and provide sorting by priority. This will be enough for this workflow...

For example:

!high

could become:

• High priority badge
• Sortable field
• Filterable property

without requiring heavy YAML frontmatter or databases.

Maybe, just MAYBE later saved searches, task views...

This would keep HelixNotes lightweight while enabling much more powerful task workflows.

So , in sum , what I would like to have is "visible" and "sortable" priorities for each task/note (like by date, alphabetical) and a "section" for tasks which for me would be perfect and I THINK (don't know) it will be easy to implement ...

Thank you very, very much as always for the amazing work..I'm looking for an app like yours since the "palm" era (2001-2004..)

I expect that you receive this idea open minded...I know that your app is for notes..But I've looked for months for the perfect note taking app..Have found yours...I'm looking and looking for a one that, as yours , among the few apps that truly embraces local-first plain markdown files without locking users into a proprietary database AND have some sort of task management for no results.... I would like to suggest a task-oriented workflow that could fit HelixNotes ...It will elevate it to maybe a standard on this field : Notes + tasks ...Tasks that can be linked to Notes by internal links ! I really hope you embrace it. My idea is not to "spread" the tasks all around the app ... Main Idea Use: * 1 markdown file = 1 task * folders = projects/status/categories Example: Tasks/ ├── Work/ │ ├── inbox/ │ ├── next/ │ └── done/ │ └── Personal |---etc done/ No need of check box for the note/tasks ...Just move it for "done" as in orgzly revived The body of the task will have description, links, files, subtasks (with the checkboxes if someone like it...) This works extremely well with: Syncthing, Android + Desktop , etc... The "only" missing Piece: Metadata Parsing Currently, metadata like: ```md !high +A ``` is treated only as plain text. It would be incredibly useful if HelixNotes could parse simple inline task metadata and provide sorting by priority. This will be enough for this workflow... For example: ```md !high ``` could become: * High priority badge * Sortable field * Filterable property without requiring heavy YAML frontmatter or databases. Maybe, just MAYBE later saved searches, task views... This would keep HelixNotes lightweight while enabling much more powerful task workflows. So , in sum , what I would like to have is "visible" and "sortable" priorities for each task/note (like by date, alphabetical) and a "section" for tasks which for me would be perfect and I THINK (don't know) it will be easy to implement ... Thank you very, very much as always for the amazing work..I'm looking for an app like yours since the "palm" era (2001-2004..)

davi-jorge-art commented 2026年05月15日 11:00:24 +02:00

Projects that I think are "almost there" but I think can help

https://tasks.md/
https://github.com/isotjs/todosian-app
https://github.com/RoBoT095/printnotes (It has a option for "Front matter suport", but I don't know for what...)
https://github.com/OHermesJunior/tasks
https://ordna.sh/#install

Projects that I think are "almost there" but I think can help https://tasks.md/ https://github.com/isotjs/todosian-app https://github.com/RoBoT095/printnotes (It has a option for "Front matter suport", but I don't know for what...) https://github.com/OHermesJunior/tasks https://ordna.sh/#install

davi-jorge-art commented 2026年05月24日 01:57:08 +02:00

@davi-jorge-art wrote in #62 (comment):

Projects that I think are "almost there" but I think can help

https://tasks.md/ https://github.com/isotjs/todosian-app https://github.com/RoBoT095/printnotes (It has a option for "Front matter suport", but I don't know for what...) https://github.com/OHermesJunior/tasks https://ordna.sh/#install

https://github.com/xpiu/minimal-to-do : Lightweight drop-in To-do app with Kanban board. Only two files: todo.md and todo.html.

If there was one note that "reads" html (A fixed "tasks" notebook , like daily notes) and one todo.md shipped with the app, then ...I hope it is a simple way...

@davi-jorge-art wrote in https://codeberg.org/ArkHost/HelixNotes/issues/62#issuecomment-14993859: > Projects that I think are "almost there" but I think can help > > https://tasks.md/ https://github.com/isotjs/todosian-app https://github.com/RoBoT095/printnotes (It has a option for "Front matter suport", but I don't know for what...) https://github.com/OHermesJunior/tasks https://ordna.sh/#install https://github.com/xpiu/minimal-to-do : Lightweight drop-in To-do app with Kanban board. Only two files: todo.md and todo.html. If there was one note that "reads" html (A fixed "tasks" notebook , like daily notes) and one todo.md shipped with the app, then ...I hope it is a simple way...

davi-jorge-art commented 2026年05月26日 20:06:22 +02:00

@davi-jorge-art wrote in #62 (comment):

Projects that I think are "almost there" but I think can help

https://tasks.md/ https://github.com/isotjs/todosian-app https://github.com/RoBoT095/printnotes (It has a option for "Front matter suport", but I don't know for what...) https://github.com/OHermesJunior/tasks https://ordna.sh/#install

Another project ....Simpler....I've not understood the idea of "Transclusion" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transclusion) but this project is maybe as near as it possible of what already you have in Helix... It seems like the only thing needed is a note that reads .md , what Helix already does..But I think that the "minimal-to-do" more polished...

https://github.com/YJPL/personal-kanban

github.com/YJPL/personal-kanban@2a6568cb8a/Personal Kanban.note

@davi-jorge-art wrote in https://codeberg.org/ArkHost/HelixNotes/issues/62#issuecomment-14993859: > Projects that I think are "almost there" but I think can help > > https://tasks.md/ https://github.com/isotjs/todosian-app https://github.com/RoBoT095/printnotes (It has a option for "Front matter suport", but I don't know for what...) https://github.com/OHermesJunior/tasks https://ordna.sh/#install Another project ....Simpler....I've not understood the idea of "Transclusion" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transclusion) but this project is maybe as near as it possible of what already you have in Helix... It seems like the only thing needed is a note that reads .md , what Helix already does..But I think that the ["minimal-to-do"](https://github.com/xpiu/minimal-to-do) more polished... https://github.com/YJPL/personal-kanban https://github.com/YJPL/personal-kanban/blob/2a6568cb8a76a0a8fbe584867f04f9243fdb1f46/Personal%20Kanban.note

davi-jorge-art commented 2026年05月29日 10:17:28 +02:00

I asked an AI assistant whether HelixNotes could be extended to read and organize tasks by priority from a todo.md file, making it also work as a task manager. Here's the exchange:

Me: Could HelixNotes be extended to read and organize tasks by priority from a todo.md file, making it also work as a task manager?

Claude: Yes, and it's relatively straightforward. HelixNotes already handles all file reading and writing through its Rust/Tauri backend — no changes needed there. The work lives entirely in the Svelte frontend: a new view that parses - [ ] checklist items from any .md file, extracts inline metadata like due:2026年06月01日, ~high, and #tag, groups tasks by priority, and writes back to the file when a checkbox is clicked. That's roughly 400–500 lines of TypeScript/Svelte on top of existing infrastructure. The project OHermesJunior/tasks — a single HTML file that does exactly this logic in plain JavaScript — serves as a near-complete reference for the parsing and UI.

I think this would make HelixNotes a much more complete local-first productivity tool without compromising the plain .md file format at all. Tasks would remain fully readable and editable in any text editor — zero lock-in.

I asked an AI assistant whether HelixNotes could be extended to read and organize tasks by priority from a todo.md file, making it also work as a task manager. Here's the exchange: **Me:** Could HelixNotes be extended to read and organize tasks by priority from a todo.md file, making it also work as a task manager? **Claude:** Yes, and it's relatively straightforward. HelixNotes already handles all file reading and writing through its Rust/Tauri backend — no changes needed there. The work lives entirely in the Svelte frontend: a new view that parses `- [ ]` checklist items from any `.md` file, extracts inline metadata like `due:2026年06月01日`, `~high`, and `#tag`, groups tasks by priority, and writes back to the file when a checkbox is clicked. That's roughly 400–500 lines of TypeScript/Svelte on top of existing infrastructure. The project [OHermesJunior/tasks](https://github.com/OHermesJunior/tasks) — a single HTML file that does exactly this logic in plain JavaScript — serves as a near-complete reference for the parsing and UI. I think this would make HelixNotes a much more complete local-first productivity tool without compromising the plain `.md` file format at all. Tasks would remain fully readable and editable in any text editor — zero lock-in.

ArkHost commented 2026年06月08日 21:46:52 +02:00

image
image

Will be in the next release.

  Will be in the next release.

davi-jorge-art commented 2026年06月08日 23:32:51 +02:00

Really, Really amazing ! Thank you very very much for your amazing work !

Really, Really amazing ! Thank you very very much for your amazing work !

ArkHost commented 2026年06月10日 19:11:39 +02:00

v1.3.0 released. Feature has been added. Thank you for this great suggestion!

v1.3.0 released. Feature has been added. Thank you for this great suggestion!