Board View (Kanban)¶

Overview¶

The Board View provides a Microsoft Planner-style Kanban board for visualizing and managing tasks across different stages. It offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface with cards organized in custom buckets that are independent from task status.

Features¶

Custom Buckets¶

• Per-project bucket configuration (independent from status)
• Drag and drop to reorder buckets
• Add, rename, and delete buckets per project
• Default buckets: "To Do", "In Progress", "Done"
• Each bucket shows task count (active + completed)

Dual Task Sections¶

Each bucket has two sections:

• Active Tasks: Incomplete tasks (checkboxes, status tracking)
• Completed Tasks: Collapsible section for finished tasks
• Toggle completed section visibility per bucket

Leaf Tasks Only¶

• Board displays only leaf tasks (tasks without children)
• Parent tasks remain in Grid View for hierarchical editing
• Keeps board focused on actionable items

Smart Filtering¶

• Priority filter dropdown (All, Low, Medium, High, Critical)
• Search filter for task titles
• Filters apply across all buckets

Task Cards Display¶

Each card shows:

• Title - Task name (clickable to open details)
• Priority Indicators - 🔥 Critical / ⚡ High priority badges
• Tags - Colored labels for categorization
• Status - Current task status with color coding
• Due Date - With overdue (red) and today (blue) highlighting
• Subtask Progress - Checklist completion (✓ 2/5)
• Dependencies - 🔗 indicator for linked tasks
• Attachments - 📎 indicator for links/files
• Completion Checkbox - Click to mark complete (moves to completed section)
• Context Menu - Right-click for delete option

Smart Columns¶

• Automatically created from custom statuses in settings
• Default columns: To Do, In Progress, Done
• Each column shows task count
• "+ Add task" button at bottom of each column

Drag and Drop¶

• Tasks: Drag cards between buckets to reassign
• Buckets: Drag bucket headers to reorder columns
• Visual feedback during drag (opacity, hover states)
• Bucket highlights when dragging task over it
• Automatic bucket assignment on task drop
• Bucket order persists per project

Usage¶

Opening Board View¶

Via Ribbon:

• Click the 📋 board icon in the left sidebar

Via Command Palette:

• Press Ctrl/Cmd + P
• Type "Open Board View"
• Press Enter

Via Keyboard:

• Assign a hotkey in Settings → Hotkeys → "Open Board View"

Managing Tasks¶

Create Task:

1. Click "Add Task" in header to create with default bucket
2. Click "+ Add task" at bottom of specific bucket
3. New tasks appear in active section of target bucket

Move Task:

1. Click and drag a task card
2. Hover over target bucket
3. Release to drop and update bucket assignment

Complete Task:

1. Click checkbox on task card
2. Task moves to completed section of same bucket
3. Click again to mark incomplete (returns to active section)

Edit Task:

• Click card title to open Task Details panel
• Edit all properties including bucket assignment
• Changes sync instantly to the card

Delete Task:

• Right-click card for context menu
• Select "Delete" option
• Confirm deletion

Toggle Completed:

• Click "▼ Completed (X)" header in any bucket
• Collapsed state saves per bucket per project
• Helps focus on active work

Global Navigation¶

The board view includes the same global header as Grid View:

• Project Dropdown - Switch between projects
• Add Task - Quick task creation
• 📋 Hub - Open project hub documentation
• ⚙️ Settings - Open plugin settings

Microsoft Planner Style¶

The Board View mimics Microsoft Planner's clean, modern design:

Visual Elements¶

• Rounded cards with subtle shadows
• Hover animations (lift effect)
• Color-coded tags and priorities
• Clean typography and spacing

Color Indicators¶

• Overdue Dates: Red background, bold text
• Today's Dates: Blue background, bold text
• Completed Subtasks: Green background
• Priority Badges: Emoji indicators (🔥⚡)

Layout¶

• Fixed column width (320px) for consistency
• Scrollable columns for long task lists
• Horizontal scroll for many columns
• Responsive card heights based on content

Bucket Configuration¶

Buckets are configured per project and independent from task status:

Managing Buckets¶

1. Click bucket header to select
2. Drag bucket headers left/right to reorder
3. Add new bucket: Click "+" button in toolbar
4. Rename bucket: Edit name inline in bucket header
5. Delete bucket: Select bucket, click delete (tasks remain, bucketId cleared)

Bucket vs Status¶

Important distinction:

• Status: Task lifecycle state (To Do, In Progress, Done, etc.) - shown on cards
• Bucket: Visual grouping for organization - determines column placement
• Tasks can have any status in any bucket
• Change status via task details panel or Grid View
• Change bucket via drag-and-drop or task details dropdown

Per-Project Buckets¶

• Each project has its own bucket configuration
• Switching projects loads that project's buckets
• Default buckets created automatically for new projects
• Buckets saved in project settings

Customization Tips¶

Organize Workflows¶

Use buckets to match your workflow:

• By Phase: "Planning", "Development", "Testing", "Deployed"
• By Team: "Backend", "Frontend", "Design", "QA"
• By Sprint: "Backlog", "Sprint 1", "Sprint 2", "Done"
• By Priority: "Critical", "This Week", "Next Week", "Someday"

Combine Status and Buckets¶

• Use status for lifecycle tracking (visible on cards)
• Use buckets for organizational grouping (column placement)
• Example: "Design" bucket can have tasks with "In Progress" or "Done" status

Use Completed Sections¶

• Keep completed tasks in each bucket for context
• Collapse completed sections to reduce clutter
• Use filters to find specific completed items

Use Tags for Categories¶

Add colored tags for:

• Feature areas (Frontend, Backend, Design)
• Priority levels (if not using built-in priorities)
• Team members or assignments

Set Due Dates¶

• Red indicators show overdue items
• Blue highlights show tasks due today
• Great for time-sensitive work

Track Progress with Subtasks¶

• Break tasks into checklist items
• Card shows completion percentage
• Green badge when all subtasks complete

Keyboard Shortcuts¶

While the board doesn't have specific keyboard shortcuts, you can:

• Use standard Obsidian navigation (Ctrl/Cmd + Tab, etc.)
• Click cards to open details and use all keyboard editing
• Assign custom hotkeys in Settings

Integration¶

Task Details Panel¶

• Clicking any card opens the Task Details panel (right sidebar)
• Edit all properties without leaving the board
• Bucket dropdown selector for reassignment
• Changes sync instantly to the card

Grid View¶

• Same tasks appear in both views
• Board shows leaf tasks only; Grid shows full hierarchy
• Parent tasks must be managed in Grid View
• Switch between views seamlessly with global header

Project Hub¶

• Click "📋 Hub" to view project documentation
• Hub includes links back to tasks via URI protocol
• Use obsidian://open-planner-task?id=...&project=... for deep linking

Markdown Sync (v0.6.2+)¶

• Tasks sync bidirectionally with markdown notes in vault
• Board changes update corresponding markdown files
• Markdown edits sync back to board view
• See MARKDOWN_SYNC.md for details

Performance¶

The board is optimized for smooth performance:

• Renders only visible cards
• Efficient drag and drop with HTML5 API
• Minimal re-renders on updates
• Handles hundreds of tasks smoothly

Tips & Best Practices¶

1. Limit Bucket Count: 3-7 buckets work best for visual clarity
2. Use Completed Sections: Keep context without clutter by collapsing completed
3. Leverage Filters: Use priority and search filters to focus on specific work
4. Drag Efficiently: Quickly triage and organize tasks by dragging between buckets
5. Separate Status and Buckets: Use status for lifecycle, buckets for organization
6. Hide Parents: Board shows leaf tasks only - manage hierarchies in Grid View
7. Per-Project Layouts: Each project can have unique bucket configurations

Comparison to Grid View¶

Use Board View for visual task organization and quick bucket reassignment. Use Grid View for hierarchical task management and detailed bulk editing.

Troubleshooting¶

Cards not showing?

• Check if tasks are leaf tasks (tasks with children only appear in Grid View)
• Verify tasks match current filters (priority, search)
• Ensure correct project is selected in dropdown

Parent tasks missing?

• Parent tasks are intentionally hidden in Board View
• Use Grid View to manage hierarchical task structures
• Board displays leaf tasks only for focused workflow

Drag and drop not working?

• Ensure you're dragging the card body (not clicking text fields)
• Release mouse over the bucket's active or completed section
• Try dragging bucket headers to reorder instead

Bucket order not saving?

• Bucket order is saved per project automatically
• Switching projects loads that project's bucket configuration
• Try closing and reopening the view if changes don't persist

Completed section issues?

• Collapsed state saves per bucket per project
• Toggle using the "▼ Completed (X)" header
• If tasks don't move to completed, check task's completed field

Performance issues?

• Large projects (500+ tasks) may render slowly
• Use filters to reduce visible tasks
• Consider archiving or moving completed tasks to separate project