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Task Details Panel

Overview

The Task Details panel is a dedicated sidebar view that displays all properties and metadata for a single task. It provides comprehensive editing capabilities in a focused interface, eliminating the need to switch between views or use inline editors.

Features

Comprehensive Task Editor

Edit all task properties in one place:

  • Title: Task name with inline editing
  • Status: Dropdown selector for workflow states
  • Priority: Dropdown for importance level
  • Tags: Multi-select with color-coded badges
  • Bucket: Dropdown for Board view bucket assignment
  • Start Date: Date/time picker
  • Due Date: Date/time picker
  • Description: Rich text editor with Markdown preview
  • Dependencies: Task relationship manager
  • Links & Attachments: Wiki links and external URLs
  • Checklist: Subtask items with drag-to-reorder

Quick Actions

Header buttons for common operations:

  • Complete Button: Toggle task completion status
  • Shows ✓ icon when completed
  • Click to mark complete or revert to "Not Started"
  • Button style changes based on completion state
  • Copy Link Button: Copy deep link to clipboard
  • Generates obsidian://open-planner-task?id=... URI
  • Shows "Copied!" confirmation feedback
  • Paste link anywhere (notes, chat, documentation)
  • Close Button: Close the Task Details panel (× icon)

Tag Management

Interactive tag selector with visual badges:

  • Add Tags: Click tags from dropdown to add
  • Remove Tags: Click × on tag badge to remove
  • Color Coded: Each tag displays with configured color
  • Multi-Select: Add multiple tags to single task
  • Tags sync across all views (Grid, Board, Timeline)

Bucket Assignment

Dropdown selector for Board view organization:

  • Unassigned: Default option (no bucket)
  • Project Buckets: List of buckets from active project
  • Changes immediately update Board view column placement
  • Independent from task status field

Date & Time Editing

Dedicated pickers for temporal properties:

  • Date Input: HTML5 date picker with calendar
  • Clear Button: Remove date entirely (leaves field empty)
  • Format: ISO 8601 (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • Changes immediately update Timeline view visualization

Markdown Description

Rich text editing with preview toggle:

  • Edit Mode: Plain text editor with Markdown syntax
  • Preview Mode: Rendered Markdown with Obsidian parsing
  • Toggle Button: Switch between edit and preview
  • Supports all Markdown features:
  • Headers, lists, emphasis
  • Links (wiki and external)
  • Code blocks, quotes
  • Embedded images

Dependency Manager

Visual dependency editor with type selection:

  • Dependency Types:
  • FS (Finish-to-Start): Predecessor must finish before this task starts
  • SS (Start-to-Start): Tasks start simultaneously
  • FF (Finish-to-Finish): Tasks finish simultaneously
  • SF (Start-to-Finish): This task finishes when predecessor starts
  • Add Dependency: Select type and target task from dropdown
  • Remove Dependency: Click × button on dependency item
  • Task Selector: Filtered list excludes current task and descendants
  • Dependencies visualized in Dependency Graph View

Manage task-related resources:

  • Link Types:
  • Obsidian Links: Wiki-style [[Note Name]] links to vault notes
  • External Links: Full URLs to websites, docs, repositories
  • Add Link: Type or paste link, optional title
  • Remove Link: Click × button on link item
  • Click to Open: Links open in default application
  • Link IDs regenerated during markdown sync (titles/URLs preserved)

Checklist (Subtasks)

Task breakdown with interactive list:

  • Checkbox: Toggle completion state inline
  • Inline Edit: Click title to edit text
  • Drag to Reorder: Grab ⋮⋮ handle and drag up/down
  • Add Item: Button at bottom to create new checklist item
  • Delete Item: × button on each item
  • Visual Feedback: Drop indicator shows where item will land during drag
  • Progress shown on task cards in other views (e.g., "✓ 2/5")

Usage

Opening Task Details

Task Details panel opens automatically when you:

  • Click a task row in Grid View
  • Click a task card in Board View
  • Click a task bar in Timeline View
  • Click a task node in Dependency Graph View
  • Use URI protocol link: obsidian://open-planner-task?id={taskId}&project={projectId}

Via Command Palette:

  • Press Ctrl/Cmd + P
  • Type "Open Task Details"
  • Enter task ID when prompted (for manual opening)

Panel Location:

  • Opens in right sidebar by default
  • Can be moved to any Obsidian pane
  • Supports split view (details + grid/board/timeline)

Editing Task Properties

Title:

  1. Click the title input field
  2. Type new task name
  3. Click outside field or press Enter to save

Status:

  1. Click status dropdown
  2. Select new status from list
  3. Saves immediately on selection
  4. "Completed" status syncs completed boolean flag

Priority:

  1. Click priority dropdown
  2. Select priority level
  3. Saves immediately

Tags:

  1. Click tags dropdown
  2. Click tag name to add
  3. Click × on badge to remove
  4. Tags appear as colored badges

Bucket:

  1. Click bucket dropdown
  2. Select bucket or "Unassigned"
  3. Changes Board view column placement

Dates:

  1. Click date input to open calendar picker
  2. Select date from calendar
  3. Or type date in YYYY-MM-DD format
  4. Click "Clear" button to remove date

Description:

  1. Click in description text area
  2. Type Markdown-formatted text
  3. Click "Preview" to see rendered output
  4. Click "Edit" to return to editing mode
  5. Saves on blur (clicking outside)

Managing Dependencies

Add Dependency:

  1. Click "+ Add Dependency" button
  2. Select dependency type (FS, SS, FF, SF)
  3. Select predecessor task from dropdown
  4. Dependency appears in list
  5. Updates Dependency Graph View

Remove Dependency:

  1. Find dependency in list
  2. Click × button
  3. Dependency removed immediately

Understanding Types:

  • FS (Finish-to-Start): Most common - task B starts after task A finishes
  • SS (Start-to-Start): Tasks start together (parallel work)
  • FF (Finish-to-Finish): Tasks finish together (synchronized delivery)
  • SF (Start-to-Finish): Rare - task B finishes when task A starts

Add Obsidian Link:

  1. Click "+ Add Link" button
  2. Select "Obsidian" type
  3. Type note name (autocomplete helps)
  4. Link appears in list with 📄 icon

Add External Link:

  1. Click "+ Add Link" button
  2. Select "External" type
  3. Paste or type full URL
  4. Optionally add display title
  5. Link appears in list with 🔗 icon

Open Link:

  • Click link title to open in default app
  • Obsidian links open in vault
  • External links open in browser

Remove Link:

  • Click × button on link item

Managing Checklist

Add Item:

  1. Click "Add checklist item" button
  2. New item appears at bottom
  3. Click title to edit text

Complete Item:

  1. Click checkbox to toggle completion
  2. Completed items show ✓
  3. Progress updates on task cards

Reorder Items:

  1. Click ⋮⋮ drag handle
  2. Drag item up or down
  3. Drop indicator shows placement
  4. Release to reorder

Edit Item:

  1. Click item title
  2. Type new text
  3. Click outside or press Enter

Delete Item:

  1. Click × button on item
  2. Item removed immediately

Completing Tasks

Mark as Complete:

  1. Click "Mark as Complete" button in header
  2. Status changes to "Completed"
  3. completed flag sets to true
  4. Button changes to "Completed" with ✓ icon
  5. Task moves to completed section in Board view

Mark as Incomplete:

  1. Click "Completed" button
  2. Status reverts to "Not Started"
  3. completed flag sets to false
  4. Task returns to active section

Get Shareable Link:

  1. Click "Copy Link" button in header
  2. URI copied to clipboard: obsidian://open-planner-task?id={taskId}&project={projectId}
  3. Button shows "Copied!" confirmation (2 seconds)
  4. Paste link in notes, chat, or documentation
  5. Anyone with the plugin can click link to open this task

Using URI Links:

  • Paste in Obsidian notes: Creates clickable link
  • Share in team chat: Direct task access
  • Embed in documentation: Cross-reference tasks
  • Bookmark in browser: Quick task access

Integration

Grid View

  • Select task row in Grid to open Task Details
  • Details panel shows canonical task data
  • Changes sync back to Grid row immediately
  • Close details to return focus to Grid

Board View

  • Click task card to open Task Details
  • Edit bucket assignment via dropdown
  • Completion toggle moves card between sections
  • Card updates instantly when details change

Timeline View

  • Click task bar to open Task Details
  • Date changes update bar position/width
  • Hierarchy changes reflect in task list
  • Details panel allows precise date/time entry

Dependency Graph View

  • Click node to open Task Details
  • Add/remove dependencies to update graph
  • Graph re-renders when relationships change
  • Visual and detail views stay synchronized

Markdown Sync (v0.6.2+)

  • All changes in Task Details write to markdown files
  • Markdown edits sync back to Task Details panel
  • Description, subtasks, links preserved bidirectionally
  • See MARKDOWN_SYNC.md for details

Visual Design

The Task Details panel follows Obsidian's design system:

Layout

  • Clean vertical scrollable layout
  • Section headers (h3) separate property groups
  • Consistent spacing between fields
  • Responsive to sidebar width

Input Styling

  • Native Obsidian input components
  • Focus states with accent color
  • Hover effects on interactive elements
  • Disabled states for unavailable options

Color Indicators

  • Tag badges use configured tag colors
  • Status colors from Settings → Statuses
  • Priority indicators match Grid/Board views
  • Completion button green when active

Buttons

  • Primary actions in header (complete, copy link, close)
  • Secondary actions inline (add dependency, add link)
  • Icon + text labels for clarity
  • Success states with visual feedback

Keyboard Shortcuts

While Task Details doesn't have specific keyboard shortcuts, you can:

  • Use Tab to navigate between fields
  • Press Enter in input fields to save
  • Use standard text editing shortcuts in description
  • Press Escape to close panel (if configured in Obsidian settings)

Tips & Best Practices

  1. Keep Panel Open: Pin Task Details in right sidebar for quick task editing
  2. Split View: Open Grid or Board on left, Details on right for seamless workflow
  3. Use Descriptions: Add context in Markdown description for future reference
  4. Link Liberally: Connect tasks to relevant notes and resources
  5. Break Down Tasks: Use checklist for subtask tracking without creating separate tasks
  6. Set Dependencies: Define task relationships for better project planning
  7. Copy Links: Share task links in team communication for direct access
  8. Preview Markdown: Toggle preview to ensure descriptions render correctly
  9. Drag Checklist: Reorder checklist items to match workflow sequence
  10. Complete Button: Use header button instead of changing status dropdown (faster)

Troubleshooting

Panel not opening when clicking tasks?

  • Check that right sidebar is visible (toggle with sidebar icon)
  • Try clicking task again or use Command Palette
  • Restart Obsidian if panel view registration failed
  • Check Developer Console (Ctrl+Shift+I) for errors

Changes not saving?

  • Ensure you click outside input fields to trigger save
  • Dropdown selections save immediately
  • Check markdown sync isn't creating conflicts
  • Verify TaskStore is loaded (try reloading plugin)

Tags/buckets not showing in dropdowns?

  • Verify tags/buckets are configured in Settings
  • Ensure active project has buckets defined
  • Try switching projects and back
  • Reload plugin (Ctrl+R)

Markdown preview not rendering?

  • Check Markdown syntax is valid
  • Toggle preview off and on
  • Preview uses Obsidian's Markdown renderer
  • Complex plugins may not render in preview

Dependencies not appearing in dropdown?

  • Dropdown excludes current task (can't depend on self)
  • Dropdown excludes descendant tasks (prevents cycles)
  • Ensure other tasks exist in project
  • Check filters aren't hiding tasks

Checklist drag not working?

  • Grab ⋮⋮ handle (not checkbox or title)
  • Ensure you're dragging within checklist area
  • Drop indicator shows valid placement
  • Release mouse to complete drop

Copy link button not working?

  • Browser must support Clipboard API
  • Check for clipboard permission errors in console
  • Try using Ctrl+C after selecting URI text
  • URI format: obsidian://open-planner-task?id={id}&project={projectId}

Panel shows "No task selected"?

  • Click a task in Grid, Board, Timeline, or Graph view
  • Use URI protocol link to open specific task
  • Task may have been deleted - check Grid view
  • Try selecting different task

Changes not syncing to markdown?

  • Check "Enable Markdown Sync" in settings
  • Verify "Auto-Create Task Notes" is enabled
  • See MARKDOWN_SYNC.md troubleshooting section
  • Check Developer Console for [TaskSync] messages