NotePlanNotePlan
May 15

Optimize default settings for interoperability

Noteplan should ship with default settings, that are optimized for interoperability. For example: - `YYYY-MM-DD.md` as default for daily notes (Related: [Change Date Format](https://noteplan.canny.io/interoperability/p/change-date-for…)) - `- [ ]` as default for tasks; not just `*`, not `* [ ]`. ([GitHub Flavored Markdown](https://github.github.com/gfm/#task-list-items-extension-)) - Only two task states Open and Done as default. Multi-state checkboxes are rare, binary checkboxes are ubiquitous. ([GitHub Flavored Markdown](https://github.github.com/gfm/#task-list-items-extension-)) (Related: [user preferences for enabling/disabling certain task states](https://noteplan.canny.io/task-management/p/user-preference-…))
PendingPending
May 15, 2021

1. Seconded. 2. I’ve read the GFM document and I think you’ll find that it allows for task list markers as `* [ ] …` (and even `+ [ ]`). The addition from list marker → task list master is the `[ ]`. The example it shows only has `- [ ]` but the spec is broader. 3. I don’t see interoperability forcing this change. While of course interop is good, if a particular integration matters, then it’s fine just to never use the cancelled task state. For those of us that like this extension (just as list markers are an extension to MD), we will find ways around any interoperability problems that result from it.

May 16, 2021

Jonathan Clark: This feature request is about default settings for a freshly installed Noteplan, *before* users configure it to their personal tastes. 1. Thanks! 2. I'm aware that [section 5.4](https://github.github.com/gfm/#lists) of the spec *allows* for other other list markers. But which one should be selected by *default*? I vote for the list marker given as example in [section 5.3](https://github.github.com/gfm/#task-list-items-extension-). 3. This is not about technical constraints *forcing* a change, but about choosing a default setting that plays nice with other apps and is usable for users who are familiar with other apps. The task states `- [-]` and `-[>]` are Noteplan's proprietary extensions to Markdown. No other app knows how to render them. Of course users can *ignore* these task states and all features built around them. I do this on a daily basis and it's annoying. I propose a different approach. Ship Noteplan with default settings that *encourage* interoperable Markdown. For "those of us that like this extension", it is still possible to enable it, *if and when* we want.

May 16, 2021

Rhubarb: Thanks. 2. Agreed; just checking we understood that spec the same way. Whatever EM picks as default, it makes sense to have that as the *first* option in the preferences. 3. I'm not aware of `- [-]` being used in NP? I thought in your OP you were commenting on cancelled (the third state we've talked about before), which I'd want to keep. I don't mind losing `- [>]` entirely, as per earlier conversations. Perhaps you see that as a fourth state?

May 19, 2021

Jonathan Clark: `- [-]` *is* the task state Canceled. Or `* [-]` if you have an asterisk as default setting. I'm a bit surprised, that you're not aware of this notation. It's even part of the graphical UI. The hyphen seems to be [inspired by BuJo](https://bulletjournal.com/pages/learn), that strikes through "irrelevant" tasks (see image). I don't know, why EM chose to render `- [-]` as an encircled "x". It's one of these many inconsistencies in the basic UI design of Noteplan, that I find really annoying. In BuJo *and* GFM *and* Noteplan's very own flavor of Markdown, an "x" indicates Completed. How do you markup the task state Canceled, if not with `- [-]` or `* [-]`?

May 19, 2021

Rhubarb: sorry, my bad, I was mis-remembering. Ignore my comments about cancelling / [-].