5.3. To-Do (tasks) Handling
To-Do are handled very similarly to invitations as described in our Events handling section.
Users can maintain task lists with priorities. Task lists are saved on the Kolab server. Items on the task list can be assigned to different users and are added to their task lists as well, as they receive and accept them. Task lists are private if no items are assigned to other users.
The Task view (To-Do list) lets you have an overview about things you need to do by listing your notes about those tasks.
There are several ways to create a task using KMail in Kolab mode. The user may:
Point to the Actions->New To-Do option of the KMail in Kolab mode Main Menu
Click on the New To-Do icon of KMail in Kolab mode Tool Bar.
Right click on the To-do items View.
All three alternatives will result to the Edit To-Do dialog being displayed on your screen:
The procedure to create a task and assign it, is very similar to the process for creating a meeting or an invitation.
Summary: Enter here a short description of the task.
Time associated: Select this option if your task has to be finished at a certain time. You could use the Calendar Widget (click on the icon at the right of the Due or Start field for that) to select easily a date for your task.
Completed: Allows the user to indicate the progress of hers work by adjusting the pull down menu.
Priority: Assign a priority to your task. Default value is three, 5 priorities are availables, one being the highest.
Details: For the user to describe hers task in details.
Categories: As for the events, you can assign the tasks to several categories and of course create your own categories.
Fill in your task, as described above, and let us assign it to some Assignee by clicking on the Assign to tab of the Edit To-Do dialog.
Note that the email address of the Owner (Organizer) of the task is edited above the Assignee group box. There are two ways to register an Assignee to your task:
Enter the Name and Email of the person you want to assign the task to.
Or simply click on the Addressbook button and select a contact of your choice in your contacts list.
To allow the user to keep control about what happens, she has the possibility to select the Request response option in order to make sure the task has been received and accepted (or not) by its Assignee. The status field will be updated accordingly to the Assignee's reply.
Finally click on the OK button for the task to be send automatically to its Assignee.
Let us now have a look in the INBOX folder of our Assignee user and describe the process about how to handle this task, from her point of view:
As the receiver of the task, we have three options available, and can accept, accept conditionally or decline the task we have been addressed. By clicking on the last option (Decline), the task will be returned to the sender as an email informing him that it was not accepted and our status as Assignee will be updated to Declined. In this case the task will not be registered in our To-Do list.
If we now click on the Accept or Accept cond. option, the task will be listed in our To-do view and an email will be send accordingly to the sender updating our status there.
Let us suppose the giroday2 accepts the task:
When the giroday2 user clicks on the Tasks icon of its Kolab account, she can see the Task listed in hers To-Do view.
There are several ways to edit this task:
Select (highlight) the task, in the To-Do list view and point to the Actions->Edit option of the Main Menu.
Double click on the task, in the To-Do list view.
Right click on the Summary field of the task item in the To-Do list view and choose the Edit option in the context menu.
Let us imagine that the user giroday2 has contacted her customer and makes some new notes as well as changes the progress (Complete) status of hers task.
A message box will prompt the user if an update should be send to the organizer. By clicking on the Yes button, she can send those updates and inform the organizer.
Finally a Task can be marked as completed by right clicking its Complete and choosing the 100% option, as well by checking the check box in its Summary field. As described above, the user will be prompted to inform the organizer. Let us now, have a look at the organizers To-Do's list view, after the update has been registered.
To get rid of this completed task, the user can right click on the To-Do's view and point to the Purge Completed option or alternatively right click on the Summary field of the task item and choose the Delete option.