Task link and list pickers

Several fields are filled by picking from things that already exist: a task to be the parent, people to assign, contexts to tag. These pickers work alike, you search and choose, so they share a page. What separates them is the field's property type, and that type changes how the picker behaves: a Text field takes one value, a List field takes many, and a Number field takes a quantity. This page is organized by that type, because it is what you need to know.

MEDIA-DOCS-069-1: A single-value link picker beside a multi-value list picker, showing the difference.

MEDIA-DOCS-069-1 - Link picker and list picker comparison

Text type: a single link

A Text field holds one value, so its picker selects exactly one thing.

  • parentTask picks the task's single parent. You search your tasks and choose one; the field stores that one task's operonId. Selecting another parent replaces the first, because there is only one parent. See Parent and sub-tasks.

That is the shape of a single link: search, pick one, done. Clearing it leaves the task with no parent.

A List field holds several values, so its picker lets you add more than one and build up a list. You search, add an entry, and keep adding; each becomes its own item. These fields are List type:

  • assignees: who does the work.
  • contexts: environment or condition the task belongs to.
  • tags: labels on the task.
  • links: external web links.
  • related: related notes and references.

The picker suggests matching values as you type, often from notes and from values used elsewhere, so a vocabulary you already use is one keystroke away. You remove items individually, and the field keeps the order you built.

MEDIA-DOCS-069-2: A list picker with several values added and a suggestion appearing for the next one.

MEDIA-DOCS-069-2 - List picker with multiple values

Dependencies: a special list

blocking and blockedBy are also List fields, and their pickers select tasks, like the parent picker but plural: the tasks this one blocks, or the tasks blocking it. They build a dependency link between tasks. Operon also maintains the other side of a dependency for you, so adding "A blocks B" is reflected on B. See Parent and sub-tasks.

Number type: the estimate

estimate is a Number field, so its picker is a quantity, not a search: you enter how long you expect the task to take. It is stored as a duration. The same numeric picker is what a custom key of type Number uses. See Time tracking for how estimate compares with tracked duration, and Custom field pickers.

FAQ

Why can I add many assignees but only one parent? parentTask is a Text field, which holds one value; assignees is a List field, which holds several. The picker follows the type.

Where do the suggestions come from? From values already in use and from notes, so you reuse a consistent vocabulary instead of retyping.

Do I set both sides of a dependency? No. Set one side, such as "blocks," and Operon reflects it on the other task.