Chapter 7 Using Tasks
This chapter provides information about how to work with tasks in Email and Calendar
.
Introduction to Tasks
You can use Tasks to create a task, view existing
tasks, sort the task list, or change the status of a task.
Figure 7–1 shows a typical Tasks
window.
Figure 7–1 Typical Tasks Window
In the Tasks window, your tasks are organized as
a table. The rows of the table display information about your tasks. The columns
represent information fields for your tasks, such as the completed status
of the task, the summary of the task, and so on. From left to right, the Tasks window displays the following columns by default:
-
Type
The task type is indicated by an icon. The following table lists and
describes the task-type icons:
Icon
|
Description
|
|
Task is unassigned.
|
|
Task is assigned.
|
-
Complete
The completion status is indicated by an icon. The following table lists
and describes the completion-status icons:
Icon
|
Description
|
|
Task is incomplete.
|
|
Task is complete.
|
-
Summary
The Summary is a short text description of the
task.
For information about how to change the current view, save the current
view, or create custom views, see Using Views.
Tasks are displayed in different formats in the Tasks
window, depending on the status of the task. The following table lists and
describes the task formats:
Format
|
Description
|
Normal
|
Task is not started or is in progress.
|
Highlighted
|
Task is currently selected.
|
Strikethrough
|
Task is completed.
|
Colored
|
Task is overdue or is due today.
|
To Create a Task
Perform the following steps:
-
Choose File -> New -> Task.
-
Enter the task information in the Basic
tabbed section in the Task window. The following table
describes the elements in the Basic tabbed section:
Element
|
Description
|
Summary
|
Type a short description of the task.
|
Due Date
|
Use the drop-down combination boxes to specify the
date and time by which to complete the task.
|
Start Date
|
Use the drop-down combination boxes to specify the
date and time at which to start the task.
|
Globe button
|
To specify a time in a different time zone, click on the globe button to the
right of the drop-down combination boxes. A Select a Time Zone
dialog is displayed. Click on the map to select a time zone, or select a time
zone from the drop-down list, then click OK.
|
Description
|
Type a detailed description of
the task.
|
Classification
|
Select one of the following options:
-
Public: Select this option to enable
other users on your network to see all details of this task in your schedule.
-
Private: Select this option to prevent
other users on your network from seeing any details of this task in your schedule.
-
Confidential: Select this option to allow
other users on your network to see only that this task is in your schedule.
The other users cannot see the task details.
|
Categories
and text box
|
Type
the category name to assign a category to this task. If you want to assign
more than one category, separate the categories with a comma.
Alternatively, click on Categories. Use the Edit Categories dialog to select a category.
|
-
To enter more details about the task, click on the Details tab. The following table describes the elements in the Details tabbed section:
Element
|
Description
|
Status
|
Select one of the following status options from
the drop-down list:
-
Not Started
-
In Progress
-
Completed
-
Cancelled
|
Priority
|
Select one of the following priority options from
the drop-down list:
-
Undefined
-
Low
-
Normal
-
High
|
% Complete
|
Use the spin box to specify how
complete the task is, or type the percentage in the text box.
Depending on the value that you enter, Email and Calendar
updates several other elements, as follows:
-
100:
-
1–99 inclusive:
-
Selects In Progress from the Status drop-down list.
-
Inserts None in the first Date Completed drop-down combination box.
-
Clears the contents of the second Date Completed drop-down combination box.
-
0:
-
Selects Not Started from the Status drop-down list.
-
Inserts None in the first Date Completed drop-down combination box.
-
Clears the contents of the second Date Completed drop-down combination box.
|
Date Completed
|
Select a date from the first drop-down combination
box, and a time from the second drop-down combination box, to specify the
date and time at which the task was completed.
Depending on the
value that you enter, Email and Calendar updates
several other elements, as follows:
-
date:
-
Selects Completed from the Status drop-down list.
-
Inserts 100 in the % Complete text box.
-
Inserts the selected date in the first Date Completed drop-down combination box.
-
Inserts the current time in the second Date Completed drop-down combination box.
-
Now:
-
Selects Completed from the Status drop-down list.
-
Inserts 100 in the % Complete text box.
-
Inserts the current date in the first Date Completed drop-down combination box.
-
Inserts the current time in the second Date Completed drop-down combination box.
-
Today:
-
Selects Completed from the Status drop-down list.
-
Inserts 100 in the % Complete text box.
-
Inserts the current date in the first Date Completed drop-down combination box.
-
The contents of the second Date Completed
drop-down combination box remain unchanged.
-
None:
-
If the status of the task is Not Started,
no elements are affected.
-
If the status of the task is In Progress,
Email and Calendar inserts 50
in the % Complete text box.
-
If the status of the task is Completed, Email and Calendar updates several elements, as follows:
-
Selects Not Started from the Status drop-down list.
-
Inserts 0 in the % Complete
text box.
-
Inserts None in the first Date Completed
drop-down combination box.
-
Clears the contents of the second Date Completed drop-down combination box.
|
URL
|
Type the URL associated with the task, if any. Click on
the connect button to open the specified URL in the default web browser.
|
-
To save the task, choose File -> Save.
To save the task and then close the Task window,
choose File -> Save and Close.
To save the task details in a file, choose File -> Save As to display the Save as window. Enter the filename, then click OK.
To close the Task window without saving the task,
choose File -> Close.
-
To preview the details of the task, choose File -> Print Preview.
To print the details of the task, choose File -> Print.
To Assign a Task
You can only assign a task from a local folder. You cannot assign a
task from a Sun Java System Calendar Server
folder.
To assign a task, perform the following steps:
-
Double-click on the task in the Tasks
window to open a Task window containing the tabbed sections
described in To Create a Task.
-
Choose Actions -> Assign Task to display the Assignment tabbed section.
-
Select the organizer of the task from the Organizer drop-down list.
-
The task assignments are listed in table format. You can customize
the table by adding or removing columns, as described in Using Views.
By default, the task assignments table contains the columns described in the
following table:
Column
|
Description
|
Attendee
|
Email and Calendar automatically enters the current user as the first entry in
the attendee list.
To add another attendee to the list, click
on the Click here to add an attendee text below the attendee
list. Type the name of the person, group, resource, or room to which you want
to assign the task. If you want to send the task information to the attendee,
you must type the email address of the attendee in this field.
|
Type
|
Click on the field under the Type column header to activate a drop-down list. Select one of
the following types from the drop-down list:
-
Individual
-
Group
-
Resource
-
Room
-
Unknown
|
Role
|
Click on the field under the Role column header to activate a drop-down list. Select one of
the following roles from the drop-down list:
-
Chair
-
Required Participant
-
Optional Participant
-
Non-Participant
-
Unknown
|
RSVP
|
Click on the field under the RSVP column header to activate a drop-down list. Select Yes or No from the drop-down list to specify
whether to send a reply to the meeting organizer.
|
Status
|
Click on the field under the Status column header, to activate a drop-down list. Select one
of the following status options from the drop-down list:
-
Needs Action
-
Accepted
-
Declined
-
Tentative
-
Delegated
|
-
Click on the Invite Others button to
create a new entry in the assignments table. Email and Calendar
also displays the Select Contacts from Addressbook dialog, which you can use to select attendees.
-
Choose File -> Save and Close. Email and Calendar
creates the task assignments and then asks if you would like
to send the task assignment information.
-
Click Yes to send the task assignment
information to the specified mail addresses.
Click No to save the task assignment information
without sending to the specified mail addresses. You can send the task assignment
information at a later time, as described in To Send Task Information.
To Send Task Information
Perform the following steps:
-
Double-click on the task in the Tasks
window to open a Task window.
-
Choose Actions -> Forward as iCalendar to display a task information
window. The task information window is an email message window, similar to
the Inbox Compose a message window. Email and Calendar
automatically inserts text in the Subject text box and in the message content area. Email and Calendar
includes the task information as an attachment
to the message.
-
Type the email addresses to which you want to send the task
information, in the To text box. If you want to send
the information to more than one address, separate the addresses with a comma.
Alternatively, click on the To button. Use the Select Contacts from Addressbook dialog to select addresses.
For more information about the elements in the task information window,
see To Send a Message.
-
Choose File -> Send to send the task information to the specified
email addresses.
-
Choose File -> Close to close the Task window.
To Mark a Task as Complete
Perform the following steps:
-
Select the task in the Tasks window.
-
Choose Edit -> Mark as Complete.
Deleting Tasks
You can delete individual tasks, or all tasks marked as complete.
To Delete Individual Tasks
Perform the following steps:
-
Select the tasks in the Tasks window.
-
Choose Edit -> Delete to display a confirmation alert.
-
Click Yes to delete the selected tasks.
To Delete All Tasks Marked As Complete
Perform the following steps:
-
Choose Actions -> Expunge to display a confirmation alert.
-
Click Yes to delete all tasks marked
as completed.