Timeline Sidebar View

The Timeline Sidebar View provides a chronological timeline interface for viewing and managing your tasks based on their dates. It displays tasks in a time-ordered format, making it easy to see what's happening when and track your schedule at a glance.

Open the Timeline Sidebar View

The Timeline Sidebar View can be opened as a dedicated sidebar panel:

1. Use the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and search for "Timeline"
2. Or use the ribbon icon if available
3. The timeline will appear as a sidebar panel showing your tasks chronologically

Usage

The Timeline Sidebar View presents your tasks in a chronological timeline format with the following components:

Timeline Display

• Date Groups: Tasks are grouped by date (Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow, or specific dates)
• Chronological Order: Events are sorted by time, with the most recent events first
• Time Stamps: Each event shows the specific time when it's scheduled or due
• Visual Indicators: Today's events are highlighted with special styling

Event Types

The timeline displays various task-related events:

• Due Date Events: Tasks with due dates
• Scheduled Events: Tasks with scheduled dates
• Start Date Events: Tasks with start dates
• Completion Events: Tasks with completion dates (if enabled in settings)

Header Controls

The timeline header provides several navigation and control options:

Navigation Controls

• Today Button: Quickly scroll to today's events
• Refresh Button: Manually refresh the timeline data
• Focus Mode: Toggle focus mode to show only today's events

Task Interactions

Task Management

• Task Checkboxes: Click to mark tasks as complete/incomplete
• Task Navigation: Click on any task to navigate to its location in your vault
• Go to Task: Use the action button to jump to the task's file

Visual States

• Completed Tasks: Visually distinguished with different styling
• Today's Events: Highlighted with special "is-today" styling
• Task Status: Shows current task status and allows status changes

Quick Capture

The timeline includes a built-in quick capture feature at the bottom:

Quick Input Area

• Markdown Editor: Built-in editor with markdown support
• Placeholder Text: "What do you want to do today?"
• Target Information: Shows where captured tasks will be saved

Capture Actions

• Quick Capture: Save the task using current quick capture settings
• More Options: Open the full Quick Capture modal with advanced options

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl/Cmd + Enter: Submit the quick capture
• Escape: Clear the input field
• Auto-focus: Input field automatically receives focus after capture

Date Grouping

Tasks are intelligently grouped by date with relative time indicators:

• Today: Current day's events with "Today" label
• Yesterday/Tomorrow: Recent days with relative labels
• Specific Dates: Other dates shown in "MMM DD, YYYY" format
• Relative Time: Shows "X days ago" or "in X days" for context

Features

Smart Filtering

The timeline automatically filters content based on settings:

• Completed Tasks: Option to show/hide completed tasks
• Date-based Display: Only shows tasks with relevant date information

Auto-scrolling

• Today Focus: Automatically scrolls to today's events when opened
• Smooth Scrolling: Animated scrolling for better user experience
• Scroll Memory: Maintains scroll position during updates

Configuration

Timeline Settings

The timeline behavior can be configured through plugin settings:

• Show Completed Tasks: Choose whether to display completed tasks in the timeline
• Date Range: Configure how far back/forward to show events
• Auto-scroll: Enable/disable automatic scrolling to today

Quick Capture Settings

The integrated quick capture uses the global quick capture settings:

• Target Type: Daily notes or specific file
• Target File: Specific file for capturing tasks
• Target Heading: Specific heading within the target file
• Daily Note Settings: Format and folder for daily notes

Display Options

• Time Format: 24-hour or 12-hour time display
• Date Format: Customize date display format
• Relative Time: Show relative time indicators
• Visual Themes: Timeline appearance customization

Best Practices

1. Regular Review: Use the timeline for daily and weekly planning reviews
2. Quick Capture: Leverage the integrated quick capture for rapid task entry
3. Date Management: Set appropriate due dates and scheduled dates for better timeline visibility
4. Today Focus: Use the "Today" button to quickly focus on current priorities
5. Status Updates: Update task status directly from the timeline for efficiency

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl/Cmd + Enter: Submit quick capture input
• Escape: Clear quick capture input
• Click: Navigate to task location
• Checkbox Click: Toggle task completion status

Integration

File Types Supported

• Markdown Files: Full support with proper line navigation
• Canvas Files: Direct opening of canvas files
• Mixed Content: Handles both markdown and canvas task sources

External Integrations

• ICS Calendar: Filters ICS badge events appropriately
• Daily Notes: Seamless integration with daily note workflows
• Task Manager: Real-time synchronization with the task management system

Settings

You can read more about view settings on the Basic view settings page.

Specific Settings

• Enable Timeline Sidebar: Control whether the timeline sidebar feature is enabled
• Auto Open on Startup: Automatically open the timeline sidebar when the plugin starts
• Show Completed Tasks: Control visibility of completed tasks in the timeline
• Focus Mode by Default: Start the timeline in focus mode (showing only today's events)
• Max Events to Show: Limit the maximum number of events displayed in the timeline