Time Parsing

Time Parsing enables natural-language date/time handling in Task Genius with enhanced support for specific times and time ranges.

If the link doesn't work: Obsidian → Settings → Community Plugins → Task Genius

Overview

Task Genius provides comprehensive time parsing that goes beyond basic date recognition to include:

• Single Times: Specific times like 12:00, 2:30 PM, 14:30:00
• Time Ranges: Duration blocks like 9:00-17:00, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
• Date + Time Combinations: Full scheduling like 2024-12-25 14:30 or tomorrow 3pm
• Time-Only Expressions: Times without dates that inherit context intelligently

Interface Options

• Desktop: Uses a popover date/time picker for quick selection
• Mobile: Uses a modal with the same functionality

Supported Time Formats

Single Times

Task Genius recognizes various time formats for precise scheduling:

24-Hour Format

- [ ] Meeting 📅 14:30
- [ ] Call client 📅 09:15:00
- [ ] Lunch break 📅 12:00

12-Hour Format with AM/PM

- [ ] Morning standup 📅 9:00 AM
- [ ] Afternoon review 📅 2:30 PM
- [ ] Evening workout 📅 6:00:00 PM

Combined Date and Time

- [ ] Project deadline 📅 2024-12-25 23:59
- [ ] Doctor appointment 📅 tomorrow 2:30 PM
- [ ] Team meeting 📅 next friday 10:00 AM

Time Ranges

For tasks that span a duration, use time ranges with various separators:

Standard Range Formats

- [ ] Workshop 📅 9:00-17:00
- [ ] Conference call 📅 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM  
- [ ] Study session 📅 14:00~16:30
- [ ] Office hours 📅 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Midnight Crossing Ranges

- [ ] Night shift 📅 23:00-07:00
- [ ] Late project work 📅 22:30 - 01:30

Time-Only Expressions

When you specify times without explicit dates, Task Genius intelligently determines the appropriate date using this priority order:

1. Current Line Date: Date mentioned in the same line
2. File Metadata Date: Date from frontmatter or file properties
3. Daily Note Date: Date extracted from daily note title/path
4. File Creation Time: When the file was created

Examples

# 2024-12-25 Daily Note
- [ ] Morning coffee 📅 8:00 AM    # Uses 2024-12-25
- [ ] Team sync 📅 10:30-11:00     # Uses 2024-12-25
 
## Project Tasks
- [ ] Code review 📅 14:00         # Inherits from daily note date

Supported Date Inputs

In addition to enhanced time parsing, all existing date formats continue to work:

Natural Language

• today, tomorrow, yesterday
• next monday, next week, next month
• in 2 days, in 3 weeks, in 1 hour

Explicit Formats

• 2025-09-30, 09/30/2025
• Dec 25, 2024, 25 December 2024

Combined Examples

- [ ] Project kickoff 📅 next monday 9:00 AM
- [ ] Deadline 📅 in 2 weeks 17:00
- [ ] Review meeting 📅 tomorrow 14:30-15:30

Timeline View Enhancements

The enhanced time parsing significantly improves the Timeline view experience:

Chronological Ordering

• Tasks with specific times appear in chronological order within each day
• Time-only tasks are sorted by their actual parsed times (not defaulting to 00:00)
• Tasks without times appear separately or with default time indicators

Time Range Visualization

• Tasks with time ranges show the start time prominently
• Range duration is displayed when viewing task details
• Visual indicators distinguish between single times and ranges

Time-Based Grouping

• Tasks at the same time are grouped together
• Clear separation between timed and untimed tasks
• Improved readability for daily schedule overview

Editor Interactions

Live Preview Mode

• Click date icons/markers to open the time picker
• Time components are highlighted and editable
• Real-time validation of time formats

Source Mode

• Direct text editing with format validation
• Auto-completion for common time patterns
• Syntax highlighting for recognized time expressions

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Follow your editor environment settings
• Quick time insertion commands available
• Tab completion for time formats

Settings & Configuration

Time Format Preferences

• Default Format: Choose between 12-hour and 24-hour display
• AM/PM Handling: Set default period for ambiguous times
• Range Separators: Customize which separators to recognize

Parsing Behavior

• Midnight Crossing: How to handle ranges that span midnight
• Fallback Strategy: What to do when time parsing fails
• Date Inheritance: Priority order for time-only expressions

Locale Support

• Locale-aware parsing respects your system settings
• Regional time format preferences
• Internationalized error messages

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Time Not Recognized

Problem: Your time format isn't being parsed Solutions:

• Try explicit formats: 14:30 instead of 2:30
• Add AM/PM for 12-hour times: 2:30 PM
• Check for typos in separators: - vs – vs ~

Wrong Date Applied

Problem: Time-only expressions get unexpected dates Solutions:

• Add explicit date: 2024-12-25 14:30
• Check file metadata for conflicting dates
• Verify daily note date format in filename

Timeline Display Issues

Problem: Tasks appear at wrong times in timeline Solutions:

• Refresh the timeline view
• Check time format consistency
• Verify timezone settings in Obsidian

Range Parsing Problems

Problem: Time ranges not recognized properly Solutions:

• Use standard separators: -, -, or ~
• Ensure both times use same format (both 24h or both 12h)
• Check for midnight crossing configuration

Format Validation

If a time expression isn't recognized:

1. Try explicit formats: Use YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm for guaranteed parsing
2. Check locale settings: Confirm your system/Obsidian locale matches expected format
3. Use standard separators: Stick to -, -, or ~ for ranges
4. Verify AM/PM: Always include AM/PM for 12-hour format times

Performance Considerations

For large vaults with many tasks:

• Time parsing is optimized for performance
• File metadata is cached to avoid repeated file system access
• Background processing handles bulk time parsing operations

Migration from Basic Time Parsing

Existing tasks with basic time information are automatically enhanced:

• Previous date-only tasks continue to work unchanged
• Tasks with basic time info get enhanced time components
• No manual migration required - enhancement happens automatically
• All existing functionality remains backward compatible

Best Practices

Consistent Formatting

• Choose either 12-hour or 24-hour format and stick with it
• Use the same range separator throughout your vault
• Be explicit with AM/PM when using 12-hour format

Effective Time Ranges

• Use ranges for tasks that have a specific duration
• Consider using single times for deadlines or start times
• Leverage midnight crossing for shift work or late-night tasks

Date Inheritance Optimization

• Use daily notes for time-only task organization
• Set file metadata dates for project-specific task files
• Organize tasks hierarchically to benefit from parent date inheritance