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

📅 Time Format Example

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

12-Hour Format with AM/PM

📅 Time Format Example

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

Combined Date and Time

📅 Time Format Example

- [ ] 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

⏱️ Time Range Example

- [ ] 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

⏱️ Time Range Example

- [ ] 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:

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

Examples

🔗 Date Inheritance Example

# 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

🎯 Combined Format Example

- [ ] 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:

Try explicit formats: Use YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm for guaranteed parsing
Check locale settings: Confirm your system/Obsidian locale matches expected format
Use standard separators: Stick to -, -, or ~ for ranges
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

On this page