NAME

sync_outlook_hiveminder.pl

VERSION

$Id: sync_outlook_hiveminder.pl 102 2008-08-02 01:29:56Z nvonnahm $

DESCRIPTION

This syncs Microsoft Outlook 2007 (TM) Tasks with Hiveminder (TM).

SYNOPSIS

./sync_outlook_hiveminder.pl -vvv # 3 is a nice level of verbosity to start with

WHY?

I use a Palm (TM) handheld for working all my lists offline, but Palm is stuck in the 20th century. Luckily, so is Outlook (TM)!

The Palm knows how to sync with Outlook task list and memos, so this script syncs them with Hiveminder. Hopefully, I can use Hiveminder when I'm near a computer (online) and still have full read/write access when my Palm is offline.

OPTIONS

--verbose, -v, -vvvvv, --verbosity 10
Change verbosity level. 0 to 10 pretty much covers it. Starting at level 4 you should see something about each task.

--skip-braindump
Skip the braindump step (saves a few seconds)

-help
Print a brief help message and exit.

-man
Print the manual page and exit.

REQUIREMENTS

Net::Hiveminder
Which requires Net::Jifty and half of CPAN. Hint: With cygwin, `force install` in the cpan> shell is your friend.

Windows and MS Outlook
Tested with 2007... probably works with earlier versions too. Almost 140% certain not to work with Outlook Express.

Win32::OLE
I tested with Perl and Win32 that came with cygwin.

HOW IT USE IT

I made some conventions based on how I want things. I have big categories based on ``contexts'' (see David Allen's Getting Things Done), like @work and <@home>, but I also have smaller 'tags' for grouping similar tasks together.

I have ``project'' lists for things that will take more than a couple steps, and I keep them tagged with @WorkProjects and @HomeProjects. So for example, I have one task like this:

    Get Things Done [@WorkProjects gtd]

Then my ``next action'' for that project goes in my @Work list:

    check stuff off [@work gtd]

HOW IT WORKS

Simulated ``tags'' in Outlook

In Hiveminder, each task can have multiple tags, for example:

     #AWEF:  check stuff off  [@work meta gtd]

When a task goes to Outlook, tags beginning with an @ turn to ``Categories'' and the rest go as plain text in the beginning of the title. The Hiveminder record locator is appended in braces {}:

     categories:  work
     subject:  meta gtd: check stuff off {#AWEF}

BRAINDUMP note

This script creates a Note (sticky note/memo) in Outlook called BRAINDUMP. Each time it runs, if you've typed anything in that note, it gets braindumped into Hiveminder.

Secret last_outlook_sync task

This script also makes a hidden forever, completed Hiveminder task named ``last_outlook_sync'' to track when it last synced.

ANNOYANCES

You might want to disable the ``external program access'' warning message in Outlook. Refer to:

http://office.microsoft.com/client/helppreview.aspx?AssetID=HA012299431033&QueryID=mhoDjjXmC&respos=1&rt=2&ns=OUTLOOK&lcid=1033&pid=CH100622191033

BUGS

Hah! It's very simplistic and easily confused by colons or fancy characters in tasks and weird tags like with spaces or whatever.

AUTHOR

Electronically mail me at nathan dot vonnahme at banner health dot commercial, or nathan at enteuxis dot organic, or leave a comment at my blog at http://n8v.enteuxis.org

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE

Copyright 2008 Nathan Vonnahme.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.