ip

Earl User Guide

Earl is a desktop chat application to track tasks, optimised for use via a Command Line Interface (CLI) while still having the benefits of a Graphical User Interface (GUI). If you can type fast, Earl can get your task management done faster than traditional GUI applications.

Getting Started

1. Make sure you have Java 11 installed on your computer. Note that it does not work on newer versions of Java.
2. Download the .jar file from here.
3. Open a terminal in the directory which you saved the .jar file, then run
   1. java -jar earl.jar for GUI mode.
   2. java -jar earl.jar nogui for CLI mode.

Quick Reference

Command	Arguments
list	None
todo	<task name>
deadline	<task name> /by <dd/mm/yyyy hhmm>
event	<task name> /from <dd/mm/yyyy hhmm> /by <dd/mm/yyyy hhmm>
find	<pattern>
mark	<indices> [<indices>, ...]
unmark	<indices> [<indices>, ...]
delete	<indices> [<indices>, ...]
help	None
bye	None

Features

Adding ToDos: todo

Adds a todo to the list of tasks.

Format: todo <task name>

Example: todo homework, todo wash clothes

Notes

• <task name> cannot be empty

Adding Deadlines: deadline

Adds a deadline to the list of tasks.

Format: deadline <task name> /by <dd/mm/yyyy hhmm>

Example: deadline project submission /by 01/01/2024 2359

Notes

• <task name> cannot be empty
• date time information must be of the format dd/mm/yyyy hhmm

Adding Events: event

Adds an event to the list of tasks.

Format: event <task name> /from <dd/mm/yyyy hhmm> /to <dd/mm/yyyy hhmm>

Example: event exam /from 01/01/2024 1200 /to 01/01/2024 1400

Notes

• <task name> cannot be empty
• date time information must be of the format dd/mm/yyyy hhmm
• The start cannot occur after the end

Listing Tasks: list

Displays all tasks currently tracked.

Format: list

Finding Tasks: find

Displays all tasks with details matching a pattern.

Format: find <pattern>

Example: find wash clothes

Marking Tasks: mark

Marks a task as complete.

Format: mark <indice> [<indices>, ...]

Example: mark 1 3-5

Notes

• Arguments are space separated single indices or ranges
• Ranges must be of the form <index>-<index>
• Tasks already marked as done are unchanged
• Indices outside the range of valid indices are ignored
• There must be at least 1 valid index

Unmarking Tasks: unmark

Marks a task as incomplete.

Format: unmark <indices> [<indices>, ...]

Example: unmark 2-4 6 8-11

Notes

• Arguments are space separated single indices or ranges
• Ranges must be of the form <index>-<index>
• Tasks already marked as undone are unchanged
• Indices outside the range of valid indices are ignored
• There must be at least 1 valid index

Deleting Tasks: delete

Removes a task from the list.

Format: delete <indices> [<indices>, ...]

Example: delete 3 5 9-11

Notes

• Arguments are space separated single indices or ranges
• Ranges must be of the form <index>-<index>
• Indices outside the range of valid indices are ignored
• There must be at least 1 valid index

Show List of Commands: help

Lists the valid commands.

Format: help

Notes

• This is automatically executed on invalid inputs

Closing the Application: bye

Saves the tasks and closes the application.

Format: bye

Notes

• This is equivalent to pressing the cross on the GUI

Saving Data

The application automatically saves the list of tasks to ./data/earl.txt in the same directory it is executed from. Note that moving the .jar file will require the saved file to be moved as well for the list to persist between sessions. The saved file may be edited directly to change any existing entry.

Warning: if a saved entry is malformed as a result of a wrongful edit, the application may drop the saved data entirely. Make sure to create a backup before attempting any edits.

Known Issues

• The GUI window cannot be resized due to current limitations in adapting the display to changes in window size
• There are some differences in text formatting between the CLI and GUI; this is purely an aesthetic issue, the functionality is unaffected