Idea: Per-project folders + simple project picker (no file search) — with a working QuickAdd workaround

[alekseiaxelrod-oss]

What’s missing right now

Tasks created from Advanced Calendar end up in a single folder (e.g., TaskNotes/Tasks) and aren’t auto-routed to project folders.

The project picker in the modal is not convenient: you have to search for a file instead of picking from your existing projects.

Proposal

Add a built-in option for Project routing: when projects is set, automatically move the task note into the corresponding project’s folder, with clean filename numbering (Task.md, Task-2.md, Task-3.md, …).

Add a dropdown / fixed list of existing projects in the modal (instead of file search).

Optional post-save hook: as soon as projects is present, move the file.

Working workaround (today)

Until this exists natively, I’m using a QuickAdd macro that:

shows a fixed list of my projects (e.g., Project-1…Project-5),

writes projects: [[Project-N]] (short wiki link),

moves the task file to that project’s folder, with robust, readable numbering.

Setup (checklist)

Install QuickAdd (Community plugins).

Create folder /_scripts/quickadd/.

Create file /_scripts/quickadd/assign_project_and_move.js and paste the script below.

QuickAdd → Manage Macros → Add Macro Assign Project → Add Command → User script → select the file.

Hotkeys → set a shortcut for QuickAdd: Run Macro: Assign Project.

Flow: Create task in Advanced Calendar → press the hotkey → pick a project → file is routed to the project folder.

Customization

Edit the 5 project paths at the top of the script.

Toggle USE_TASKS_SUBFOLDER to place tasks in /tasks/.

Toggle filename style: -2 vs (2) via USE_PARENS_STYLE.

Notes / limitations

Project note filenames should be unique (Project-1.md, Project-2.md, …).

Script (QuickAdd User Script, )

Save as: /_scripts/quickadd/assign_project_and_move.js

module.exports = async (params) => {
const app = params.app;
const qa = params.quickAddApi;

// ==== CONFIG ====
const DEFAULT_TASKS_FOLDER = "TaskNotes/Tasks"; // where new tasks are created
const USE_TASKS_SUBFOLDER = false; // true → /tasks/
const USE_PARENS_STYLE = false; // filename style: "Task (2).md" instead of "Task-2.md"
const PROJECT_FILES = [
{ path: "TaskNotes/Projects/Project-1/Project-1.md" },
{ path: "TaskNotes/Projects/Project-2/Project-2.md" },
{ path: "TaskNotes/Projects/Project-3/Project-3.md" },
{ path: "TaskNotes/Projects/Project-4/Project-4.md" },
{ path: "TaskNotes/Projects/Project-5/Project-5.md" }
];
// ================

const basename = (p) => p.split("/").pop().replace(/.md$/, "");

// Map "Project-1" → "TaskNotes/Projects/Project-1/Project-1.md"
const NAME_TO_PATH = (() => {
const m = new Map();
for (const p of PROJECT_FILES) m.set(basename(p.path), p.path);
return m;
})();

// Strip trailing numeric suffix: "Task-7" → "Task", "Task (7)" → "Task"
const stripNum = (name) => {
let m = name.match(/^(.)\s((\d+))$/);
if (m) return { base: m[1].trim(), n: +m[2] };
m = name.match(/^(.*?)-(\d+)$/);
if (m) return { base: m[1], n: +m[2] };
return { base: name, n: null };
};

// Robust unique filename picker inside target folder
const pickUnique = (folder, fileName, selfPath) => {
const ext = fileName.endsWith(".md") ? ".md" : "";
const raw = ext ? fileName.slice(0, -3) : fileName;
const { base } = stripNum(raw);

let i = 1;
let candidate = `${folder}/${base}${ext}`;
while (true) {
  const exists = app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(candidate);
  if (!exists || candidate === selfPath) break;
  i += 1;
  candidate = USE_PARENS_STYLE
    ? `${folder}/${base} (${i - 1})${ext}`
    : `${folder}/${base}-${i - 1}${ext}`;
}
return candidate;

};

// Ensure nested folders exist
const ensureFolder = async (path) => {
const segs = path.split("/");
for (let i = 1; i <= segs.length; i++) {
const sub = segs.slice(0, i).join("/");
if (!sub) continue;
if (!app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(sub)) {
try { await app.vault.createFolder(sub); } catch (_) {}
}
}
};

// Find the "newest" task in DEFAULT_TASKS_FOLDER (prefer one without projects)
const findNewestTask = () => {
const files = app.vault.getMarkdownFiles()
.filter(f => f.path.startsWith(DEFAULT_TASKS_FOLDER + "/"));
if (!files.length) return null;
files.sort((a, b) => b.stat.ctime - a.stat.ctime);
for (const f of files) {
const fm = app.metadataCache.getFileCache(f)?.frontmatter ?? {};
if (!(fm.projects || fm.project)) return f; // prefer the one not assigned yet
}
return files[0];
};

try {
const file = findNewestTask();
if (!file) { new Notice("No recent task found in " + DEFAULT_TASKS_FOLDER); return; }

// 1) Prompt from fixed list of projects
const items = PROJECT_FILES.map(p => basename(p.path)); // ["Project-1", ...]
const choice = await qa.suggester(items, items);
if (!choice) return; // canceled

const projectPath = NAME_TO_PATH.get(choice);
if (!projectPath) { new Notice("No project note found for: " + choice); return; }

// 2) Write `projects` as a single short wiki link: [[Project-N]]
await app.fileManager.processFrontMatter(file, (fm) => {
  fm.projects = `[[${choice}]]`;
});

// 3) Move the task into the project folder
const parts = projectPath.split("/"); parts.pop();
let targetFolder = parts.join("/");
if (USE_TASKS_SUBFOLDER) targetFolder = `${targetFolder}/tasks`;
await ensureFolder(targetFolder);

let dest = pickUnique(targetFolder, file.name, file.path);
if (dest !== file.path) {
  try {
    await app.fileManager.renameFile(file, dest);
  } catch {
    // rare race: retry with a re-picked unique name
    dest = pickUnique(targetFolder, file.name, file.path);
    if (dest !== file.path) await app.fileManager.renameFile(file, dest);
  }
}

new Notice(`Project: ${choice} · Moved`);

} catch (err) {
console.error(err);
new Notice("QuickAdd: script error. See console for details.");
}
};

[nikhilmaddirala]

The project picker in the modal is not convenient: you have to search for a file instead of picking from your existing projects.

You can already customize this in Settings > TaskNotes > Appearance & UI > Project Autosuggest

[alekseiaxelrod-oss]

Yes, thank you, I found this method, it was probably made later than I found this problem and it’s nice that it appeared!

[kmaustral]

Good work, but some of my tasks have more than one project listed. I do this so they will appear in more than one tasks widget. I don't find it too much of a problem to move the task after saving. Or I created it inline in the project page, so it is saved in the same folder.