Task pickers

Every picker here browses open tasks and inserts exactly what bob returns. bob supplies one snapshot per context (rows, ranges, replacements, intents); the app filters locally, applies the server-provided byte range and cursor_after, and never synthesizes grammar. Return (or Tab) inserts, Command-Return inserts and captures, Control-Return inserts, captures, and opens the reported notes. Escape clears a non-empty filter first, then cancels to a reopen chip; Backspace on an empty filter removes the trigger token. While capture-parse reports a picker need, the app skips the doomed live dry run and shows a calm browse hint instead of a red error. What each insert previews and captures is in Capture previews; the card is shared with the relationship pickers.

Active Task Picker¶

Typing ^ as the whole capture item opens the Active Task Picker (active_task context), a modal mode of the capture panel — not a second window. Bob supplies one full snapshot (every In Progress and Next task with a block ID, in Bob's ledger order); the app filters that snapshot locally with a fuzzy matcher in CaptureCore so each keystroke is instant and flicker-free, and filter text never touches the draft. Local filtering is a deliberate presentation-only responsibility, the same precedent as the locally ranked capture-targets route cache. The picker auto-opens only when the edit writes the ^ trigger before Bob's replacement range, including a paste or fast typing since the last settled analysis. Backspace, Delete, typing inside an existing route:block-id, and caret-only moves show a compact "Browse active tasks ⇥" chip instead. Escape suppresses auto-open for that token while the chip offers a one-key reopen. Reshowing the panel with the picker open also reopens it. Fast typing is safe: text typed before the picker appears seeds the filter. Return (or Tab, or a click) inserts exactly Bob's route:block-id into Bob's range and returns to the editor, keeping any typed #name/=<X>/=x suffix — the app never synthesizes that grammar, you type it after the insert. Command-Return inserts and captures in one step; Control-Return inserts, captures, and opens the reported notes in Obsidian. An exact route:block-id never opens anything. When capture-parse reports active_task in needs, the app skips the doomed live dry run and shows "Pick an active task — press Tab to browse" instead of red incomplete-marker errors. Cached route completion never intercepts ^, and the active_task_route/active_task_block_id spans reuse the route and block-ID highlight colors. The inline completion list is unchanged for every other context. Active Task Picker keys: Return/Tab Insert, Command-Return Insert & Capture, Control-Return Insert, Capture & Open. - While the Active Task Picker is open, printable keys edit the filter field natively (as do Cmd-A/C/V/X/Z, Ctrl-A/E, and Left/Right). Return/Tab inserts the selected task and returns to the editor; Command-Return inserts and captures; Control-Return inserts, captures, and opens the reported notes; Shift/Option-Return and Shift-Tab are consumed. Down/Ctrl-N/Ctrl-J and Up/Ctrl-P/Ctrl-K move (wrapping); Page Up/Page Down move one page; Cmd-Up/Home and Cmd-Down/End jump to the first/last row. Escape clears a non-empty filter, then cancels (draft unchanged, caret restored, auto-open suppressed, chip shown). Backspace on an empty filter removes the ^ trigger and its fragment. Ctrl-S is consumed; Ctrl-C still stashes the draft and closes. While the chip is visible, Tab, Down, and Ctrl-N reopen the picker and Escape hides the chip.

Task Link Picker¶

Task Link Picker¶

Typing : as the whole capture item opens the Task Link Picker (task_link context), the same card as ^ with scope : and caption Open Tasks. When capture-parse reports task_link in needs, the app skips the doomed live dry run and shows "Pick any open task — press Tab to browse".

Bob lists every open (not done or canceled) task in area, project, and inbox notes. With an empty filter tasks group in Bob's order: one section per queued Pomodoro, then In Progress, Next, then one section per note (route.md with its Inbox/Area/Project subtitle). The app filters locally with spaces as AND terms; a non-empty filter replaces the groups with one ranked flat list. Rows show a schedule capsule (calendar glyph) when Bob sends one and a Pomodoro chip in the filtered view; the detail strip shows the insert action and, when linking pulls a future schedule forward, Scheduled Oct 3 — linking pulls it forward.

Return (or Tab) replaces the : query with @route:block-id; Shift-Return inserts @route:block-id= so the live preview shows the start before Return captures; Command-Return inserts then captures; Control-Return inserts, captures, and opens the reported notes. Escape clears the filter, then cancels to the reopen chip; Backspace on an empty filter removes the : token.

Tasks without an ID show route: plus a dim plus.circle suggestion; accepting one opens the Add block ID prompt in link mode, prefilled with the first suggestion (fully selected), with clickable suggestion chips and Tab / Shift-Tab cycling, a live Inserts @route:<typed>[=] line, and buttons Add ID & Link / Add ID & Start / Add ID & Capture. Return names the task via bob capture-task-id then splices the link (appending = for Start, submitting for Capture); failure keeps the prompt open with Bob's error; Escape returns to the picker with the filter intact.

Bulk drafts work: each blank-line-separated item is judged alone.

Task Link Picker keys: Return/Tab Link, Shift-Return Link & Start, Command-Return Link & Capture, Control-Return Link, Capture & Open, Escape Clear/Cancel, Backspace on empty filter removes :. In the link-mode Add block ID prompt, Tab / Shift-Tab cycle suggestions.

Go To Picker¶

Go To Picker¶

Typing / as the whole capture draft opens the Go To picker (task_goto context), the same card as : with scope / and caption Go To. When capture-parse reports task_goto in needs, the app skips the doomed live dry run and shows "Pick a task to open — press Tab to browse".

Bob lists the same open tasks as :, in the same order. Every row is selectable, including ID-less ones: they show note.md:line with no plus.circle suggestion and no Add block ID prompt. The detail strip reads "↩ Opens note.md at ^id" or "↩ Opens note.md at line N". A scheduled date still shows as context; there is no "pulls it forward" warning. Accepting a row dispatches obsidian://bob-goto-task (provided by bob-navigation-hotkeys) and, once that open succeeds, hides the panel and discards the draft. Nothing is minted, stamped, linked, walked, or captured. A failed dispatch keeps the picker open with "Couldn't open Obsidian".

Return, Tab, click, Command-Return, and Control-Return all Go To the selected row. Shift-Return and Option-Return are consumed. Escape clears a non-empty filter, then cancels to the reopen chip; Backspace on an empty filter removes the / token and the idle agenda returns. Control-C on a Go To draft discards it instead of pushing it to the canceled-draft stash.

Go To Picker keys: Return/Tab/Command-Return/Control-Return Go To, Shift-Return consumed, Escape Clear/Cancel, Backspace on empty filter removes /, Control-C discards.

Parent Task Picker¶

Parent Task Picker¶

Typing @file+ opens the parent-task picker scoped to that note (task context with Bob's additive picker descriptor, scope: note). Typing + at the start of an otherwise empty item, or after a space at the end of a capture line, opens the same card across capture notes (task_parent, scope: vault). Choosing a task inserts @file+id. An older Bob that returns task without the descriptor keeps the inline parent-task list.

The card uses the same picker lifecycle as : and ^. Scope capsules read @cash+ · cash.md or + · All capture notes. Vault empty-query rows keep the colon groups (queued Pomodoros, In Progress, Next, notes). Scoped empty-query rows keep Bob's document order. A nonempty filter is one ranked list with spaces as AND terms. Rows never show a Link & Start action or a schedule pull-forward warning. The detail strip always says Inserts @cash+goog-exit.

When capture-parse reports task_parent in needs, the app skips the doomed live dry run and shows "Choose a task to append to — press Tab to browse". Inside a relationship draft Bob sends picker.relationship; the picker then opens in owner mode headed ⛓ Which task depends on “Buy shoes”? / 🧱 Which task blocks “Do cleanup tasks”? / Which task depends on “Buy shoes” and blocks “Do cleanup tasks”?, the status line and reopen chip read Choose the task to relate, and rows Bob guards (the prerequisite itself, cycles, a project's own resident) are dimmed with that reason as the badge — accepting one only announces it. A lone whole-item + stays a valid +5m Pomodoro adjustment: the picker still opens, Escape leaves the draft unchanged, and submitting it extends as before. Bob lists action_continuation_keys (0–9 and +) only for that dual-use item. With an empty filter, an unmodified digit or second + closes the picker, inserts that key once, and suppresses reopen so +2 / ++3 match fast typing. Scoped and prose-terminal pickers never use that handoff. A quiet footer hint reads Type a number or + to adjust; Esc to extend +5m.

Return/Tab selects the task; Command-Return selects then captures; Control-Return selects, captures, and opens the reported notes; Shift-Return is consumed and never appends =. Escape clears a nonempty filter, then cancels to the reopen chip (Select a parent task / Append to a task). Backspace on an empty filter uses Bob's trigger_removal_range: it deletes a vault +query token, or removes scoped +query while leaving @route. Exact identified @cash+goog-exit does not auto-open; Tab or the chip still browses.

ID-less rows open Add block ID with suggestion cycling and a live Inserts @route+typed line. Vault success requires Bob's parent_replacement; if that field is absent the prompt stays open and asks to update Bob. Scoped success inserts the returned ID into the ID-only range. Buttons read Add ID & Select / Add ID & Capture.

Parent Task Picker keys: Return/Tab Select Task, Command-Return Select & Capture, Control-Return Select, Capture & Open, Escape Clear/Cancel, Backspace on empty filter removes Bob's trigger range. In the card-mode Add block ID prompt, Tab / Shift-Tab cycle suggestions.

Block ID Picker¶

Typing the right-hand side of @route: or @route^ anywhere those markers are valid opens the Block ID Picker (pomodoro_block_id / task_block_id contexts), and typing a trailing : / ^ on a project-note bullet opens the Project task picker (project_task_block_id context), the same large, fuzzy, keyboard-first picker language as ^, and never the inline list. Bob decides the intent and the app presents it: a marker-only @route: item gets a Link picker that browses the note's linkable tasks grouped by the note's own headings; every new-ID position (@route^, @route: on an item with text, either marker followed by the project-note +, or a project-task : / ^ token) gets a New ID composer with Bob's suggestions from the task text, live availability against every ID already in the note, a one-key "next free" alternative when an ID is taken, and similar existing IDs for naming consistency. Bob supplies one snapshot (intent, candidates, every used ID with what uses it, suggestions, the marker token range, and the ID grammar as a one-character regex plus a human description); the app only filters locally, checks exact case-sensitive membership in Bob's used-ID list, applies Bob's character rule, and derives the -2…-99 next-free variant validated by that rule. Live preview after insert remains the final authority. The picker auto-opens only on an edit that writes the : / ^ separator byte immediately before Bob's ID part. “Writes” means that byte was changed since the last settled analysis, so a fast :rea burst or a paste still counts. Backspace, Delete, and typing inside an existing ID do not open the picker; other non-opening edits show the reopen chip. The existing Link exact-candidate and Escape-suppression rules still apply, as does the New ID rule that the part must be empty or the caret at its end. Reshowing the panel with the picker open and pressing Tab on the chip still open the picker. A task_block_id response without a block_id object is treated as no completion. Link refetches the full snapshot at the range start when the caret is past it; New ID needs no refetch. Accept inserts the row's ID into Bob's range with the stale-draft guard, announces Inserted @route:id, and runs an .edit analysis without completion; Command-accept also captures, and a missing selection announces why instead of inserting. In the New ID composer the field only ever holds ID characters: typing a character outside Bob's allowed set (space, #, =, +, ., …) at the end of the field commits the typed ID and keeps typing that character in the editor, so # after a commit opens pomodoro_name completion naturally. The Link picker keeps ^'s semantics: spaces separate fuzzy tokens. Backspace on an empty field deletes the :/^ separator and the part so route completion resumes. The chip reads Browse <note> tasks ⇥ (Link) or Suggest an ID for <note> ⇥ (New ID); Tab, Down, and Ctrl-N open it and Escape hides it. When capture-parse reports pomodoro_id or block_id in needs, the app skips the doomed dry run with precedence active_task, then pomodoro_id ("Pick a task or type a new ID — press Tab to browse"), then block_id ("Type a new block ID — press Tab for suggestions"). Older Bob binaries that send pomodoro_block_id without a block_id object get a Link picker without the New ID row and without type-through; older Bob never sends task_block_id, so @route^ shows no picker there.

Keys¶

• Block ID Picker keys. Link matches the Active Task Picker table; New ID adds Space.

Card¶

• The picker renders as one large elevated card spanning the full panel width: a 46pt filter bar (a ^ scope token, the filter field, and a monospaced task count), a scrollable list with pinned Pomodoro headers, an 80pt detail strip, and key-hint chips in the footer (↑↓ Move · ↩ Insert · ⌘↩ Insert & Capture · ⌃↩ Capture & Open · esc Clear/Cancel; Control-Return drops first in a narrow panel). The editor dims to 50% while picking; tapping it cancels. With an empty filter, tasks group by Pomodoro entry in Bob's order, each header showing its ordinal, name (or "Unnamed Pomodoro"), HH:MM–HH:MM time range when present, a pink NOW pill for the current entry, and a task count; unqueued In Progress and Next tasks follow under their own headers. A non-empty filter replaces the groups with one ranked flat list and a small pink Pomodoro chip per row. Rows are 34pt single lines: a status glyph (orange In Progress, blue Next), proportional text where `code` spans render monospaced on a faint fill and [[wikilinks]] render accent-tinted, fuzzy matches in semibold accent, and a trailing route:block-id locator in route/block-ID colors. The detail strip shows the full text (two lines), a metadata line (status, note label with its inbox/area/project icon, › section, Pomodoro wording), and ↩ inserts ^route:block-id; after the first insert it also teaches #name, =, and =x. Empty states explain what a task needs to appear, Bob warnings collapse to one orange line (+N more), and a partial snapshot notes "Showing Bob's matches only". The panel grows once when the picker opens and never resizes while filtering; on short screens the card keeps a three-row minimum and scrolls. VoiceOver announces the open ("Active tasks, N tasks"), match-count changes, and each keyboard move; rows expose the full task label as a button, and selection and hover fills strengthen under Increase Contrast.

Per-mode anatomy¶

• The Block ID Picker reuses that card with per-mode anatomy. The scope token names the marker (@sase:, @sase^) with a Tasks, New ID, or Project note caption, plus · line N on multi-line drafts; a Project task session shows the bare : / ^ sigil with a Linked task / Task ID caption and no @route. Placeholders read "Filter sase.md tasks, or type a new ID" (Link) and "Type a new ID for sase.md" (New ID). The trailing element is the count for Link ("96 tasks", "5 of 96") and a live availability badge capsule for New ID (green "Available", orange "Used · line 36", red with Bob's rule wording, secondary "113 IDs in use" while empty, "Checked on capture" for project notes), held to a fixed width range so the field never jumps while typing. Link groups rows under the note's own headings (# glyph in the section color, title, count; "Top of note" above the first heading); filtering replaces them with one ranked flat list that pins an exact block-ID match first and appends a trailing New ID row (or a Used status row) for a valid one-token filter. Link rows show the status glyph, rich text, a pink Pomodoro chip in filtered mode, depth indent, and a trailing ^block-id locator. New ID rows show a green available ID, an orange taken status plus a "Next free" alternative, a red invalid status, an unchecked project-note row, accent sparkles suggestions with availability badges, and up to five dim 28pt "In use" info rows with fuzzy highlights (never selectable). Row locators use the session's own marker, so a ^ session reads route^id and a Project task row reads the bare :id / ^id. The detail strip names the outcome per row kind — linked task, new task in ▣ sase.md (or New Next task linked into today's Pomodoro, or the new project note, or for a Project task the Next task linked into today's Pomodoro / Task in ▣ cash_goog_exit.md), plus ↩ inserts @sase:id (↩ inserts :draft-memo for a Project task) — and after the first insert teaches #name or = (: IDs) or + for a project note (+#name picks its Pomodoro; ^ IDs), tracked separately per source. Project notes and Project tasks teach no follow-up. Empty states cover no linkable tasks, a missing note, no matches, and the empty composer. While any picker is open, the marker token being completed carries an accent wash in the dimmed editor (marker_range for block IDs, the ^ token included for ^). Key hints match ^; New ID adds ␣ Insert & keep typing, and all hints fit the 620pt minimum width. Link budgets 4…11 grouped rows plus headers, New ID budgets a fixed 6; the panel grows once on open and never resizes while typing or filtering. VoiceOver labels read "Task picker for sase.md" / "New block ID for sase.md", opens announce "sase.md tasks, 96 tasks" / "New ID for sase.md, 3 suggestions", availability is announced only on category change, keyboard moves announce, and status/info rows are static text without the button trait. Fills strengthen under Increase Contrast and color is never the only signal: badges and rows carry text.

Sections and Pomodoro names¶

Typing # immediately after a resolved @route+block-id follows the draft's mode: while that item has no body text it opens pomodoro_name completion for the task toggle, and once the item has body text it opens task_section completion for that task's ALL-CAPS section bullets. A standalone trailing # stays the Pomodoro-note marker and @route# stays note-section completion. Typing # immediately after a resolved @route:block-id — or a bare @route:# — opens pomodoro_name completion for today's open Pomodoros. Colon-Pomodoro (@route:id#name) selects or creates a named Pomodoro; plus-sub-bullet (@route+id#section) keeps its task-section selector as soon as body text exists. For blank-line-separated drafts, completion still sends the complete draft as one argv value; Bob scopes the answer to the item or declaration containing the UTF-8 cursor and returns replacement ranges in draft-global byte offsets. See "Wikilink completion" in Wikilink completion for the Obsidian-specific contract and row presentation.

Tasks without block IDs¶

In the @route+ and @@route+ task contexts, Bob may return open tasks that still lack block IDs. Ready tasks stay first and insert in one action. Missing-ID rows replace the completion list with an inline Add block ID prompt; opening the prompt moves keyboard focus into the block-ID field so the ID can be typed immediately, with a highlighted field border while it holds focus. Canceling or completing the prompt returns focus to the capture editor. The draft remains unchanged while the app calls bob capture-task-id --route ROUTE --task-ref REF --block-id ID --format json. Only a confirmed Bob success splices the returned canonical ID into the saved replacement range and reruns preview. Cancel and every error keep the draft unchanged.

Naming a Pomodoro¶

In the pomodoro_name context, a matching named open Pomodoro stays the default and inserts its slug in one action. When Bob would create a new named future Pomodoro instead, the first row is an explicit Create / New future Pomodoro action (creates_pomodoro: true, canonical name, no ledger ref). Accepting it only canonicalizes the @route:id#name marker, closes completion without opening Name Pomodoro, restores the editor caret, and reruns live preview; the daily note is not mutated until the later bob capture transaction creates the placeholder and task link together. A create row that would push the plan past its theme cap (plan_themes_after > plan_themes_cap) carries a red after/cap badge (e.g. 4/3). Unnamed and untypeable-name rows (requires_name: true, empty replacement) still replace the completion list with an inline Name Pomodoro prompt. The two prompts can never both be open. Opening the prompt pre-fills the name field from the in-progress completion query (#deep-work becomes DEEP WORK), moves keyboard focus into the name field, and shows a live Saves as DEEP WORK hint. The draft remains unchanged while the app calls bob capture-pomodoro-name --pomodoro-ref REF --name NAME --format json. Only a confirmed Bob success splices the returned canonical slug into the saved replacement range, restores the caret after it, and reruns analysis. Cancel and every error keep the draft unchanged. The create-future row never calls capture-pomodoro-name.

Starting a named session¶

In the pomodoro_start_name context — the name part of a whole-item =<X>#name named start, per token inside chains — the inline list is Bob's start-aware Start list: today's planned placeholders first (the entry a bare = would start carries Next up and a Next badge), then a New session create row for a missing name, then Again rows that start a new session named like a completed one (Last ran 0830–0855), then Name it rows for unnamed placeholders (which open the same Name Pomodoro prompt as pomodoro_name), and finally the already-running entry (Running 0840–0905), which can never be the default. Accepting a new row announces NAME will be created and started when captured; accepting an again row announces Starts a new NAME session when captured; both only splice the slug and the daily note is not mutated until the later bob capture transaction. The New session and Again rows carry the same red after/cap cap badge as the pomodoro_name create row when the new theme would push the plan past its cap. Typing =# opens the list immediately and shows the calm Pick a Pomodoro to start, or type a new name status instead of a doomed dry run; a caret on the =<X> suffix itself requests nothing. The list narrows as you type while the live preview already shows the resolved session, and Return starts it. Under a =#name field while a session runs, Bob adds its additive top-level override object (keeps_ledger plus the running session) and the list reads as a swap picker: the status becomes Pick a Pomodoro to take over CAPTURE's 0920–0945 (or Pick a Pomodoro to start now · CAPTURE returns to first future with a fresh =<X># timing), open rows read Takes over 0920–0945, and the running row keeps Running 0920–0945 while teaching Already running — = restarts it; pick another Pomodoro to swap in (Restarts it now with fresh timing). The swap-picker status and rows appear as soon as =# or =3# is typed while a session runs, before a name is entered. Under a plain =# the running row now teaches Already running. Restart it with =, or close it first with x. An older Bob that reports no pomodoro_start_name context offers no rows there; the panel simply shows no completion until Bob is upgraded.