Backpack Bundle Updated

Note: This post is over 3 years old. You may want to check later in this blog to see if there is new information.

This bundle has been updated to include list support, more information and download link here.

This is the second pre-release of the Backpack Bundle for TextMate, and designed to work with 37signals’ backpackit.com. It won’t be an official release until I decide how I’m going to handle Items. As I mentioned before, the way I use items is to create separate lists and categorize my to-do’s, but the API lumps all items on a page together, categorized only by complete and incomplete. What I’d love to do is have it create a GTD style text page that could be edited as a text file and then compared with the items on a page to update, but that gets really complex and leaves a lot of room for errors. Anyway, here’s the feature list and changelog:

Changes

  • Rearranged Bundle Menu, added groups, separators and title casing
  • A couple of UI tweaks, including adding a shortcut key to the “submit” buttons
  • Added Page Handling for add and destroy
  • Changed handling of tokens to avoid keychain and use a preference file for the time being
  • Added “Destroy Note”, based on the view\edit command
  • Added note to “Change Backpack Account” UI to note that “token” refers to the API Key, not the password

Features

  • Stores your username and API key once and allows you to switch accounts when necessary

Pages:

  • Add and remove pages

Reminders:

  • Create reminders from selected text or from scratch, using “Minutes from now” or date picker
  • Destroy a single reminder from a popup list
  • Destroy multiple reminders from a multi-select dialog
  • Select a reminder from a popup list and edit it
  • See a list of upcoming reminders sorted by “Today”, “This week” and “Future” (color coded)

Notes:

  • Add selected text or document as a note, or edit a blank note. Notes are added to a selected page (a page must be selected)
  • View/Edit a note from a tree dialog, select a page->note->edit note and save. Titles can be edited by double clicking. Only last selected note is updated.
  • Destroy note from similar dialog. Allows previewing of notes so you don’t have to decide by title alone.

Account:

  • Change your username and token at any time from a dialog.

I’m looking for suggestions, both on interface design (which I’m new at) and functionality. If you don’t have a Backpack account, this works quite well with the free version, so go ahead and pick one up at www.backpackit.com. I’m not getting paid by them, I swear, but I’m a die-hard fan.

Download: Backpack.tmbundle.zip

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  1. Brett Terpstra 11.22.06 / 7am

    By the way, please note that if you previously used the bundle you’ll need to run the “Change Backpack Account” command and re-enter your username and API Key, as the storage mechanism for the key has changed for the time being. Also note that the “Token” refers to the API Key (found at the bottom of your “Account” page) and not your user password.

  2. Paul McCann 11.23.06 / 6pm

    Thanks very much: the bundle worked first time like a charm. I’ve had a backpack account for ages but never really used it much; this integration with TextMate could change that for the better.

    Best wishes, Paul

  3. Brett Terpstra 11.23.06 / 6pm

    You’re very welcome. I hope it helps organize your life as much as it’s helped me with mine! Please keep me posted on any and all bugs… I’ll be posting info on a subversion checkout tomorrow after a little further testing.