The DatabaseObject Class

The DatabaseObject class is a generalized class containing the various elements used by the database to order and store your data, including: folders, projects, tasks, and tags.

These database objects share a common id property that is most often used in conjuction with the built-in OmniFocus URL support to reveal one or more DatebaseObjects in the main window.

Instance Properties

The DatabaseObject class has two instance properties:

An example of getting the url of a DatabaseObject, and then using the objecctForURL(…) function of the Database class to derive an object reference to the object targeted by the URL:

Object’s URL



aTask = inbox[0]
if (aTask){
	taskURL = aTask.url
	//-> [object URL: omnifocus:///task/hX3u3oHdgEm]
	objectForURL(taskURL)
	//-> [object Task: Plan Party] 
}

The ObjectIdentifier Class

An instance of the ObjectIdentifier class is returned as the value of the id property of the DatabaseObject class. An instance of the ObjectIdentifier class has two properties:

You can incorporate the id and primaryKey properties with the built-in OmniFocus URL support to reveal one or more DatebaseObjects in the main window:

Reveal Named Tag



tag = tagNamed("West")
if(tag){
	urlStr = "omnifocus:///tag/" + tag.id.primaryKey
	URL.fromString(urlStr).open()
}

Reveal Named Folder



folder = folderNamed("Fall")
if(folder){
	urlStr = "omnifocus:///folder/" + folder.id.primaryKey
	URL.fromString(urlStr).open()
}

Reveal Named Project



project = projectNamed("My Project")
if(project){
	urlStr = "omnifocus:///task/" + project.id.primaryKey
	URL.fromString(urlStr).open()
}

To reveal more than one database object, append a comma-delimited list of primaryKeys to the calling URL:

Reveal Matching Inbox Tasks



var keys = inbox.filter(task => {
	return task.name.includes(" Car")
})
if (keys.length > 0){
	urlStr = "omnifocus:///task/" + keys.join(",")
	URL.fromString(urlStr).open()
}

Reveal Tasks with Specified Name



taskName = "Drive Car"
matches = flattenedTasks.filter(item => {
	return item.name.toUpperCase() === taskName.toUpperCase()
})
if (matches.length > 0){
	keys = matches.map(task => {return task.id.primaryKey})
	urlStr = "omnifocus:///task/" + keys.join(",")
	URL.fromString(urlStr).open()
}

DatabaseObject: DatedObject

The DatedObject class (a sub-class of the DatabaseObject class) contains elements that track date values referencing the element’s creation and modification. These properties apply to tasks, tags, folders, and projects (for projects, the root task of the project has the dates for the project).

Instance Properties

The DatedObject class has two properties:

DatedObject (Project) Properties



project = projectNamed("My Project")
if (project){
	console.log(project.task.added)
	console.log(project.task.modified)
}

An example script for creating a new project whose creation date is midnight of the current date:

Set Creation Date of New Project



project = new Project("NEW PROJECT")
project.task.added = new Date(new Date().setHours(0,0,0,0))

An example function that uses the added property to gather an array of object references to all tasks added on a specified day:

Tasks Added on Specified Date



function tasksAddedOnTargetDate(targetDate){
	cal = Calendar.current
	targetDateStart = cal.startOfDay(targetDate)
	dc = cal.dateComponentsFromDate(targetDateStart)
	dc.day = dc.day + 1
	dayAfterTargetDate = cal.dateFromDateComponents(dc)
	matches = flattenedTasks.filter(task => {
		return (task.added >= targetDateStart && task.added < dayAfterTargetDate)
	})
	return matches
}

date = new Date("12/13/24")
tasksAddedOnTargetDate(date)

DatedObject: ActiveObject

The ActiveObject class (a sub-class of the DatedObject class) contains elements that are active.

Instance Properties

The ActiveObject class has two properties:

Dropping a Project



var project = projectNamed("My Project")
if (project){
	project.task.active = false
}

Tag Status



var tag = flattenedTags.byName("Camera-Ready")
if(tag){tag.active = true}

Link-Back Task

Here’s a plug-in that uses the id and primaryKey properties of the DatabaseObject class to create a new task whose notes field contains a link to the currently selected task.

New Link-Back Task
  


/*{
	"type": "action",
	"targets": ["omnifocus"],
	"author": "Otto Automator",
	"identifier": "com.omni-automation.of.link-back-task",
	"version": "1.2",
	"description": "Creates a new task in the Inbox with a link to the selected task placed in the notes of the new task.",
	"label": "New Link-Back Task",
	"shortLabel": "Link-Back Task",
	"paletteLabel": "Link-Back Task",
	"image": "link.circle"
}*/
(() => {
	const action = new PlugIn.Action(async function(selection, sender){
		currentTask = selection.tasks[0]
		// generate link to the selected task
		linkURLStr = "omnifocus:///task/" + currentTask.id.primaryKey
		
		taskNames = new Array()
		inbox.forEach(task => {
			if(task.taskStatus === Task.Status.Available){
				taskNames.push(task.name)
			}
		})

		// GENERATE USER INPUT FORM
		textInputField = new Form.Field.String(
			"textInput",
			null,
			null
		)

		inputForm = new Form()
		inputForm.addField(textInputField)

		inputForm.validate = function(formObject){
			inputText = formObject.values['textInput']
			if (!inputText){return false}
			if (taskNames.includes(inputText)){
				throw "ERROR: a task with that name is already in the Inbox."
			}
			return true
		}

		formPrompt = "Enter the title for the new task:"
		buttonTitle = "Continue"
		formObject = await inputForm.show(formPrompt,buttonTitle)

		textValue = formObject.values['textInput']
		newTask = new Task(textValue)
		newTask.note = linkURLStr

		// show the new task
		newTaskURLStr = "omnifocus:///task/" + newTask.id.primaryKey
		URL.fromString(newTaskURLStr).open()
	});

	action.validate = function(selection, sender){
		return (selection.tasks.length === 1)
	};
	
	return action;
})();