Due Dates and Threshold Dates

Due dates are not part of the todo.txt format spec! SwiftoDo supports them anyway—and threshold dates, too!

Due dates and threshold dates are not part of the todo.txt format spec?

It’s true. The todo.txt format is not very much interested in due dates. It does not have a true due date syntax, though its format documentation has always contained a strong suggestion to use tags for due dates, with a particular suggested format that SwiftoDo, and every other todo.txt app, supports.

Due date and threshold date are implemented as key:value tags, which are fully compliant with the todo.txt format spec.

How are due dates formatted?

Due dates are formatted as due:yyyy-mm-dd. For example: due:2016-12-31 denotes a task due on 31 December 2016.

What are threshold dates?

A threshold date can be thought of as a start date, or as a “do not start until” date, for a task. It is the date before which a task should not be performed. Adding threshold dates to tasks is a way to indicate “future tasks” in your task list. A threshold date is formatted as t:yyyy-mm-dd.

How are threshold dates formatted?

Threshold dates are formatted as t:yyyy-mm-dd. For example: t:2016-12-31 denotes a task with a threshold date of 31 December 2016.

Do I have to use the yyyy-mm-dd date format?

Yes. That date format is defined by ISO 8601. It is an internationally accepted way to represent dates. If you don’t like typing the date that way, use the due date and threshold date pickers in the task text editor.