A free Mac application called Tasks.txt offers a to-do list built on a single text file rather than a database or cloud service. The tool was created by Ukrainian programmer Yevhen Kharkivskyi and is based on the todo.txt system developed by Gina Trapani. It is positioned as a complete alternative to conventional to-do list applications.
Opening Tasks.txt presents a simple list divided into three categories: Done, Next, and Backlog. The Next section is intended for tasks a user wants to accomplish today, while Backlog holds tasks to be done later. The Done section fills as tasks are checked off and is cleared at the beginning of every day.
The app can be operated entirely by keyboard. A cursor is already active in the text box at the bottom of the window, so a user can begin typing tasks immediately. Pressing Enter adds a task to either Backlog or Next, depending on the selection in a drop-down menu to the right of the text box. The Tab key switches from the text box to the task list, arrow keys change the selected task, Enter adds a note below a task name, Cmd+Enter marks a task complete, and Cmd+Up or Cmd+Down moves tasks within the list. Mouse controls are also available.
Beyond the task list, the app includes an Archive tab and a Scratchpad tab. The Archive holds every task completed in the past, with items moved there from the Done section at the end of each day. The Scratchpad is a blank text document for notes.
All of this content is stored in a couple of text documents, which can be located in the app's settings and opened with any text editor. Because the task list lives on the user's computer in an open, human-readable format rather than in a cloud database, the data can easily be moved to another application.
According to the Tasks.txt website, the app has no account, no cloud sync, no telemetry, no analytics, and no crash reporting. The site states there are no servers and that nothing leaves the machine. That approach stands apart from software that holds data to sell subscriptions.
The app is free and, according to the source article's reviewer, well implemented for its basic purpose. It will not suit every user, but it may suit some.
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