Over the years of using Org I often have a need to add a short note about how to proceed with some task:
***** REVIEW check again, subscribe | sindresorhus/awesome: 😎 Awesome lists about all kinds of interesting topics :BOOKMARK: :PROPERTIES: :CREATED: [2020-03-15 Sun 18:59] :Source: https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome :END: :LOGBOOK: CLOCK: [2020-03-17 Tue 16:18]--[2020-03-17 Tue 17:46] => 1:28 CLOCK: [2020-03-17 Tue 16:03]--[2020-03-17 Tue 16:18] => 0:15 - Refiled on [2020-03-16 Mon 23:59] :END: In the above example, the short note is "check again, subscribe". The note is not fixed, but changes as I progress with completing the task. This is even more useful for delegated or HOLD tasks where I often need to add a short note why the task is delegated or put on hold: ** HOLD Finish the text prop org-mode | make babel support org file links in header args (:file or :dir) [[id:468e0645-68aa-4e14-86de-e5ce153538e3][[2017-09-22 Fri] CuNbARBshearstrength]] :HOLD: :PROPERTIES: :CREATED: [2020-07-20 Mon 16:53] :SHOWFROMDATE: 2020-08-15 :END: :LOGBOOK: - State "HOLD" from "NEXT" [2020-08-10 Mon 15:16] \\ Finish the text prop org-mode - Refiled on [2020-07-20 Mon 17:15] CLOCK: [2020-07-20 Mon 16:53]--[2020-07-20 Mon 16:54] => 0:01 :END: Seeing this note directly in the headline without a need to dig into the task body / LOGBOOK drawer is really handy. In this last example, I had to duplicate the note taken using built-in note mechanism into headline, which was inconvenient. It would be handy if I could simply add a [!] cookie (similar to [/] or [%] cookies) to the headline to show the last note taken for this task. Then, I could easily see the reason why the task is blocked or what I am supposed to do with the task right in agenda view or in the folded headline. Something like the following ** HOLD [!] make babel support org... :HOLD: :LOGBOOK: - State "HOLD" from "NEXT" [2020-08-10 Mon 15:16] \\ Finish the text prop org-mode - Refiled on [2020-07-20 Mon 17:15] CLOCK: [2020-07-20 Mon 16:53]--[2020-07-20 Mon 16:54] => 0:01 :END: The cookie would be replaced by the last note text, according to user-defined format (say, "[%s] |"): ** HOLD [Finish the text prop org-mode] | make babel support org... :HOLD: :LOGBOOK: - State "HOLD" from "NEXT" [2020-08-10 Mon 15:16] \\ Finish the text prop org-mode - Refiled on [2020-07-20 Mon 17:15] CLOCK: [2020-07-20 Mon 16:53]--[2020-07-20 Mon 16:54] => 0:01 :END: What do you think? Best, Ihor