helix-taskbot

Helix User Guide

Table of Content

Table of Contents

Helix is a personal task management assistant that allows users to create, manage, and organize their tasks efficiently using a Graphical User Interface (GUI). It supports different types of tasks, such as to-dos, deadlines, and events, with file-based storage to ensure persistence across sessions.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Installation

  1. Download the latest Helix.jar from the Releases page.
  2. Open a terminal and navigate to the folder containing Helix.jar.
  3. Run the application using: 
    java -jar Helix.jar

Basic Usage

Helix operates entirely through its GUI interface, where users can interact with the assistant via a chat-style interface.

Featues

Adding a TODO task

Purpose: Adds a simple to-do task.

Syntax:

todo <task description>

Example:

todo Buy groceries

Expected Output:

Task Added!
  📋 Type: TODO
  📝 Description: Buy groceries
You now have X tasks in your list.

Adding a DEADLINE Task

Purpose: Adds a task with a deadline.

Syntax:

deadline <task description> /by <YYYY-MM-DD HHmm>

Example:

deadline Submit assignment /by 2024-12-31 1800

Expected Output:

Task Added!
  📋 Type: DEADLINE
  📝 Description: Submit assignment
  📅 Due: Dec 31 2024, 6:00 PM
You now have X tasks in your list.

Adding Event Tasks

Purpose: Adds an event with a start and end time.

Syntax:

event <task description> /from <YYYY-MM-DD HHmm> /to <YYYY-MM-DD HHmm>

Example:

event Team meeting /from 2024-12-31 0900 /to 2024-12-31 1100

Expected Output:

Task Added!
  📋 Type: EVENT
  📝 Description: Team meeting
  🕒 From: Dec 31 2024, 9:00 AM
  🕒 To: Dec 31 2024, 11:00 AM
You now have X tasks in your list.

Listing Tasks

Purpose: Displays all tasks in the list.

Syntax:

list

Expected Output:

📋 Task List:
  1. [T] [ ] Buy groceries
  2. [D] [✔] Submit assignment (by: Dec 31 2024, 6:00 PM)
  3. [E] [ ] Team meeting (from: Dec 31 2024, 9:00 AM to: Dec 31 2024, 11:00 AM)

Marking Tasks as Completed

Purpose: Marks a task as done.

Syntax:

mark <task number>

Example:

mark 2

Expected Output:

✔ Task marked as complete!
  [D] [✔] Submit assignment (by: Dec 31 2024, 6:00 PM)

Unmarking Tasks

Purpose: Marks a task as not done.

Syntax:

unmark <task number>

Example:

unmark 2

Expected Output:

❌ Task marked as incomplete!
  [D] [ ] Submit assignment (by: Dec 31 2024, 6:00 PM)

Deleting a Task

Purpose: Removes a task from the list.

Syntax:

delete <task number>

Purpose:

delete 3

Expected Output:

🗑️ Task Removed!
  [E] [ ] Team meeting (from: Dec 31 2024, 9:00 AM to: Dec 31 2024, 11:00 AM)
You now have X tasks in your list.

Finding a Task

Purpose: Searches for tasks containing a specific keyword.

Syntax:

find <keyword>

Example:

find groceries

Expected Output:

🔍 Tasks with matching keywords...
  1. [T] [ ] Buy groceries

Updating a Task

Purpose: Updates a task’s description or details.

Syntax:

update <task number> <task type> <new details>

Example:

update 2 deadline Submit final report /by 2025-01-01 1200

Expected Output:

✔ Task updated successfully!
  [D] [ ] Submit final report (by: Jan 1 2025, 12:00 PM)

Exiting Helix

Purpose: Closes the application.

Syntax:

bye

File Storage

Automatic Task Storage

Format in Which Tasks Are Saved

Each task is stored as a single line in the file, with its attributes separated by a |. The attributes are structured in the following order:

  1. Task Type: TODO, DEADLINE, or EVENT.
  2. Completion Status: COMPLETED or PENDING.
  3. Task Description: The name or details of the task.
  4. Date/Time:
    • For deadline tasks: The due date and time (MMM DD YYYY, hh:mm a).
    • For event tasks: The start and end date/time (MMM DD YYYY, hh:mm a - MMM DD YYYY, hh:mm a).

Example Entries

TODO | COMPLETED | Hit the gym
DEADLINE | PENDING | Submit iP Final Version | Feb 21 2025, 11:59 pm
EVENT | PENDING | CS2103 Team meeting | Feb 25 2025, 6:00 pm - Feb 25 2025, 7:00 pm

Editing the Data File

You can manually edit the helix_tasklist.txt file using any text editor. Ensure that you follow the format specified above when modifying or adding new tasks. However, direct editing is not recommended as incorrect formatting may cause errors when loading tasks.

Command Summary

Command Description
add todo <description> Adds a simple to-do task. Example: add todo Read a book
add deadline <description> /by <due date> Adds a task with a deadline. Example: add deadline Submit report /by 2025-01-30
add event <description> /from <start time> /to <end time> Adds an event. Example: add event Team meeting /from 10am /to 12pm
list Displays all the tasks in your list.
mark <task number> Marks the specified task as done. Example: mark 1
unmark <task number> Marks the specified task as not done. Example: unmark 1
delete <task number> Deletes the specified task. Example: delete 1
find <keyword> Finds all tasks that contain the keyword. Example: find groceries
update <task number> <task type> <new details> Updates an existing task. Example: update 2 deadline Submit final report /by 2025-01-01 1200
bye Exits the chatbot.

FAQ

Q: Where are my tasks saved?

Q: Can I add multiple deadlines or events at once?

Q: What happens if I close Helix without saving?

Q: Can I edit a task once it is added?

Q: What are the system requirements for Helix?

UI Overview

Below is a snapshot of the Helix user interface: Helix GUI

Feedback and Support

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for new features, feel free to:

🎉 Enjoy using Helix 🎉