Automation or script to change a date

One approach:

1. Create a view named (say) “OverdueTasks” that is filtered by DateDue is before Today and Done is not checked (or DateDone is empty, depending on how you mark completed tasks).
2. Install the Batch Update app.
3. Configure the Batch Update app to set DateDue (of records in the OverdueTasks view) to today’s date.

Et voilà! Only trick here is, you need to run this manually.

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I tried to write an automation for this but ran into a triggering problem I don’t have time to think about. Approach above, while manual, is otherwise solid and easy. One advantage of the Batch Update app is that it knows on its own when Today is. The Automation setup process doesn’t: I think you’d have to create a formula field whose result is Today().

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Final, important note: I NEVER do this and for what it’s worth, apps like Todoist don’t do this either. In my view, this approach destroys data. There is a difference between

• a task due today
• a task originally due yesterday whose due date has been changed to today
• a task originally due last month whose due date has been changed to today

In other words, it’s useful to be able to identify overdue tasks and further, to be able to see how overdue they are. So all I do is create a view called “Overdue”, filter as suggested at the top in step 1, and leave it at that.

But if you want to do this, there’s your answer. :slightly_smiling_face: