[ListfulThinking] Merging lists

[Andrew P. <And...@ya...>]

> re: http://listfulthinking.com/kwiki/index.cgi?ListManagementUserStory

[A user can merge one list into another. 

Merging List A with 3 items into List B with 4 items results in List B
having all 7 items and List A having zero items. The user might then
continue to use List A, or she might delete List A.]
 
> I dunno about that. I'm thinking it would be better if you merged list a
> into list b that list B got new components and list A remained unchanged.

"Copy into..." ?  Perhaps add [Copy into...] as a menu item that prompts
with a pull down for the desired target list, with the behavior of giving
the target list new items and leaving the source list unchanged, and then
add [Merge into...] as an option from a List details dialog box.  Such a box
would also allow users to set per-list preferences -- perhaps some lists are
more sensitive to due dates as sources for item importance, or more
generally the prioritization formula would have parameters settable on a
per-list basis.  Per-list preferences about what to do about completed
items, etc, as well, perhaps.  

> I can't see an advantage to wiping out the contents of A like that. I
> agree that they're probably not going to want that but...

> just thoughts... I am not firmly convinced that leaving a alone is good
> or emptying it is bad...

Use case:

User has 20 things to do today.  Suddenly, something comes up, and he wants
to clear his day.  He runs Lists->Merge into... and selects [Rainy Day
List].  His [To Do Today] list is now empty and the 20 tasks previously
slated for the day have been moved to [Rainy Day List].

However, if only the Copy functionality is available, he will do something
like copy the tasks, delete his To Do Today list, and then remake it.

However, a better version of all of this would be to implement transfer of
individual tasks from one list to another via a contextual right-click menu,
and then allow users to select multiple items and still do the transfer.
Merge of lists then becomes just a special case of transferring tasks.  And
a user might quite often want to move only some of the tasks in a list
anyway.

-Andrew