Re: Summation of effort estimates in columnview dblock

[Alexander Adolf via "General discussions about Org-mode." <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>]

Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net> writes:

> Alexander Adolf <alexander.adolf@condition-alpha.com> writes:
> [...]
>> ---------------------------- Begin Quote -----------------------------
>> (54)
>> If more than one summary type applies to the same property, the parent
>> values are computed according to the first of them.
>> ----------------------------- End Quote ------------------------------
>>
>> At least for EFFORT, this seems ambiguous. I can have
>>
>>     :format "%EFFORT %EFFORT{:}"
>>
>> and both columns are present, and computed differently, whereas the
>> footnote can easily be read as hinting to the opposite. In fact, the
>> footnote is correct for all time format properties _except_ EFFORT.
>
> Not sure here. %EFFORT should not count. I tried the following:
>
> #+COLUMNS: %EFFORT{mean} %EFFORT{+}
> * Foo
> :PROPERTIES:
> :EFFORT:   15.0 <-- gets updated
> :END:
> ** Bar
> :PROPERTIES:
> :EFFORT:   20
> :END:
> ** Baz
> :PROPERTIES:
> :EFFORT:  10
> :END:
> [...]

Consider this example:

---------------------------- Begin Quote -----------------------------
#+BEGIN: columnview :maxlevel 2 :indent t :format "%ITEM(Task) %EFFORT(Estimated) %EFFORT(Estimated Total){:} %Time_Estimate(TE) %Time_Estimate(TE 2){:}  %CLOCKSUM(Clocked) %CLOCKSUM(Clocked Total){:}" :id global
| Task         | Estimated | Estimated Total | TE |    TE 2 | Clocked | Clocked Total |
|--------------+-----------+-----------------+----+---------+---------+---------------|
| Task 1       |        2d |         7d 0:00 | 2d | 7d 0:00 | 9d 0:00 | 9d 0:00       |
| \_  Task 1.1 |        3d |              3d | 3d |      3d | 3d 0:00 | 3d 0:00       |
| \_  Task 1.2 |        4d |              4d | 4d |      4d | 4d 0:00 | 4d 0:00       |
#+END:

* Task 1
:PROPERTIES:
:EFFORT:   2d
:TIME_ESTIMATE: 2d
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
CLOCK:  => 16:00
:END:

** Task 1.1
:PROPERTIES:
:EFFORT:   3d
:Time_Estimate: 3d
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
CLOCK:  => 24:00
:END:

** Task 1.2
:PROPERTIES:
:EFFORT:   4d
:Time_Estimate: 4d
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
CLOCK:  => 32:00
:END:
----------------------------- End Quote ------------------------------

The EFFORT and TIME_ESTIMATE properties for "Task 1" will never get
updated for as long as the column specification without summary comes
first. Swap the order of columns for EFFORT, or TIME_ESTIMATE, and the
respective property of "Task 1" will get updated.

Thus, the computation of the parent values is done as expected. The only
thing that seems determined by the first column specification for a
property, is the updating of the parent property's value.

In that light, I think it could seem helpful, in addition to the three
other changes I had suggested, to update the wording of footnote 54,
too. "Parent values" seems ambiguous, as it could be read as referring
to the values in the table, whereas my experiments seem to hint to it
rather referring to the value of the parent's property.


Looking forward to your thoughts,

  --alexander