433772 - Edit/New Task Dialog resets Due Date if Start Date is modified

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Calendar :: General, defect)

Description

[Nemo Inis]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080418 Ubuntu/7.10 (gutsy) Firefox/2.0.0.14
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.13pre) Gecko/20080331 

If I change the Start Date of a task (whether a new task or an existing one), the Due Date is reset to the Start Date.
This is not right, IMO.  I should be able to change a start date without affecting the already-specified Due Date.  As well, I should be able to enter a new task by specifying the Due Date then the Start Date. Right now it only works if I specify the Start Date first, then the Due Date.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.create new task & specify a Due Date, or edit an existing task
2.change the Start Date

Actual Results:  
the Due Date is changed to the Start Date

Expected Results:  
the Due Date should not change (except of course in the special case where the new Start Date is past the existing Due Date)

Comment 1

[Stefan Sitter [:ssitter]]

The current behavior is to keep the duration of the task/event the same if the start date is changed.

Comment 2

[Nemo Inis]

Keeping the duration unchanged when changing the Start Date does make sense for an event (e.g., an appointment, meeting, etc... which are more likely to be rescheduled than extended) but not for a task, whose defining characteristic is the Due Date.
I think we should not treat tasks and events the same in this case but mimic their 'real life' usage.

Comment 3

[Larsen]

I agree with Nemo. Perhaps the behaviour could be made configurable and default to not keep the duration for tasks.

Comment 4

[gekacheka]

Confirming.  Adding 'dataloss' because users that don't realize this is happening may change the start date and lose the due date.  

It is useful to change the start date if you want a reminder to do the task after learning a person or resource needed to do the task will become available at a certain time or date.  A common example is repeating a phone call, after learning the callee is away and is expected back at a certain date or time, where you need to contact the person to accomplish some task that has a definite due date.  

(Snoozing can take care of common cases of creating a reminder to retry an interval of time, but can't be set to an absolute date or time, and the new date does not appear on the task.  Also, by the time you've finished retrying you may have dismissed the reminder so you can't snooze it.)

Comment 5

[gekacheka]

Attachment: v1 patch: Task due date should not follow start date

(patch -l -p 1 -i file.patch)

Very simple patch.

Comment 6

[Nemo Inis]

I've tested the patch on my sunbird version (Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.13pre), the change is on line 730 in that version.

The patch works fine for me - editing tasks and events now work as expected.
I would support this change be included in the next release.
Thanks!

Comment 7

[Christian Jansen]

Comment on attachment 336472 [details] [diff] [review]
v1 patch: Task due date should not follow start date

ui=christian

Comment 8

[Berend Cornelius]

Comment on attachment 336472 [details] [diff] [review]
v1 patch: Task due date should not follow start date

patch works fine; r=berend; I will check it in.

Comment 9

[Berend Cornelius]

patch checked in on trunk and MOZILLA_1_8_BRANCH
->FIXED

Comment 10

[Andreas Treumann]

Checked in lightning 2008090403 and sunbird 20080903 -> VERIFIED.