FreeTodo

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FreeTodo Usage Guide ​

Quick Start ​

Starting Services ​

Start Backend Service ​

First Time Setup: On first run, if config.yaml does not exist, the system will automatically copy it from default_config.yaml. You can customize settings by editing lifetrace/config/config.yaml.

Start the server:

bash
python -m lifetrace.server

Customize Prompts: If you want to modify AI prompts for different features, you can edit lifetrace/config/prompt.yaml.

The backend service will automatically find an available port starting from 8001. The actual port will be displayed in the console.

Start Frontend Service ​

The frontend is required to use FreeTodo. Start the frontend development server:

bash
cd free-todo-frontend

pnpm install
pnpm dev

The frontend development server will automatically find an available port starting from 3001 and detect the backend port automatically.

Start Using ​

Once both services are running, visit the frontend URL displayed in the console (typically http://localhost:3001) in your browser to start using FreeTodo! 🎉

Core Features Usage ​

🤖 AI Smart Assistant ​

Intelligent Task Breakdown ​

FreeTodo's AI can automatically break down complex tasks into manageable subtasks:

  1. Create a complex task - Enter a high-level task like "Plan a vacation trip"
  2. AI Questionnaire Flow - The AI will ask you guided questions to understand the task better
  3. Automatic Decomposition - Based on your answers, AI creates a structured list of subtasks
  4. Review and Adjust - You can review, edit, or add more subtasks as needed

Smart Task Extraction ​

When chatting with the AI assistant, you can extract actionable todos from the conversation:

  1. Chat with AI - Have a conversation about your goals or plans
  2. Extract Todos - Click to extract actionable items from the AI's response
  3. Auto-create Tasks - The extracted items are automatically added to your todo list

Context-Aware Suggestions ​

The AI provides task recommendations based on your current todo context:

  • Related Tasks - Suggests tasks related to your current work
  • Next Steps - Recommends logical next actions
  • Priority Guidance - Helps prioritize tasks based on deadlines and importance

✅ Task Management ​

Creating Todos ​

Quick Create:

  • Click the "+" button or use keyboard shortcuts
  • Enter task title and press Enter

Detailed Create:

  • Click "Add Todo" and fill in:
    • Title (required)
    • Description/Notes
    • Priority (Urgent/High/Medium/Low)
    • Deadline
    • Tags
    • Parent task (for hierarchical structure)

Hierarchical Tasks ​

FreeTodo supports unlimited task nesting:

  • Parent Tasks - High-level goals or projects
  • Child Tasks - Subtasks that belong to a parent
  • Nested Structure - Create multi-level task hierarchies

Example:

📋 Launch New Product (Parent)
  ├── 📝 Design UI Mockups (Child)
  ├── 💻 Develop Backend API (Child)
  │   ├── Set up database (Grandchild)
  │   └── Implement authentication (Grandchild)
  └── 📧 Prepare Marketing Materials (Child)

Priority & Status Management ​

Priority Levels:

  • 🔴 Urgent - Must be done immediately
  • 🟠 High - Important, should be done soon
  • 🟡 Medium - Normal priority
  • 🟢 Low - Can be done later

Status States:

  • 📋 Todo - Not started
  • 🚧 In Progress - Currently working on
  • ✅ Completed - Finished
  • ⏸️ Paused - Temporarily stopped
  • ❌ Cancelled - No longer needed

Tags & Categories ​

Organize your todos with custom tags:

  • Create Tags - Add tags when creating or editing todos
  • Filter by Tags - Use tag filters to view specific groups of tasks
  • Tag Management - Manage your tag list in settings

Deadline Management ​

  • Set Deadlines - Add due dates to tasks
  • Visual Reminders - Deadlines are highlighted in the calendar
  • Overdue Alerts - Get notified about overdue tasks

📅 Calendar Views ​

Day/Week/Month Views ​

Switch between different calendar views:

  • Day View - See all tasks scheduled for a specific day
  • Week View - Overview of the week's schedule
  • Month View - Monthly calendar with task indicators

Drag & Drop Scheduling ​

Easily schedule your todos:

  1. View Calendar - Open the calendar panel
  2. Drag Todo - Drag a todo from the list to a calendar time slot
  3. Auto-schedule - The todo is automatically scheduled for that time

Quick Todo Creation ​

Create todos directly from calendar:

  1. Click Time Slot - Click on an empty time slot in the calendar
  2. Quick Create - A dialog opens to create a new todo
  3. Auto-scheduled - The todo is automatically scheduled for that time

🎨 Interface Customization ​

Multi-Panel Layout ​

FreeTodo features a flexible multi-panel layout:

  • Todo List Panel - View and manage your todos
  • Chat Panel - Interact with AI assistant
  • Detail Panel - View and edit todo details
  • Calendar Panel - Schedule and visualize tasks

Customize Layout:

  • Resize panels by dragging borders
  • Show/hide panels as needed
  • Save your preferred layout

Themes ​

Switch between themes:

  • Light Theme - Clean, bright interface
  • Dark Theme - Easy on the eyes for low-light environments
  • Multiple Color Schemes - Choose from various color options

Internationalization ​

FreeTodo supports multiple languages:

  • English - Default language
  • 中文 - Full Chinese support
  • Switch language in settings

Project Structure ​

Understanding the project structure helps with customization and development:

FreeTodo/
├── .github/                    # GitHub repository assets
│   ├── assets/                 # Static assets (images for README)
│   ├── BACKEND_GUIDELINES.md   # Backend development guidelines
│   ├── FRONTEND_GUIDELINES.md  # Frontend development guidelines
│   ├── CONTRIBUTING.md         # Contributing guidelines
│   └── ...                     # Other GitHub repository files
├── lifetrace/                  # Backend modules (FastAPI)
│   ├── server.py               # Web API service entry point
│   ├── config/                 # Configuration files
│   │   ├── config.yaml         # Main configuration (auto-generated)
│   │   ├── default_config.yaml # Default configuration template
│   │   ├── prompt.yaml         # AI prompt templates
│   │   └── rapidocr_config.yaml# OCR configuration
│   ├── routers/                # API route handlers
│   │   ├── chat.py             # Chat interface endpoints
│   │   ├── todo.py             # Todo endpoints
│   │   ├── task.py             # Task management endpoints
│   │   └── ...                 # Other endpoints
│   ├── schemas/                # Pydantic data models
│   ├── services/               # Business logic service layer
│   ├── repositories/           # Data access layer
│   ├── storage/                # Data storage layer
│   ├── llm/                    # LLM and AI services
│   ├── jobs/                   # Background jobs
│   ├── util/                   # Utility functions
│   └── data/                   # Runtime data (generated)
│       ├── lifetrace.db        # SQLite database
│       ├── vector_db/          # Vector database storage
│       └── logs/               # Application logs
├── free-todo-frontend/         # Frontend application (Next.js) ⭐
│   ├── app/                    # Next.js app directory
│   ├── apps/                   # Feature modules
│   │   ├── todo-list/          # Todo list module
│   │   ├── todo-detail/        # Todo detail module
│   │   ├── chat/               # AI chat module
│   │   ├── calendar/           # Calendar module
│   │   ├── settings/           # Settings module
│   │   └── ...                 # Other modules
│   ├── components/             # React components
│   ├── lib/                    # Utilities and services
│   ├── electron/               # Electron desktop app
│   ├── package.json            # Frontend dependencies
│   └── README.md               # Frontend documentation
├── pyproject.toml              # Python project configuration
├── uv.lock                     # uv lock file
├── LICENSE                     # FreeU Community License
├── README.md                   # English README
└── README_CN.md                # Chinese README

Best Practices ​

1. Task Organization ​

  • Use hierarchical structure for complex projects
  • Apply tags consistently for easy filtering
  • Set realistic deadlines and priorities

2. AI Assistant Usage ​

  • Use AI task breakdown for large, complex projects
  • Extract todos from conversations to capture ideas quickly
  • Review AI suggestions and adjust as needed

3. Calendar Management ​

  • Schedule important tasks in advance
  • Use drag-and-drop for quick rescheduling
  • Review your schedule regularly

4. Productivity Tips ​

  • Break down large tasks into smaller, actionable items
  • Use priority levels to focus on what matters most
  • Regularly review and update task status

Next Steps ​