"Tab+N" our new shortcut to create Sections

[David_Niccum]

I concur with most of the comments regarding the handing of “Sections”. While “Tab+N” presents a nice shortcut feature, the inability to make a task a Section and vice versa is a significant FUNCTIONALITY LOSS that hurts productivity and usability. I’m sure it’s possible to engineer, even in the new architecture. Here’s how you could add it to the Feature Dev Backlog:

1. In the Asana Feature Dev Backlog, Type “Tab+N”
2. Name the new Section: “Sections: What was old is new again.” Note: Until this feature is developed, you will need to grab the new section from the bottom of the list (that may be completely out of your current list view) and drag it up to the position you want it in your project.
3. Feature A: When creating new section, create it directly below the current task or section.
4. Feature B: Allow for converting a Task into a Section. Also, allow for converting a Section into a Task.
5. Feature C: If possible, bring back the ( for enabling both Feature A and Feature B.

P.S. Thanks for continuing to make Asana a great team project and collaboration tool!

[Viktor_Jansson]

The Tab+N shortcut is not working properly - I have now accidentally created sections in the wrong project, as Tab+N doesn’t understand where to create sections. Please bring back “:” as a way of creating sections. Seems like a ton of people have already commented on this.

[Natalia]

Hi @Viktor_Jansson and welcome to the Forum! We already have a threat in relation to this, so I’m going to merge it into the existing topic.

Let me help you understand the logic behind Section creation. Think of each section as a container. The new section shows up right below the focused container. Your new section is always going to be created at the bottom of your bucket.

As @Marie mentioned previously, our team is looking into addressing some of the issues outlined on this threat. We will be in touch as soon as we have more information.

[Joel_Charles]

Agree - at this point it should be clear that this is not reverting back and all of us who would prefer it should be vocal about how to improve the Tab+N shortcut, or other aspects of it that could help us. Otherwise they’ll be left to do that however they see fit.

I also agree with these 2 specific suggestions. They would both help immensely. I’m somewhat adjusting to the Tab+N shortcut but the fact that it puts the Section at the bottom, rather than directly below my current Task Line, is extremely frustrating.

[Clayton_Chipper]

Hi

this is a very long thread! so im sorry if this has already been answered somewhere.

i was just looking at this thread

Sections are dead! Long live sections!

Reminder: This forum thread is directed at developers using the Asana API. To facilitate separation of concerns, please limit product feedback to the the corresponding thread in the Product Updates category. Update: We have made the final migration plan for this deprecation, which you can read in further down in this thread. Hi everyone, I’ve got some good news and bad news about sections in list projects. The bad news is that we’re killing them, but the good news is that they’re coming back bet…

which said that sections will become containers which should mean that we can then sort by due date within sections. this would be very good.

it sounded like, from the other thread, that this was already being implemented but i am not seeing any changes to sections at my end. other than the new way to add a section.

just wondering about timelines making sections containerised?

[Marie]

Hi @Clayton_Chipper

The ability to sort tasks within Sections by due date hasn’t been implemented for the moment. But creating a new Section model is a first step toward it! If you haven’t yet, I’d recommend adding your vote to this other thread: Sort tasks by Due Date WITHIN Sections.

[David_Murray]

It sounds like this will be a permanent change (I just found out about it), but I figured I should add my two cents as well:

I haven’t read every comment above, but it sounds like I’m having the same frustration as many others. I like a new keyboard shortcut, and I don’t even use boards at all but it sounds nice to be able to switch back and forth between boards and the list.

My issue is with the task to section conversion (and vice versa). Why does that functionality need to cease? I get that the semi-colon doesn’t work on your end, but can we at least get an “action” in the menu to convert a task into a section?

Our business uses sections quite a bit, and we use the section heading as a place to store related files and discuss the various tasks listed below. Now, I need to convert an old task into its own section since the scope has changed - only I can’t do that anymore. This is problematic in that there are comments and files associated with that task.

With this new system, I need to make a new section, copy the description over, and then go through each comment and manually copy it over to the new section. This is a big pain for me, considering that my goal today was to reorganize an important project by converting several tasks into sections. It also wrecks the discussion that we sometimes need to refer back to, since every comment will be from me, after copying them over from an old task.

Is there any hope for an “action” that will allow us to simply convert tasks into sections, and vice versa? It doesn’t even have to be a semi-colon shortcut, just an option on the drop down menu of a task.

Again, no issue with the new system and I understand the reason for it - but it really feels like we’ve lost a useful function that our business has become reliant on. Simply adding an “action” to the list would satisfy most of the people in this forum that are annoyed, and it wouldn’t interfere with your ultimate goal of allowing people to switch between lists and boards.

[Julia_Pope]

Totally agree with @David_Murray – the need for change makes sense but the current functionality is really tough on many users. Right now the issue I’m having (besides all stated above by others) is that when I TAB-N for a new section the “New Section” populates at the bottom of my project’s list of tasks. Big bummer.

It would be ideal to have an “action button” (or TAB+N) convert a task to a section and vice versa.

And, if nothing else, can we have the New Section appear right below a selected task instead of the bottom of 100+ tasks? Please!

[Brock_Pinnington]

I think what Asana are trying to do is push people into using Templates more often (and in essence, forcing people to upgrade). There is no other reason, that I can think of, why TAB+N can’t convert a selected task into a section, and vise versa. Where I used to import task lists and then convert certain tasks to sections, I now have to create sections separately and manually move them to where they need to be - very cumbersome.

That said, from a business standpoint, acquiring more premium subscribers to open up templates, I get it.

[sal_bednarz]

I have been trying to adapt to Tab-N for several weeks now, and still find it cumbersome and broken.

My biggest gripe is that when a task is highlighted, Tab-N tabs to the detail panel, and enters an ‘N’ in the text field.

Use a different shortcut like Ctrl-N instead of the Tab workflow?

I’ve scanned this thread, and it’s clear that a lot of us are frustrated by this change. I understand that Asana needs to make decisions that also make its work easier/more effective, but you’re slowing us down!

Please pay some immediate attention to making section headers as flexible/seamless as they used to be.

[Joel_Charles]

Has anyone else noticed that TAB+N shortcut now starts a Section line at the bottom of your current Section (rather than at the very bottom of the entire Task
list)? Is that just for me?

I’m praying this doesn’t get pulled back because that is a big help in alleviating some of the frustration with these Section changes. I might still prefer it just add the Section on the very next line, but this is at least better than jumping to the end of the Task List. That was extremely cumbersome.

[Marie]

Hi @Joel_Charles,

I can confirm this is the expected behaviour, and as far as I’m aware we’ve made it permanent

[Dominic_Duclos]

Create a section on PC, because i cannot on my mobile.

Working on my iPhone and correct à section.

The section became a Task !!

Asana , could you take more step back please ??!

[Dominic_Duclos]

Paying for business version.

Using custom field to separate and regroup Tasks

Before i was using sections to separate in custom field, now it’s became a mess

Sections showed in every custom fields , amazing !

Multiplication of bugs

[Dominic_Duclos]

SOLUTION: why i have the feeling that the old sections became milestone ?

Why you cannot use the same code to create a button on mobile to create another type of « sub-sections ».

Like milestone, you could create sub-sections ?! … no???

We could create major section and convert in board (the actual sections) and separate work with sub-sections with a button like milestones on PC and Mobile. It could be use to separate work on board too.

Please, i’m becoming crazy to have to use PC for sections.

Please create a new kind of milestones, just a milestone with a line , ans it become to « sub-section », it’s not seem too complicated ???

By the way i’m giving up on cullums , but PLEASE ADAPT MOBILE to new sub-section LIKE MILESSTONE,… and you can take all the time you need for board convention …

[Chris_Devine]

Thought to add the ( still holds use when importing from CSV. Adding the colon is how you create sections for an import file.

[Chris_Devine]

That smiley was meant to be a colon ( : )

[Yaz_A]

There’s logic to the argument that Tab+N is same number of keys as Shift+;, although it’s a bit of an unfair comparison (one shortcut is obviously more intuitive and used thousands of times a day).

But one thing that’s been overlooked is the ease of bringing new/temporary people on board. Telling a colleague “add a colon to make a heading” is something intuitive they can remember. Telling them “Type Tab+N” is less so.

It’ll be great to be able to move headings around and take the tasks with them. Interesting to note this isn’t currently the functionality, so if the new system can function this way (associate and disassociate tasks from headings on the fly) I don’t understand why colons would cause it such grief.

I agree with all above who’ve lamented making lists more like boards instead of vice-versa.

Ultimately it’s just another step in the march from Asana being this refreshingly lightweight, simple, intuitive, accessible app (what made it so appealing), to a heavy, unwieldy, monetisation-focussed, hard-to-use-and-explain piece of corporate software. Along with the constant upgrade flags (and don’t get me started on the misleading pricing).

Anyway. Gift horse. Asana made something great. Then they made it less great. Who am I to grumble.

[Crystal_Alifanow]

Telling a colleague “add a colon to make a heading” is something intuitive they can remember. Telling them “Type Tab+N” is less so.

I personally don’t feel that concerned with this change, but the above statement is what I think would be a sticking point for most Asana leaders in their offices. In the era of emoji-speak, the average person does not type with keyboard shortcuts.

[Judd_Higgins]

Please allow for us to convert Tasks into Sections. It’s inefficent to have to TAB+N, create a New Section (which populates at the bottom of the list) and then drag it up to where it needs to be and re-enter the Task Title. We just need a way to convert a Task into a Section.