as per gh c65d8ae5fe6bafefe8182613f7f9f79983e12a78

README.md

@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ item_types = ["VJOURNAL", "VTODO"]
 You may also specify the location of the configuration file with the environment `CONFIGFILE`.
 
 By default, `fzf-vjour` sets a descriptive terminal title.
-This can be bypassed by specyfing `SET_TERMINAL_TITLE="no"` in the configuration file.
+This can be bypassed by specifying `SET_TERMINAL_TITLE="no"` in the configuration file.
 
 Usage
 -----
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ In addition, there are the following keybindings:
 | Key | Action |
 | --- | ------ |
 | `enter` | Open note/journal/task in your `$EDITOR` |
-| `ctrl-alt-d` | Delete the seleted entry |
+| `ctrl-alt-d` | Delete the selected entry |
 | `ctrl-n` | Make a new entry |
 | `ctrl-r` | Refresh the view |
 | `ctrl-s` | Run the synchronization command |
@@ -117,6 +117,40 @@ In the attachment view, you may use the following keys:
 | `ctrl-a` | Add attachment |
 | `ctrl-alt-d` | Delete attachment |
 
+Entry types
+-----------
+This applications, as well as [jtx Board](https://jtx.techbee.at/), distinguishes among three entry types.
+
+**Notes** are VJOURNAL entries without dates. Here is an example of a note:
+```md
+# Related research
+> research
+
+Lorem ipsum
+```
+
+**Journal** entries are notes associated to a date (typically to _today_). An example of a journal entry is:
+```md
+::: |> today <!-- specify the date for journal entries -->
+# Alignment for Bell experiment
+> lab
+
+Lorem ipsum
+```
+
+**Tasks** are VTODO entries with an optional due date. An example of a task _with_ a due date is:
+```md
+::: <| next Sunday
+# Finish manuscript
+> research
+```
+Another example of a task _without_ due date is
+```md
+::: <|
+# Acquire Epist. Lett
+> research
+```
+
 Git support
 -----------
 You can track your entries with `git` by simply running `fzf-vjour --git-init`.

src/awk/new.awk

@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ BEGIN {
   zulu = strftime("%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ", systime(), 1);
 }
 desc                 { desc = desc "\\n" escape($0);                      next; }
-/^::: \|>/ && !start { gsub("\"", ""); start = substr(zulu, 1, 8);        next; }
+/^::: \|>/ && !start { gsub("\"", ""); i = index($0, "<");
+                       start = i ? substr($0, 8, 8-i) : substr($0, 8);    next; }
 /^::: <\|/ && !due   { gsub("\"", ""); due = "D" substr($0, 8);           next; }
 /^# / && !summary    { summary = "S" escape(substr($0, 3));               next; }
 /^> / && !categories { categories = "C" escape_but_commas(substr($0, 3)); next; }
@@ -27,6 +28,14 @@ END {
         categories = categories "," a[i]
     categories = substr(categories, 2)
   }
+  if (start) {
+    # Use command line `date` for parsing
+    cmd = "date -d \"" start "\" +\"%Y%m%d\"";
+    suc = cmd | getline start
+    close(cmd)
+    if (suc != 1)
+      exit 1
+  }
   if (due) {
     # Use command line `date` for parsing
     cmd = "date -d \"" due "\" +\"%Y%m%d\"";

src/awk/update.awk

@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ ENDFILE {
           categories = categories "," a[i]
       categories = substr(categories, 2)
     }
+    if (start) {
+      # Use command line `date` for parsing
+      cmd = "date -d \"" start "\" +\"%Y%m%d\"";
+      suc = cmd | getline start
+      close(cmd)
+      if (suc != 1)
+        exit 1
+    }
     if (due) {
       # Use command line `date` for parsing
       cmd = "date -d \"" due "\" +\"%Y%m%d\"";
@@ -31,7 +39,8 @@ ENDFILE {
 }
 
 NR == FNR && desc                 { desc = desc "\\n" escape($0);                      next; }
-NR == FNR && /^::: <\|/ && !due   { gsub("\"",""); due = "D" substr($0, 8);            next; }
+NR == FNR && /^::: \|>/ && !start { gsub("\"", ""); start = substr($0, 8);             next; }
+NR == FNR && /^::: <\|/ && !due   { gsub("\"", ""); due = "D" substr($0, 8);           next; }
 NR == FNR && /^# / && !summary    { summary = "S" escape(substr($0, 3));               next; }
 NR == FNR && /^> / && !categories { categories = "C" escape_but_commas(substr($0, 3)); next; }
 NR == FNR && !$0 && !el           { el = 1;                                            next; }
@@ -41,13 +50,15 @@ due && type == "VJOURNAL"         { print "Notes and journal entries do not have
 /^BEGIN:(VJOURNAL|VTODO)/         { type = $2; print;                                  next; }
 /^ / && drop                      {                                                    next; } # drop this folded line
 /^X-ALT-DESC/ && type             { drop = 1;                                          next; } # drop this alternative description
-/^(DUE|SUMMARY|CATEGORIES|DESCRIPTION|LAST-MODIFIED)/ && type { drop = 1;              next; } # skip for now, we will write updated fields at the end
+/^(DTSTART|DUE|SUMMARY|CATEGORIES|DESCRIPTION|LAST-MODIFIED)/ && type { drop = 1;      next; } # skip for now, we will write updated fields at the end
                                   { drop = 0 } # keep everything else
 /^SEQUENCE/ && type               { seq = $2;                                          next; } # store sequence number and skip
 /^END:/ && type == $2 {
   seq = seq ? seq + 1 : 1;
   print_cr("SEQUENCE:" seq);
   print_cr("LAST-MODIFIED:" zulu);
+  if (start && due && due < start) {print "Due date cannot be earlier than the start date." > "/dev/stderr"; exit 1;}
+  if (start) print_cr("DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:" start);
   if (due) print_cr("DUE;VALUE=DATE:" due);
   print_fold("SUMMARY:",     summary);
   print_fold("CATEGORIES:",  categories);

src/main.sh

@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ if [ "${1:-}" = "--help" ]; then
                                   specified summary
     --add-task <summary> [<due>]  Read task from stdin and add it with the
                                   specified summary and optional due date
-    --add-jour <summary>          Read journal from stdin and add it with the
+    --add-jour <summary> [<date>] Read journal from stdin and add it with the
-                                  specified summary
+                                  specified summary and optional date
     --collection <nr>             Select collection to which the note, task, or
                                   journal entry is added non-interactively. The
                                   argument <nr> is the ordinal describing the

src/sh/cli.sh

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ esac
 
 if [ -z "${next_filter:-}" ]; then
   # else [FILTER] are the next options
-  # Here, we have --add-xyz with --collection or nothign
+  # Here, we have --add-xyz with --collection or nothing
   case "${1:-}" in
   "--add-note" | "--add-task" | "--add-jour" | "--collection")
     noninteractive=1
@@ -53,27 +53,29 @@ if [ -z "${next_filter:-}" ]; then
         fi
         add_option="$1"
         shift
-        summary=${1-}
+        summary=${1:-}
         if [ -z "$summary" ]; then
           err "You did not give a summary"
           exit 1
         fi
         shift
-        if [ "$add_option" = "--add-task" ] && [ -n "${1:-}" ]; then
+	if [ -n "${1:-}" ]; then
-          case "$1" in
+	  case "$1" in
-          "--"*)
+	    "--"*) continue ;;
-            continue
+	    *)
-            ;;
+	      case "$add_option" in
-          *)
+		"--add-task" | "--add-jour")
-            due=$(printf "%s" "$1" | tr -dc "[:alnum:][:blank:]")
+		  dueorstartdate=$(printf "%s" "$1" | tr -dc "[:alnum:][:blank:]")
-            shift
+		  shift
-            if [ -z "$due" ] || ! date -d "$due" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		  if [ -z "$dueorstartdate" ] || ! date -d "$dueorstartdate" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-              err "Invalid due date"
+		    err "Invalid date"
-              exit 1
+		    exit 1
-            fi
+		  fi
-            ;;
+		  ;;
-          esac
+	      esac
-        fi
+	      ;;
+	  esac
+	fi
         ;;
       "--collection")
         shift
@@ -112,10 +114,10 @@ if [ -n "${noninteractive:-}" ]; then
     __add_note "$collection" "$summary"
     ;;
   "--add-task")
-    __add_task "$collection" "$summary" "${due:-}"
+    __add_task "$collection" "$summary" "${dueorstartdate:-}"
     ;;
   "--add-jour")
-    __add_jour "$collection" "$summary"
+    __add_jour "$collection" "$summary" "${dueorstartdate:-}"
     ;;
   esac
   exit 0

src/sh/icalendar.sh

@@ -74,18 +74,20 @@ __add_task() {
   __add_from_md "$tmpmd" "$collection"
 }
 
-# Noninteractively add jounral, and fill description from stdin
+# Noninteractively add journal, and fill description from stdin
 #
 # @input $1: Collection
 # @input $2: Summary
+# @input $3: start date (optional, defaults to "today")
 __add_jour() {
   collection="$1"
   shift
   summary="$1"
   shift
+  [ "${1:-}" ] && start=$1 || start="today"
   tmpmd=$(mktemp --suffix='.md')
   {
-    echo "::: |> <!-- keep this line to associate the entry to _today_ -->"
+    echo "::: |> $start"
     echo "# $summary"
     echo ""
   } >"$tmpmd"
@@ -137,9 +139,13 @@ __edit() {
   file="$1"
   shift
   tmpmd=$(mktemp --suffix='.md')
+  start=$(awk -v field="DTSTART" -v format="date" "$AWK_GET" "$file")
+  if [ -n "$start" ]; then
+    echo "::: |> $start" >>"$tmpmd"
+  fi
   due=$(awk -v field="DUE" -v format="date" "$AWK_GET" "$file")
   if [ -n "$due" ]; then
-    echo "::: <| $due" >"$tmpmd"
+    echo "::: <| $due" >>"$tmpmd"
   fi
   {
     echo "# $(awk -v field="SUMMARY" -v oneline=1 "$AWK_GET" "$file")"
@@ -228,7 +234,7 @@ __new() {
   done
   tmpmd=$(mktemp --suffix='.md')
   {
-    echo "::: |> <!-- keep this line to associate the entry to _today_ -->"
+    echo "::: |> today <!-- specify the date for journal entries -->"
     echo "::: <| <!-- specify the due date for to-dos, can be empty, a date string, or even \"next Sunday\" -->"
     echo "# <!-- write summary here -->"
     echo "> <!-- comma-separated list of categories -->"