rubbie kelvin

progress

A minimal CLI task manager: add, check, uncheck, rename, and remove tasks by stable ID, with a minimal output mode for the daily glance.

#utilities #rust #productivity-tools / rust

github

Why a terminal task manager

Task apps ship with windows, sync, and onboarding. I wanted one that lives in the shell: add, check, remove, and a glanceable daily view. progress is that tool, written in Rust.

A session

-- a day with progress --

$ progress --add "Write case study"

# TSK-1

$ progress --add "Review PR"

# TSK-2

$ progress --minimal

# essential info for today, pending tasks included

$ progress --task TSK-1 --check

# done

$ progress --task TSK-2 --remove

# gone

Design choices

  • Stable IDs, not indexes. TSK-1 is a handle, not a position; renames and reordering never break references. The same reason databases don’t use row numbers as keys.
  • Two output modes. --minimal for the daily glance, detailed output when you need it: the CLI equivalent of collapsed vs. expanded.
  • Commands that read like sentences. progress --task TSK-1 --check is self-documenting in shell history and composes with everything else in a terminal.

Scope discipline

The README keeps the surface deliberately small, and that’s the point: it’s a tool, not a platform. The ID-based command surface leaves room to grow (due dates, priorities, export) without reworking the core. Shipping a tool that stays a tool is a feature.