Many of the multi-line text fields in Review Board support a simple markuplanguage called Markdown. This allows you to perform basic formattingof your text (such as creating lists or denoting emphasis), as well as morecomplex things like including syntax-highlighted code samples or images.

• Slack Markdown Listings
• Slack Markdown Listening
• Slack Markdown Nested List
• Slack Api Markdown List
• Slack Markdown Listen

I'm trying to create a task list for myself in a private chat with my supervisor on Slack. I'm pretty familiar with markdown, and I thought that Slack supported it too. On GitHub, you can create tasks lists by writing something like this. uncompleted task - x completed task.

This document does not intend to be a full reference on the Markdown language,but rather a quick primer on the basic features that are useful when writingreview requests or reviews.

Note

Review Board’s implementation of Markdown shares a lot in common withGitHub Flavored Markdown. While it’spart of the basic Markdown spec, embedding raw HTML is not allowed, toprevent cross-site scripting attacks. If you include HTML tags, they willbe shown to the user as-is, rather than treated as HTML.

Basic Markdown Syntax¶

List and comparison of Markdown editors. Side by side comparison and short reviews of Markdown editors. Markdown Here is a free and open-source browser extension that converts Markdown text in website forms to properly-formatted rich text. This a good way to start using Markdown everywhere you type, whether you’re drafting email messages in Gmail or writing blog posts in WordPress.

Headers¶

Headers are added by underlining the relevant text with equals signs ordashes:

Lists¶

Markdown supports both ordered (numbered) and unordered (bulleted) lists. Theseare written using a natural syntax. Ordered lists use numbers followed byperiods:

While unordered lists can be defined with asterisks, plus signs, or hyphens:

Emphasis¶

Text can be emphasized by surrounding it with asterisks or underscores. Theresulting text will be shown in a heavier font:

Links¶

Basic links can be added to your text using a combination of square bracketsand parentheses:

Note

In most cases, you won’t need to build your links yourself. Any URLs thatare included in your text will automatically be turned into links. Inaddition, certain special strings like “bug 234” or “/r/583” will beautomatically linked to the relevant bug or review request.

Images¶

If you have images which are accessible from a URL, you can embed them intoyour text using a syntax similar to links. These start with an exclamationmark, followed by square brackets containing the “alt” attribute, followed byparentheses with the URL to the image:

You can also upload images via drag-and-dropinto any Markdown-capable text field.

Tables¶

Simple tables can be inserted by drawing the table using a combination ofvertical bars and hyphens:

Slack Markdown Listings

Code Samples¶

When writing reviews, It’s often very useful to write small snippets of code.Markdown allows you to notate which parts of your text are code or terminaltext, and optionally render code with syntax highlighting. This can beespecially nice for proposing changes.

Code can be formatted inside a line by enclosing the text in single backticks.This is often useful when referring to symbols from the code:

Longer code samples can be denoted using block notation. Any blocks which areindented at least 4 spaces will be treated as a code block. This code will notbe syntax-highlighted, but instead will be shown as plain text.

In addition, code blocks can be notated without indentation by surroundingthe block with triple backticks using the syntax from GitHub FlavoredMarkdown.

You can specify a language name after the first set of backticks in order toenable syntax highlighting for the code. For instance:

Some of the most common language codes you may want to use include:

• C: c
• C++: cpp, c++
• C#: csharp
• CSS: css
• CoffeeScript: coffeescript
• HTML: html
• JSON: json
• Java: java
• JavaScript: javascript, js
• Objective-C: objective-c, obj-c, objc
• Objective-C++: objective-c++, obj-c++, objc++
• PHP: php
• Perl: perl, pl
• Python 3: python3, py3
• Python: python, py
• Ruby: ruby, rb
• Snobol: snobol
• XML: xml

For the complete list, look through the Pygmentslist of lexers. Any of the“short names” listed can be used.

Emoji¶

Review Board’s Markdown mode supports Emoji Shortcodes. These allow forreferencing Emoji characters by name (such as :thumbsup:), and should befamiliar to people using Slack, GitHub, and other services (in fact, we useGitHub’s Gemoji set for Review Board).

The advantage of Emoji Shortcodes is that they work on any database setup(MySQL users cannot use normal Unicode-based Emoji by default), and are saferfor inclusion in commit messages.

Slack Markdown Listening

Here are some examples of Emoji Shortcodes:

:smile:

:heart:

:thumbsup::+1:

:thumbsdown::-1:

:bug:

:cloud:

:bulb:

:trophy: Ballala 2.

You can see a standard list of Emoji Shortcodes on this Emoji cheat sheet.(Note that this is maintained by a third-party, and may not always beaccurate).

Escaping¶

Because Markdown syntax endows many common punctuation symbols with specialmeaning, these can sometimes unintentionally trigger formatting. In this case,you can avoid this by escaping the relevant character with a backslash:

Backslash escapes can be used for the following characters:

Uploading Images¶

You can upload images into any Markdown-capable text field (comments, replies,review request fields, etc.) by dragging-and-dropping from your file managerinto the field. This will upload the image and then create a Markdownreference to it.

While the image is uploading, the text field should be left open in order forthe Markdown reference to update.

A To-do list is the primary tool to boost workplace productivity. There is a multitude of apps on Slack that promise to help you manage your ever-growing task list. To-do lists either empower you to get more done or be a mere source of frustration. The secret lies in how you choose to use these Slack apps to manage your to-dos. We will first list our pick of the best Slack apps to achieve this goal. We will then look at some nifty ways to manage your to-dos.

1. To-do Bot

To-do Slack app lets you create tasks as a conversation takes place. It promises to be more powerful than a to-do list but without all the extra baggage that comes with project management tools. Here are the features that To-do offers:

1. Set task priorities, add description and comments
2. Mark tasks as complete from within Slack

To do also sends task reminders if you set due dates. You are also reminded daily of what tasks are due for that day. To do organizes all tasks by channels. You can get a comprehensive view of what your team is working on by looking at that specific channel. You can also keep your personal to do list separate from that of your team by just using the command /mytodo.

To-do Bot is free to use.

Image Credit: To-do bot

2. listMe

listMe is a task manager built exclusively for Slack. It enables you to keep to-dos, discussions and ideas organized as lists. Lists are built into every Slack conversation, so you never forget to write down tasks. It’s simple design allows you to add list items with ease-just type /list followed by the item. You can also delete an item and check your list. Once you complete all tasks, clear the list with /list clear.

listMe offers a free trial for 30 days and their pricing plan starts at $10 a month.

Image Credit: listMe

3. Wunderlist

Wunderlist Slack app helps you create to-do lists collaboratively. It works as an efficient task manager, sending timely reminders so that deadlines aren’t missed. You can add comments, create and complete a to-do right from Slack. Wunderlist like other Slack to-do apps also allows you to maintain personal lists that are invisible to your team. Here is the list of features along with the slack commands:

1. View tasks with /wunderlist tasks
2. Create tasks with /wunderlist add [your task]

Wunderlist’s limited plan is free. Their pro plan starts at $4.99 per month.

Image Credit: Wunderlist

4. Kyber

Kyber offers a host of features for project management, task management and personal productivity. Kyber’s time list keeps to-dos, calendars and reminders organized in one single place. Kyber also allows you to send a task as a private message to any of your team members. You can set up reminders or follow up when a task is not completed. You can also make a quick action plan for the day. Kyber makes meeting scheduling fun with interactive messages. Attach documents, add meeting agendas and manage meeting invitations. Kyber can also sync with an external calendar to bring all events to Slack.

Kyber is free for personal use. Their team plan starts at $5 per user per month.

Image Credit: Kyber

5. Slingr ToDone

Slingr ToDone is a task management app with cards view. This adds a visual element to the task management process. It promises to offer the same benefits as Trello+Slack coupled with Google Calendar and Contacts integration. ToDone offers the following features:

1. Assign tasks and track them.
2. Links and files dragged to Slack are added to ToDone.
3. Channel and task notes can be recorded with ease.

Slingr ToDone offers a 10-day free trial Their pricing plan starts at $99 per month for upto 100 users.

Image Credit: Slingr ToDone

Start with the Why

It is important to know what to add to your task list. Use these questions to keep your task lists short.

1. Why am I adding this to my list of to-dos? -Add only those tasks that you will work on and eventually complete.
2. Why do I need to do this task- If the task can be delegated or outsourced to someone more suited for it, do it.

Write To-dos as Action Steps

Don’t use your to-do list to add outcomes. Add action steps so you know exactly what to do when you see the list. Always start tasks with a verb. For example: Email George for availability for a demo on Monday Ensure that you use the right verb, one that is not ambiguous, this enables you to start working on the task right away.

Slack Markdown Nested List

Include Estimated Time for Each Task

Break down your tasks so that the estimated time for each task doesn’t extend beyond an hour. If it does, you have to break down your task into even smaller tasks. The bigger the task, greater is the tendency to put it off for later. When you start, your estimates may go wrong. With time as you continue to estimate, you will get closer to the actual time required for a task.

Slack Api Markdown List

Add Resources Required to Complete Each Task

Add all the required information to your task to get started right away. Missing resources can prevent you from starting a task. Ensure information such as reference documents, contact information, etc are added to the task description.

Review Your To-do List

Every week review your task list to ensure that everything is in order. This will help you understand if set priorities are still relevant. You can also see which tasks are in danger of slipping and adjust priorities accordingly. If you constantly skip review, then it is a sign that your to-do list is in serious need of an overhaul.

Slack Markdown Listen

There are so many slack apps that can help you manage your To-do list. Your search for the perfect Slackbot doesn’t start in the app directory., it starts with examining how you manage your team tasks and to-dos. These questions can help narrow down the search:

1. How do you tick off your tasks?
2. Are your tasks grouped?If yes, what are the criteria for grouping?
3. How long are your task descriptions? What additional details do you require?
4. Do you need a visual system to track progress? The answers to these questions can help you choose an app that improves the way your team collaborates and works together Go ahead, add these apps to your workspace and get more done!