Improvements list for SmartRules and formulas - updated

About two years ago I posted an improvements list for SmartRules and formulas as an idea on this forum. The original list can be found here: https://community.mindmanager.com/topic/997-improvements-list-for-smartrules-and-formulas.

Most of the ideas had been posted originally as individual ideas by me and others, but it was suggested back then that I consider posting the consolidated list as a single "omnibus" Idea in its own right. The list was quite popular at the time and received 11 votes.

I've decided to post an updated version which takes into account additional suggestions made since plus the one or two improvements which have occurred since (for example, the addition of Topic Level as a trigger).

Thanks to everyone who contributed any of the ideas in the list - and as well as voting for this proposal, please add any further suggestions you can make for improvements in your comments:

SmartRules:

• Add an additional Trigger Topic field to identify which topic(s) will set the trigger (with "This Topic" being the default)
• Include topic attributes such as colour, fill, etc as triggers
• Add topic order numbering as a trigger (ie, the order of topics within a specific topic level)
• Include a "Does Not Exist" option for Task Progress, the same as the one available for Task Priority
• Add an "ONLY ONE condition is met" option when there are multiple criteria, ie, the equivalent of an XOR
• Add the ability to fade matching or non-matching topics as an Effect

Formulas:

• Make Start and Due Dates available as a date number in formula Task Attributes similar to the way in which Excel can handle dates
• Also make topic properties formatted as dates or times available as date numbers
• Make Topic Level available as a Task Attribute
• Add the ability to count words or text strings in topic properties as well as the names of text tags and icons
• Add some basic functions to formulas, for example an IF THEN ELSE conditional function
• Add an XOR equivalent (ie, ONLY ONE alternative) as an operator
• Add the ability to ignore rolled-up progress values in formulas
• Allow changing the name of a source topic property used in a formula to optionally apply to all other topic properties in the map so that the formulas don't have to be manually edited (the MAP add-in offers a feature which does something like this)
• Add the ability to select and edit the same formulas on multiple topics at the same time.

Other suggestions:

• Greater integration between SmartRules and formulas
• Provide a greater range of topic attributes and task types that could be applied when importing spreadsheets via the Excel Data Mapper
• Provide all the above features in the Mac version and ensure full equivalence in both SmartRules and Formulas between the Windows and Mac versions.