Support unscheduled tasks for board planning (#225)

src/logic/validation.py

@@ -36,6 +36,21 @@ def validate_task(task: TaskType) -> TaskType:
     time = task.time.strip()
     text = task.text.strip()
 
+    if not date and not time:
+        # Unscheduled planning task (e.g. a Kanban card with no due date).
+        if not text:
+            raise ValidationError("Task text cannot be empty.")
+        task.board_stage = validate_board_stage(getattr(task, "board_stage", ""))
+        task.date = ""
+        task.time = ""
+        task.text = text
+        return task
+
+    if not date or not time:
+        raise ValidationError(
+            "A task must have both a date and a time, or neither (unscheduled)."
+        )
+
     try:
         parsed_date = date_value.fromisoformat(date)
     except (TypeError, ValueError) as exc:

src/ui/pyqt/add_dialog.py

@@ -61,6 +61,12 @@ def __init__(
         self.time_input.setDisplayFormat(time_format)
         self.time_input.setAccessibleName("Due time")
 
+        self.unscheduled_checkbox = QCheckBox("Unscheduled")
+        self.unscheduled_checkbox.setAccessibleName("Mark task unscheduled")
+        self.unscheduled_checkbox.setToolTip(
+            "Planning-only task without a due date (used by the Kanban board)"
+        )
+
         self.notes_input = QLineEdit()
         self.notes_input.setPlaceholderText("Optional notes")
         self.notes_input.setClearButtonEnabled(True)
@@ -115,6 +121,7 @@ def __init__(
         form.addRow("Task", self.text_input)
         form.addRow("Date", self.date_input)
         form.addRow("Time", self.time_input)
+        form.addRow("", self.unscheduled_checkbox)
         form.addRow("Notes", self.notes_input)
         form.addRow("Priority", self.priority_input)
         form.addRow("Duration", self.duration_input)
@@ -136,8 +143,11 @@ def __init__(
 
         if task:
             self.text_input.setText(task.text)
-            self.date_input.setDate(QDate.fromString(task.date, "yyyy-MM-dd"))
-            self.time_input.setTime(QTime.fromString(task.time, "HH:mm"))
+            if task.date:
+                self.date_input.setDate(QDate.fromString(task.date, "yyyy-MM-dd"))
+                self.time_input.setTime(QTime.fromString(task.time, "HH:mm"))
+            else:
+                self.unscheduled_checkbox.setChecked(True)
             self.notes_input.setText(getattr(task, "notes", "") or "")
             priority = getattr(task, "priority", "") or ""
             idx = self.priority_input.findText(priority)
@@ -179,11 +189,18 @@ def __init__(
             self.board_combo.setCurrentIndex(0)
 
         self.board_checkbox.toggled.connect(self._sync_board_controls)
+        self.unscheduled_checkbox.toggled.connect(self._sync_schedule_controls)
+        self._sync_schedule_controls()
         self.text_input.setFocus()
 
     def _sync_board_controls(self):
         self.board_combo.setEnabled(self.board_checkbox.isChecked())
 
+    def _sync_schedule_controls(self):
+        unscheduled = self.unscheduled_checkbox.isChecked()
+        self.date_input.setEnabled(not unscheduled)
+        self.time_input.setEnabled(not unscheduled)
+
     def get_values(
         self,
     ) -> tuple[str, str, str, str, str, str, str, str, str, str, str]:
@@ -193,8 +210,12 @@ def get_values(
         if recurrence:
             recurrence_end = self.recurrence_end_input.date().toString("yyyy-MM-dd")
         reminder = self.reminder_input.value()
-        date_str = self.date_input.date().toString("yyyy-MM-dd")
-        time_str = self.time_input.time().toString("HH:mm")
+        if self.unscheduled_checkbox.isChecked():
+            date_str = ""
+            time_str = ""
+        else:
+            date_str = self.date_input.date().toString("yyyy-MM-dd")
+            time_str = self.time_input.time().toString("HH:mm")
         board_stage = (
             self.board_combo.currentData() if self.board_checkbox.isChecked() else ""
         )

src/ui/pyqt/board_view.py

@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ def __init__(self, task, parent=None):
         text.setWordWrap(True)
         layout.addWidget(text)
 
-        schedule = QLabel(f"{task.date} {task.time}".strip())
+        schedule = QLabel(
+            f"{task.date} {task.time}".strip() if task.date else "Unscheduled"
+        )
         schedule.setObjectName("MutedLabel")
         layout.addWidget(schedule)
 

tests/test_board.py

@@ -65,6 +65,18 @@ def test_add_task_persists_board_stage(database):
     assert scheduler.load_tasks()[0].board_stage == "in_progress"
 
 
+def test_unscheduled_task_roundtrips_without_date(database):
+    storage.initialize_database()
+    scheduler = Scheduler()
+
+    task = scheduler.add_task("", "", "Brainstorm ideas", board_stage="backlog")
+
+    persisted = scheduler.load_tasks()[0]
+    assert persisted.id == task.id
+    assert (persisted.date, persisted.time) == ("", "")
+    assert persisted.board_stage == "backlog"
+
+
 def test_update_task_changes_and_clears_board_stage(database):
     storage.initialize_database()
     scheduler = Scheduler()

tests/test_pyqt_task_workspace.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 os.environ.setdefault("QT_QPA_PLATFORM", "offscreen")
 
 from PyQt6.QtCore import QMimeData, Qt
-from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication
+from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication, QLabel
 
 from logic import local_time
 from logic.ical_import import ICSImportPlan, SkippedEvent
@@ -577,6 +577,58 @@ def test_edit_dialog_defaults_unchecked_for_off_board_tasks(app):
     assert dialog.get_values()[10] == ""
 
 
+def test_add_dialog_unscheduled_yields_empty_date_and_time(app):
+    dialog = AddTaskDialog()
+
+    assert not dialog.unscheduled_checkbox.isChecked()
+    assert dialog.date_input.isEnabled()
+
+    dialog.unscheduled_checkbox.setChecked(True)
+
+    assert not dialog.date_input.isEnabled()
+    assert not dialog.time_input.isEnabled()
+    values = dialog.get_values()
+    assert values[0] == ""
+    assert values[1] == ""
+
+
+def test_edit_dialog_preselects_unscheduled_for_dateless_task(app):
+    task = Task(date="", time="", text="Planning card", board_stage="backlog")
+    dialog = EditTaskDialog(task)
+
+    assert dialog.unscheduled_checkbox.isChecked()
+    assert not dialog.date_input.isEnabled()
+    assert dialog.get_values()[0] == ""
+
+
+def test_board_card_marks_dateless_task_unscheduled(app):
+    task = Task(text="Planning card", board_stage="backlog")
+    column = BoardColumn("backlog")
+    column.set_tasks([task])
+    card = column.card_layout.itemAt(0).widget()
+
+    assert any(label.text() == "Unscheduled" for label in card.findChildren(QLabel))
+
+
+def test_task_proxy_filters_exclude_unscheduled_from_date_filters(app):
+    today = local_time.today().isoformat()
+    model = TaskTableModel(
+        [
+            Task(date="", time="", text="Planning card", board_stage="backlog"),
+            Task(date=today, time="09:00", text="Today task"),
+        ]
+    )
+    proxy = TaskFilterProxyModel()
+    proxy.setSourceModel(model)
+
+    proxy.set_task_filter("today")
+    assert proxy.rowCount() == 1
+    assert proxy.index(0, 0).data(Qt.ItemDataRole.UserRole).text == "Today task"
+
+    proxy.set_task_filter("upcoming")
+    assert proxy.rowCount() == 1
+
+
 def test_native_calendar_renders_month_week_and_day(app):
     today = local_time.today()
     scheduler = MemoryScheduler(

tests/test_validation.py

@@ -16,18 +16,35 @@ def test_validate_task_accepts_and_normalizes_valid_values():
     )
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("date", ["", "12-08-2026", "2026-8-12", "2026-02-30"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("date", ["12-08-2026", "2026-8-12", "2026-02-30"])
 def test_validate_task_rejects_invalid_dates(date):
-    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="YYYY-MM-DD"):
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
         validate_task(Task(date=date, time="09:05", text="Plan release"))
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize("time", ["", "9:05", "09.05", "24:00", "12:60"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("time", ["9:05", "09.05", "24:00", "12:60"])
 def test_validate_task_rejects_invalid_times(time):
     with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="HH:MM"):
         validate_task(Task(date="2026-08-12", time=time, text="Plan release"))
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "date,time",
+    [("2026-08-12", ""), ("", "09:05")],
+)
+def test_validate_task_requires_date_and_time_together(date, time):
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="both a date and a time"):
+        validate_task(Task(date=date, time=time, text="Plan release"))
+
+
+def test_validate_task_accepts_unscheduled_task():
+    task = Task(date="", time="", text=" Brainstorm ideas ", board_stage="backlog")
+
+    assert validate_task(task) is task
+    assert (task.date, task.time, task.text) == ("", "", "Brainstorm ideas")
+    assert task.board_stage == "backlog"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("text", ["", "   ", "\t\n"])
 def test_validate_task_rejects_empty_text(text):
     with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="cannot be empty"):