Exporting Tasks from Things 3 Database to Plain Text

This guide is written for Things on MacOS. There is a way to get your database on iOS or iPad. However, I can't guarantee the script will work with it.

Step 1: Locating Your Things 3 Database

Before you can use the script, you need to locate your Things 3 database:

1. Quit Things 3 app on your Mac.
2. Click on 'Finder' in your Dock.
3. In the menu bar, select Go → Go to Folder.
4. Paste this path: ~/Library/Group Containers/JLMPQHK86H.com.culturedcode.ThingsMac/
5. Press the Return key.
6. Open the folder named ThingsData-xxxxx.
7. Copy (do not move) the Things Database.thingsdatabase to your desired location. Like your desktop. Or a custom folder in documents.
8. To access the database, CTRL + click on the bundle and select 'Show Package Contents'. The file main.sqlite is your database.

Step 2: Setting Up the Python Environment

Make sure you have Python installed on your Mac. You can find instruction on installing Python here.

Step 3: Running the Script

1. Save the Python script below this note, call it things2plaintext.py. I recommend saving it in the same directory as your main.sqlite.
2. Open your terminal.
3. Navigate (how?) to the directory where you saved the script.
4. Run the script by typing python things2plaintext.py.

Step 4: Using the Script

1. When prompted, enter the path of your Things 3 database. If it's in the same directory, type main.sqlite.
2. Choose the export format: type 1 for Markdown or 2 for Todo.txt.
3. The script will connect to your database and export the tasks to a file named exported_tasks.txt in the same directory.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any errors, ensure that the database path is correct and that the right Python is installed. Raise an issue on our Github, when you are stuck.

I hope this helped making your tasks more resistent to time.

import sqlite3
import os

def get_database_path():
    return input("Enter the path of your Things 3 database (main.sqlite): ")

def choose_export_format():
    choice = input("Choose export syntax (1 for Markdown, 2 for todo.txt): ")
    return 'markdown' if choice == '1' else 'todo.txt'

def connect_to_database(path):
    try:
        return sqlite3.connect(path)
    except sqlite3.Error as e:
        print(f"Error connecting to database: {e}")
        return None

def fetch_tasks(cursor):
    query = """
    SELECT title, status
    FROM TMTask
    WHERE trashed = 0 AND status IN (0, 3, 2)
    """
    cursor.execute(query)
    return cursor.fetchall()

def task_status(status):
    return {
        0: 'Not Yet Done',
        3: 'Done',
        2: 'Canceled'
    }.get(status, 'Unknown')

def format_task(task, format_type):
    title, status = task

    # Define the status markers and prefixes
    status_markers = {
        0: ('', ''),             # Not Yet Done
        3: ('x ', ''),           # Done
        2: ('x ', 'canceled ')   # Canceled
    }
    
    # Get the appropriate marker and prefix for the task status
    marker, prefix = status_markers.get(status, ('', ''))

    if format_type == 'markdown':
        return f"- [{marker.strip()}] {prefix}{title}\n"
    else:  # todo.txt format
        # Only add a space after the marker if it's not empty
        space = ' ' if marker else ''
        return f"{marker}{space}{prefix}{title}\n"

def main():
    db_path = get_database_path()
    export_format = choose_export_format()
    connection = connect_to_database(db_path)

    if connection:
        cursor = connection.cursor()
        tasks = fetch_tasks(cursor)

        tasks = [(title, status) for title, status in tasks if title.strip()]

        with open("exported_tasks.txt", "w") as file:
            for task in tasks:
                file.write(format_task(task, export_format))

        print("Tasks exported successfully.")
        connection.close()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()