====== How To: Tasker - Add an Ordinal-Type date with a Total Launcher Text Variable ======

Standard date formatting in Total Launcher displays the day as a simple integer (e.g., "1", "21"). A specific configuration is required to display an ordinal format (e.g., "1st", "2nd", "21st").

Because Total Launcher does not allow mixing date codes (like ''d'') and custom variables (like ''<ord>'') in a single text field, a **Modular Composite Approach** is utilized:
  * **Tasker** generates the "Ordinal Day" unit (e.g., "21st").
  * **Total Launcher** handles the **Month**, **Year**, and **Day of Week** natively.
  * The separate objects are arranged on the screen to form the desired date format.

===== Section 1. Configuring the Tasker Task =====

This task calculates the day number, determines the correct suffix (st, nd, rd, th), and sends the combined string to Total Launcher.

  - Create a new Task in Tasker named "Date Ordinal" (to produce ''day_ord'').
  - **Action 1: Extract Day Number**
    - Add the action **Parse/Format DateTime**.
    - Set **Input Type** to ''Now''.
    - Set **Output Format** to ''d''.
    - **Output Variable:** Set to ''%day_num''.
    - //This isolates the day (e.g., "21") for calculation.//
  - **Action 2: Calculate Suffix (Run Shell)**
    - Add the action **Run Shell**.
    - In the **Command** field, enter this code ((<code bash>
function ordinal () {
  case "$1" in
    *1[0-9] | *[04-9]) echo "$1"th;;
    *1) echo "$1"st;;
    *2) echo "$1"nd;;
    *3) echo "$1"rd;;
  esac
}     
echo "$(ordinal %day_num)"
</code>
))
    - Set **Store Output In** to ''%day_ord''.
    - //This script takes the input "21" and outputs "21st".//
  - **Action 3: Send to Total Launcher**
    - Add the action **Plugin** > **Total Launcher** > **Send variable**.
    - Set **Configuration** to send ''%day_ord'' to the Total Launcher variable name ''day_ord''.

===== Section 2. Configuring the Tasker Schedule (Profile) =====

To ensure the date updates automatically, a Tasker Profile is required to trigger the task at the start of every day.

  - Navigate to the **Profiles** tab in Tasker.
  - Select **Add** (+)
    - A TaskerNet dialog open
      - Select **Create**
    - A new Profiles dialog opens. Select **Time**.
    - Set **From:** to ''00:01'' (12:01 AM).
    - **Every** - This option is to be left in it's default state (**unchecked** and left **blank**)
    - Set **To:** to ''00:01'' (or leave blank depending on Tasker version).
  - Tap **Back** (←) to save the time context.
  - A new dialog opens listing all tasks. Scroll and select the **Date Ordinal** task (created in Section 1).
  - **Result:** Tasker will now run the "Date Ordinal" task at 12:01am  and push the new ordinal date to Total Launcher essentially immediately after midnight every day.

===== Section 3. Configure Total Launcher Setup with Layout Flexibility =====

With the Tasker Ordinal Date variable established, separate text objects need to be created for each Total Launcher date component. This allows for precise control over the desired layout.

==== Step 1: Display the Ordinal Day from Tasker ====
This object will display the variable generated by Tasker.

  - Enter **Edit Mode** (long-press an empty area).
  - Select **Add** (+) > **Graphic** > **Text**.
  - Open the **Options** menu (Gear icon) for the new text object.
  - In the Edit dialog select **Text**.
  - In the Text dialog scroll down to **Advanced - Variable**
  - In the input field, enter the variable tag: ''<day_ord>''.
  - Tap OK and back out of the screen to the page
  - The object will now display the ordinal date (e.g., "21st").
    - If Section 1 (Configuring the Tasker Task) has //not// been run, the variable ''day_ord'' has no value and will display it's text//literally//.
    - If the Tasker action or event has been run, the Total Launcher should show the day's actual date in ordinal format (in this narrative the 21st is used)

==== Step 2: Create and Display TL's Native Components (Month/Year/Day) ====
These objects use Total Launcher's built-in date engine. Repeat this process for each component needed (e.g., one object for Month, one for Year, one for Day of Week).

  - Enter **Edit Mode** > **Add** (+) > **Graphic** > **Text**.
  - The "Text" object is placed on the page and is selected
  - In the Objected Design menu tap the **Option** icon > **Text** > **Advanced - Variable** elements.
  - Select **Date/Time**.
    - The input dialog typically defaults to MMMM d, yyyy (in this narrative would result in August 21st, 2025)
  - **Change the Default to the Desired Format:**
    - At the end of the input dialog is an Option icon {{:ui:ui-icon_option.webp?direct&25}}. Tap it.
      - Time Zone: provides for global time zone selection
      - Use English: <undocumented whether this provides for US or UK time formats ☛ **registered visitor confirmation requested**>
      - Format: Displays formatting for month-date-year and day of week styles
        - If none of these styles are desired (an the purpose of this procedure is allow **customization**), the user may wish to learn more technical detail by tapping the [[https://developer.android.com/reference/java/text/SimpleDateFormat|(?) icon]] but below is the TL>DR explanation for this procedure. In this dialog just tap **Cancel** and proceed to the following sub-step:
          - After cancelling, the Text dialog shows the input formatting line. Enter one of the following formats for the desired **single** object:
            -     - **Standard Codes:**
                    - ''MMMM'' = Full Month (August)
                    - ''MMM'' = Short Month (Aug)
                    - ''yyyy'' = Year (2025)
                    - ''EEEE'' = Day of Week (Thursday)
                    - ''EEE'' = Short Day (Thu)
      - When properly set, press OK and back out of the dialog to the page with the text object selected.
  - Repeat this Section3 Step 2 in it's entirety for each descriptive date object desired.

==== Step 3: Mix the Objects in the Date Layout ====
The separate objects are dragged into the desired visual order and location on the page.

  * **Full Header Format:**
    - Layout Order: [Day of Week] , [Month] [Ordinal Day] , [Year]
    - Visual Result: **Thursday, August 21st, 2025**
  * **International Format:**
    - Layout Order: [Day of Week] [Ordinal Day] [Month] [Year]
    - Visual Result: **Thursday 21st August 2025**
  * **Stacked/Widget Style:**
    - The [Day of Week] is placed in a large font at the top.
    - The [Month] and [Ordinal Day] are placed below in a smaller font.
  * **Be Creative**
    - "Imagine It! Make It!"

===== Section 4. Final Alignment of the Text Objects =====
  - After preliminarily arranging the objects, select all the text objects. 
    - Use the Object Design menu's **Align** tools {{:ui:ui-icon_align.webp?direct&25}} (specifically **Vertical "|"** and **Horizontal "_"**) to ensure the text sits on the same baseline or centered, or right/left boundary. 
    - Then, with all the text objects selected, tap the **Group** tool {{:ui:ui-icon_group.webp?direct&25}} to combine them into a single widget for easy movement and final placement.

Procedure Complete!

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