Merlin is very powerful and sophisticated piece of project management software on MacOS X. It allows not only to attach checklist elements onto your projects, activities, activity groups or resources, but also supports  importing such lists created and saved by other applications. To import a checklist into your project just follow the next simple steps:
- Ask for a checklist saved in .opml format.
- Create a checklist element in your project; enable the display of elements area and add a new checklist element.
- Use the elements inspector and press the ‘import’ button.
- Select the .opml file with the checklist and you are done.
Wanting to forward  your checklist entries to someone not having Merlin? Simply use the export button and save in an .opml format, which can be opened by outline software.
You would like to transfer checklists from one project to another and wonder whether there is an easier way than export/import? Of course, just select the element in the elements area, copy, open your target project, select a position onto which you would like to checklist to get attached and paste.
Need a report of your currently selected checklist? Just click onto the ‘report’ button and see Merlin  creating the desired report containing just the selection.
You may want to watch the relevant video on YouTube.
Hmmm… I’ve tried this, having the OPML exported from Omni Outliner. I get a number of (checked) checkboxes, but no descriptions.
Isn’t there a possibility to simply paste or import from excel?
Hmmm… hmmm….
when re-exporting and opening in OmniOutliner I get the description again.
Actually the description is also in Merlin, but under Entry-Description.
Another thing: Wouldn’t it be nice if I could mark a number of items and check/un-check them all with ONE click? Somehow I can only check/un-check them one by one….
thanks!
Hi Martin…
I am not sure I understand your comments…
Are those check list item descriptions in the OPML file exported at all by OmniOutliner? You may check this by opening the OPML file in a text editor…
Don’t they get imported in Merlin’s checklist items?
If not you may want to send the OPML file to Merlin support for a check.
You ask…
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Another thing: Wouldn’t it be nice if I could mark a number of items and check/un-check them all with ONE click? Somehow I can only check/un-check them one by one….
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But why would you like to want to do so? You create checklist items, so you can make sure you’ve checked each and every one case. If you can click and check them all at once, you would also quickly oversee one or the the other item.
Best regards, Vicky
The way checklists are imported to merlin is incorrect. Merlin uses <outline title= as the definition for the checklist item when most OPML outliners use <outline text=
This should be updated. Please
Hello Ki,
and thank you for your comment.
Merlin is actually consistent in that. When it exports checklists, it writes the “title” tag, so I would not expect it to work differently on import. We forward your comment however to the developers.
Maybe it would be even better if one could select the xml tag instead of switching from outline title to outline text. If this is any help, Merlin exports checklist items
Best regards, Vicky
PS: I guess you’ve already done a search and replace in your opml and imported the checklists in Merlin, haven’t you?
Actually the easiest thing to do is simply to mark all entries (cmd+A) in your Omnioutliner-generated list, then paste it straight into Merlin’s checklist field “Entries”. Import still not works…