How can I see a list of DONE tasks in org-agenda sorted by closed date?

Question

My config (spacemacs with ~0 extra) sets a CLOSED time when I move a task in org-mode to DONE:

***** DONE A task
CLOSED: [2022-09-12 Mon 16:18] SCHEDULED: <2022-09-07 Wed>

It's easy to only show DONE tasks, but now I'd like to get an agenda view that can use the timestamp set for CLOSED so that I can look back at what items I've finished in the past week. What can I do to build this?

I'm a beginner at this so I'm probably missing some basics. For instance I don't know what the difference is between a [timestamp] and a <timestamp>.

Answer 1

I know this is an old question, but I was trying to do the same thing and ended cooking something up. So I might as well share.

Since there doesn't seem to be anything of the sort available out of the box, we need a custom sort function and thus also to set an entry in org-agenda-custom-commands so as to be able to set proper sorting. For an custom-commands entry like:

("n" "Whatever"
 ((tags "CLOSED<=\"<now>\""))
 ((org-agenda-cmp-user-defined 'org-cmp-closed)
  (org-agenda-sorting-strategy '(user-defined-down))))

We define the corresponding sort function as:

(defun org-cmp-closed (a b)
  (let* ((a-marker (get-text-property 0 'org-marker a))
         (b-marker (get-text-property 0 'org-marker b))
         (now (current-time))
         (a-closed-ts (org-timestamp-from-string
                       (org-entry-get a-marker "CLOSED")))
         (b-closed-ts (org-timestamp-from-string
                       (org-entry-get b-marker "CLOSED")))
         (a-closed-time (or (and a-closed-ts
                                 (org-timestamp-to-time a-closed-ts))
                            now))
         (b-closed-time (or (and b-closed-ts
                                 (org-timestamp-to-time b-closed-ts))
                            now)))
    (cond ((time-less-p b-closed-time a-closed-time) +1)
          ((time-less-p a-closed-time b-closed-time) -1)
          (t nil))))

Answer 2

In the agenda dispatcher view (i.e. after C-c a if you have customized the setting as the manual suggests - or after M-x org-agenda), select m for a query to match tags/properties/todo and specify the following entry:

TODO="DONE"&CLOSED>="<-1w>"

That should give you a list of DONE items that were CLOSED in the past week. I don't think it's sorted though and I don't remember how to sort that view (or even if it is possible). Untested.

EDIT: I tested in response to the comment. Here's an example Org mode file (/tmp/foo.org):

#+STARTUP: logdone

* DONE one
CLOSED: [2024-05-03 Fri 14:17]
:PROPERTIES:
:VISIBILITY: folded
:END:

* DONE two
CLOSED: [2024-05-06 Mon 14:17]
:PROPERTIES:
:VISIBILITY: folded
:END:

* TODO three
SCHEDULED: <2024-05-11 Sat>

I start with emacs -Q /tmp/foo.org, add the file to the (empty) agenda list with C-c [ and do M-x org-agenda RET m TODO="DONE"&CLOSED>="<-1w>" RET. The result is:

Headlines with TAGS match: TODO="DONE"&CLOSED>="<-1w>"
Press ‘C-u r’ to search again
  foo:     DONE two

It shows the only item (two) that is DONE and closed during the past week. Item one was closed more than a week ago and item three is not DONE.