GanttProject

In OpenProj (and, if I recall correctly...it has been a while), in Microsoft Project, I specify the estimated duration of each task when I define it, and then it floats to the earliest possible time given by the dependency constraints.

In GanttProject, that doesn't seem to be the case when I remove links. For example, make two tasks Task1 and Task2. Add a link from Task1 to Task2. Now remove that dependency. Task2 stays right where it was.

I cannot figure out how to flow it back without physically computing the date--which is what I thought should be the job of the project management package. (I tried deleting the date, but it comes right back.) Am I missing some command?

Thanks,

Cay

> For example, make two tasks Task1 and Task2. Add a link from Task1 to Task2.

After this step Task2 starts just after Task1 end, without gaps

> Now remove that dependency. Task2 stays right where it was.

Where do you expect it to be? Why shall it move forward or backward?

> Why start/end date and not duration?

If you open task properties dialog, you will see a start date and duration, and no end date. That's what is stored persistently in project files and what is used for calculations. End date is calculated. When you set it in the task table (probably it is not a good idea to expose it there by default), you actually change the duration.

Thanks for your quick response. My expectation was most definitely that the task would move back to the beginning of the project. After all, I never explicitly specified a start date--it was only computed when I added a constraint.

That is how OpenProj and Gnome Planner. In Gnome Planner, the default scheduling policy is "as soon as possible", but one can override it to "no earlier than" or a specific date. OpenProj has even more options: "As soon as possible", "As late as possible", "Must start on", "Must end on", "Start no earlier than", "Start no later than", "Finish no earlier than", "Finish no later than". Not all of them are useful, of course. Again, the default is "As soon as possible".

So, what I am asking is, how do I set "as soon as possible" for a task in GanttProject?

Cheers,

Cay

> My expectation was most definitely that the task would move back to the beginning of the project
> That is how OpenProj and Gnome Planner

Probably that makes some sense if a program distinguishes between manually set and calculated start dates. GP doesn't.

> So, what I am asking is, how do I set "as soon as possible" for a task in GanttProject?

In the sense that you stated above, you can't.