#205 Resource allocation in fixed work tasks broken

[Nils Paulsson]

When assigning people (resources) in Fixed Work tasks, the program messes up the entire schedule. Instead of keeping work fixed and then adjusting the calendar time in accordance with number of people and their expected allocation (in %), it changes BOTH calendar time and amount work. This is exactly what it should not do. Fixed work means fixed work.

[Nigel Orr]

Steps to reproduce

Attached file

Confirming the above, with an attached minimal pod file.
There are 3 tasks (Start, Middle, End) set as Fixed Work / Effort Driven.
Two have resources assigned (50% Andrew, 50% Bertha).

Reproducing the issue

Using v1.9.8 with the attached test.pod, in Task 3 End's blank Resource Names field, type or paste anything that isn't one or more resources at 100%, e.g. step by step as below:

• In blank task 3 Resource Names. enter Andrew[50%]
• Observe task 3 Work reduces from 80 to 40 hours, should remain at 80 hours
• In task 3 change Resource Names. to Bertha[50%]
• Observe task 3 Work reduces from 80 to 4 hours, should remain at 80 hours
• Delete the task 3 Resource Names
• Observe task 3 Work increases from 4 to 8 hours, should remain at 4 hours
• Use Undo to revert the changes
• Observe that the changes in Work are not consistently reverted

Confirm expected behaviour for 100% resources

• Set task 3 Work to 80 hours
• In blank task 3 Resource Names, Enter Andrew;Bertha (two resources at 100%)
• Observe Work correctly remains at 80 hours
• In task 3 Resource Names, Enter Andrew[50%]
• Observe Work correctly remains at 80 hours

Notes

1. It appears to work correctly if the initial assigned resource is one or more resources with no percentage.
2. The issue only appears when adding resource name to a blank box, or deleting all resources, or changing all resources to different ones. Once a resource has been added, percentages can be changed and it appears to work correctly.
3. The issue can be triggered by changing from one resource to another one with a percentage assigned. It looks like if there is one resource in the list before and after, the change succeeds, otherwise it acts as if all resources were removed and then new one added, as in the steps to reproduce above
4. Undo does not properly revert the changes when the issue occurs

Workaround

Workaround in this example file is to initially assign at least one of the required resources (at 100%), then assign fractional / multiple / additional resources as required). The initial resource assignment avoids the issue being triggered, and the subsequent changes to non-100% resources is handled correctly.
However, in a larger file I am using that workaround still triggers the issue, other more consistent workarounds would be welcome! One alternative is to copy the hours column to a spreadsheet or text file, add the resources, then paste the hours back, but that is quite error-prone if any lines were changed during resourcing.