B
BAP
How can I freeze the start date if I need to change the finish date and not
change the duration or anything else?
change the duration or anything else?
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
J
JulieS
Hi BAP,
I'm sorry I'm not sure I understand your question. The duration of a task
is what determines (or should determine) the finish date. I don't see how
you can keep the same start date for a task, change the finish date and not
expect to see the duration change.
Could you tell us a bit more about what you are trying to accomplish?
Julie
I'm sorry I'm not sure I understand your question. The duration of a task
is what determines (or should determine) the finish date. I don't see how
you can keep the same start date for a task, change the finish date and not
expect to see the duration change.
Could you tell us a bit more about what you are trying to accomplish?
Julie
B
BAP
I understand what you are saying and I probably didn't state my issue
correctly. Truthfully I am trying to simply use project as a highlevel view
of an overall program plan and do not want to allow project to do any
scheduling or changing of dates for me. Example: I have a task that
initally I have a start and finish date that project automatically assigns 5
days? duration. I decide to move the finish date up one day and I really
don't want to have to change anything else. When I do this, project
authomatically backs the start date up one so that duration is still 5 days?.
Is there anyway I can just turn off this automatic changing of the dates
when I want total control of the dates without caring about what the duration
is.
Thanks
correctly. Truthfully I am trying to simply use project as a highlevel view
of an overall program plan and do not want to allow project to do any
scheduling or changing of dates for me. Example: I have a task that
initally I have a start and finish date that project automatically assigns 5
days? duration. I decide to move the finish date up one day and I really
don't want to have to change anything else. When I do this, project
authomatically backs the start date up one so that duration is still 5 days?.
Is there anyway I can just turn off this automatic changing of the dates
when I want total control of the dates without caring about what the duration
is.
Thanks
J
JulieS
Hi BAP,
Thanks for the clarification. I suggest that if you want to dictate all
aspects of the schedule without any calculations done, you skip using Project
and set up the schedule in Excel. Project's function is to calculate dates
based upon duration (among a number of other factors.) I fear you are trying
to engage Project in a battle of wills that you are destined to lose.
Hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.
Julie
Thanks for the clarification. I suggest that if you want to dictate all
aspects of the schedule without any calculations done, you skip using Project
and set up the schedule in Excel. Project's function is to calculate dates
based upon duration (among a number of other factors.) I fear you are trying
to engage Project in a battle of wills that you are destined to lose.
Hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.
Julie
B
BAP
You are correct that I do want to dictate since I really want to use project
for the task dependencies and the pretty gant chart - I do not want to use
for actually managing resources that are doing the various taks. I want to
dictate milestones and the start and end dates for highlevel tasks for a
pretty executive leadership view to basically report status on. So any
recommendations on how to manipulate project to do this?
for the task dependencies and the pretty gant chart - I do not want to use
for actually managing resources that are doing the various taks. I want to
dictate milestones and the start and end dates for highlevel tasks for a
pretty executive leadership view to basically report status on. So any
recommendations on how to manipulate project to do this?
B
BAP
John - thanks for the reply and I am very new at using this board. Are you
able to read the further detail that I supplied to Julie about this subject
so that I do not have to repeat? If not, I can also respond to you. I am
just not totally familar with who can see what.
Thanks
able to read the further detail that I supplied to Julie about this subject
so that I do not have to repeat? If not, I can also respond to you. I am
just not totally familar with who can see what.
Thanks
J
JulieS
Hi BAP,
Okay, I suggest then using the duration field to manipulate your finish
dates. There is no other way that I am familiar with in Project to just be
able to dictate start dates and finish dates and have the duration remain
some other number. You could hide the duration field when presenting to the
executive group if that is a concern.
Hope this helps. Let us know if we can assist further.
Julie
Okay, I suggest then using the duration field to manipulate your finish
dates. There is no other way that I am familiar with in Project to just be
able to dictate start dates and finish dates and have the duration remain
some other number. You could hide the duration field when presenting to the
executive group if that is a concern.
Hope this helps. Let us know if we can assist further.
Julie
J
John
BAP said:How can I freeze the start date if I need to change the finish date and not
change the duration or anything else?
BAP,
Wait a minute, you seem to be asking for a time warp. Although we did
discuss time warp in an series of posts last week, how can the finish
date change if the start date is fixed and the duration is fixed?
You need to elaborate before we can understand we you want to do and
suggest a solution.
John
Project MVP
B
BAP
Thanks
JulieS said:Hi BAP,
Okay, I suggest then using the duration field to manipulate your finish
dates. There is no other way that I am familiar with in Project to just be
able to dictate start dates and finish dates and have the duration remain
some other number. You could hide the duration field when presenting to the
executive group if that is a concern.
Hope this helps. Let us know if we can assist further.
Julie
J
JulieS
You're welcome. Good luck and let us know if we can assist in the future.
Julie
Julie
S
Steve House [MVP]
Duration is defined as the time between when the task starts and when it
ends. Duration == [end] - [start]. Whether you use MSP or paper and
pencil, it is mathematically impossible to freeze one date, change the
other, and not have the duration change correspondingly, just like it is
impossible for 25-10 to ever equal 100. The only work around is to turn off
calculation but then you might as well forget the whole exercise because
none of the dates or durations in your schedule will mean anything.
ends. Duration == [end] - [start]. Whether you use MSP or paper and
pencil, it is mathematically impossible to freeze one date, change the
other, and not have the duration change correspondingly, just like it is
impossible for 25-10 to ever equal 100. The only work around is to turn off
calculation but then you might as well forget the whole exercise because
none of the dates or durations in your schedule will mean anything.
J
John
BAP said:John - thanks for the reply and I am very new at using this board. Are you
able to read the further detail that I supplied to Julie about this subject
so that I do not have to repeat? If not, I can also respond to you. I am
just not totally familar with who can see what.
Thanks
BAP,
I think my compadres have spelled it out quite well. I agree
wholeheartedly with Steve and Julie. If you want to dictate dates and
all you really want is a pretty Gantt Chart, do NOT use Project. Instead
use PowerPoint or some other graphics package and draw the schedule.
Without resources to do the work and active links to maintain the logic
(that's where Project shines), the pretty picture will be just that.
Pretty useless, but at least a pretty picture.
With regard to postings on the newsgroup. Each of us has their own
favorite method of participating in the newsgroup. Some people use
Google. I think most of us use a newsreader. Depending on the settings,
readers may chose to only see a select subset of posts or the full
thread of all posts. I happen to limit my view to the last 100 posts and
my name is flagged so I can quickly check on threads where I have
responded.
John
Project MVP
D
DavidC
Just a thought but, If the concept is to have a task with a fixed start date
and fixed duration, then it will set the finish date. If however the idea is
to identify a new date by which the task could be finished by then surely all
that is being asked is to represent this on a Gantt chart. The option then
is to place a milestone task to finish no later than and have the task linked
to that as an FS. That way the finish date can be changed ( by changing the
date on the milestone) without affecting either the start date or duration.
All this will do is show the amount of slack available. It could well be
concievable that management may want to know how much flexibilty they have in
undertaking an activity.
Another way I have used to show overviews is to create a task where the
start date is linked to the start task, and the finish date is linked to the
finish date of the last task. Does the same thing as a summary task except
that the tasks do not need to be located under the summary task.
and fixed duration, then it will set the finish date. If however the idea is
to identify a new date by which the task could be finished by then surely all
that is being asked is to represent this on a Gantt chart. The option then
is to place a milestone task to finish no later than and have the task linked
to that as an FS. That way the finish date can be changed ( by changing the
date on the milestone) without affecting either the start date or duration.
All this will do is show the amount of slack available. It could well be
concievable that management may want to know how much flexibilty they have in
undertaking an activity.
Another way I have used to show overviews is to create a task where the
start date is linked to the start task, and the finish date is linked to the
finish date of the last task. Does the same thing as a summary task except
that the tasks do not need to be located under the summary task.
Ask a Question
Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?
You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.