Project Planner Documentation

Non English Users:

Check the file, TRANSLAT.TXT, in the download for my offer to recompile Project Planner for languages besides English.

Limitations:

Project Planner is not intended to replace your main planning software but to enhance it. You will be able to take your plan to meetings or construction sites. Add or fix details while on the plane. Project Planner is designed expressly to minimize pen strokes and taps.

Project Planner is limited to working with days. While resources and staff can be assigned to tasks, Project Planner does not manage costs and resource leveling. For these features, you will need to take advantage of one of the industrial strength packages like MS Project.

Project Planner has been developed and tested on Versions 1.0 and 3.0 of the Palm Operating System. It has been successfully tested with 2,000 tasks and 2,000 resources - under those conditions, turn off the automatic date calculation to speed up operations.

Technical Limits

• Longest Task Name: 30 characters
• Longest Precursor List: 30 characters
• Longest Resource List: 40 characters
• Maximum Tasks: 2000 tasks
• Maximum Precursor Select List: Last 40 tasks
• Maximum Resources: 2000 staff or resources
• Maximum Resource Select List: First 100 staff or resources
• Largest Report: 4,000 characters (about 80 tasks)

Instructions:

1) Basic Premise

Whenever you undertake a project, it consists of a sequence of steps or tasks which requires certain resources or staff and a set amount of time to complete. Project management software allows you to plan, record, and track those activities.

2) Entering a Project

When you first enter Project Planner, it will start a new project. This requires you to give the project a name of less than 32 letters.

You are started at the first step of your project. Give this task a name. Use the arrows next to Takes to set the number of work days that this task will require. Do not include weekends. If this step is partially or completely done, use the arrows next to %done to indicate how much of this step is finished. You can use the Starts and Deadline buttons to bring up a calendar to set the beginning and completion dates of this project step.

Want to add the next step or task? Tap on the New Task button. Alternatively, you can select New Task from the Task option on the menu bar.

Does this step depend on a previous task? Can it only start once the previous task is complete. Use the Follows button to select that previous task and set the dependency. Want to remove a dependency? Selecting that name on the Follows list, will not add it twice but will remove it.

Does this step require any staff or resources? Write the names of those resources next to the Uses button. At this point, the Uses button list is empty. Only as you write in resources, do those names get added to the selection list. You must separate your resources with commas, no spaces, in order for them to be added individually to the Uses list or in reports. Want to remove a resource? Selecting that name on the Uses list, will not add it twice but will remove it.

Moving between tasks can be accomplished three different ways. First, if you can see that other task among the list of six tasks currently shown on screen, tap on its name. Second, you can use the arrows below the list of six tasks to move around. The small arrows take you one task at a time. The large arrows move six tasks at a time. Finally, under the Task option of the menu bar, you can select to Move Up or Move Down .

If you need to reposition the graph, tap on the date range just below to bring up a calendar to set the new starting point.

3) Importing a Project

From your main desktop project management software, save your project with the file type, MPX. This is a generic format for exchanging project plans with other software.

In the Project Planner download, there is a file called CONVERT.EXE. Either create a desktop shortcut for it or start it from the Windows 95 Explorer. In the first box, enter the path and file name of the PalmPilot database that you wish to create (ie. C:\MYFILES\MYPROJECT.PDB). In the second box, enter the path and file name of the MPX project file that you just saved (ie. C:\PROJECTS\MYPROJECT.MPX). In each case, the little file folder icon will bring up the standard Windows 95 Open/Save dialog from which you can pick your files. Click the 'MPX to PDB' button.

Open the PalmPilot Install Tool and install the file that you created in the above step. Hotsync your PalmPilot. Open Project Planner. Tap on the Menu icon to the lower left from the Graffiti square. The third entry on the menu bar is Plan. Select the Load Plan option. From the list box that pops up, select your project.

Be warned that Project Planner cannot handle some advanced features found in your desktop software. For example, it is limited to whole days. Lags, Finish to Finish, Start to Finish, Start to Start, and other Constraint options are all ignored.

3) Exporting a Project

HotSync your PalmPilot. Next, open the CONVERT.EXE program that came with the Project Planner download. Your PalmPilot installation should have a directory called BACKUP. This is where your Project Planner files are saved. Enter this path and file name in the first box (ie. C:\PILOT\MYNAME\BACKUP\MYPROJECT.PDB). In the second box, enter the path and file name of the MPX project file that you wish to create (ie. C:\PROJECTS\MYPROJECT.MPX). In each case, the little file folder icon will bring up the standard Windows 95 Open/Save dialog from which you can pick your files. Click the 'PDB to MPX' button.

From your main desktop project management software, open the MPX file that CONVERT created.

Alternatively, you can select to Export CSV from the Plan option on the menu bar. This creates a Comma Separated Values file in your Memopad. After you hotsync your PalmPilot, open your PalmPilot Desktop software and export this memo item with the extension, CSV. This format can be imported into most spreadsheets and word processors.

4) Reporting

Project Planner gives you a choice of two reports. Reports are sent the Memopad application for viewing and exporting to the desktop. The first report is a Status Report which lists all of your tasks and whether they are on time or overdue. The second report is a Resource Plan which lists your staff or resources and how many days they have or will be spending on the project. Both reports appear under the Plan option on the Menu bar.

5) Miscellaneous

There are five options on the Task menu. New Task adds a new project step to the end of your task list. Delete Task removes the currently selected project step. Clear All wipes your project clean of all tasks. Move Up and Move Down scrolls you through your project steps.

Under the Edit menu, there are six options. Undo backs out your latest action. This restores the last deleted record if your last action was to delete a record. Cut removes any highlighted text and puts it in the clipboard for pasting. Alternatively, if you have nothing selected, it removes the entire record and saves it for pasting. Copy makes a copy of any highlighted text and puts in the clipboard for pasting. Alternatively, if you have nothing selected, it copies the entire record and saves it for pasting. Paste takes any text in the clipboard and copies it to where the cursor is currently positioned. Alternatively, if you just copied or cut a whole record, it pastes that record in front of the currently selected record. Select All highlights all of the text in the current field (Task or Resource). Keyboard brings up the graphic keyboard where you tap out the letters. This option is useful if you have difficulty with writing Graffiti.

6) Options

The final choice on the Menu bar is OPTION . Here you will find PREFERENCES . The first part lets you set your workweek. By default, Project Planner uses a Monday to Friday workweek. At this time Project Planner cannot handle statutory holidays or vacations. The final checkbox allows you to turn Automatic Date Calculation on or off. You may wish to turn this option off if your project is particularly large, or the dates have already been optimally set by your desktop project management software.

You can REGISTER Project Planner. Either through Pilot HQ or directly from myself, you should have received a number after purchasing the software. This option brings up a screen where you enter that number to unlock the software. The number is based on your PalmPilot User Name. I or Pilot HQ will need that name to give you a number. Upper case, lower case, and spaces are important. If you are unsure of your PalmPilot User Name, go to the Register Screen.

The final option is ABOUT . This screen tells you the version number of Project Planner and how to reach me.

6) Disclaimer

While I have tested Project Planner extensively, I can accept no liabilities for the use of this program. I can, in no way, be held responsible for the loss of data within Project Planner or any PalmPilot program due to the use of Project Planner. You use Project Planner at your own risk. I retain any copyright associated with this program, both in its name, look and feel, and in its code. Should you wish to extend or improve Project Planner, contact me through my E-Mail address. Project Planner is written in the C language, using the VCP visual programming environment and the GCC for Pilot compiler.

Regards,.. Andrew Duffy (Toronto, carolron@pathcom.com)