 Gantt

Gantt

Gantt can be used to display a sequence of temporal tasks, sorted over time along the horizontal axis.

Every Gantt chart consists of a series of Time bars that have:

•	Task or Bar Name

•	Start Date

•	End Date

•	Vertical Position

•	Bar Color

Bars can be connected to each other.

In Gantt you can change the background color of the chart, apply a background gradient and give the Chart a title.

New

This is the second release of Gantt and can be considered as basically a new program. Scripts that worked with the first release of Gantt will not work with Gantt 2.

You can now work completely visual with Gantt. The script is created and modified behind the scenes by Gantt itself.

See Basics to get yourself started with bars and Chart to see how you can change the appearance of the chart..

Gantt Files

You can save and load your Gantt charts as scripts. In addition you can save the chart as an image file.

Gantt files are saved with the .gan extension. This allows you to associate the .gan extension with Gantt.

You can use command line parameters to open a .gan file when launching Gantt.

Dropping a .gan file on the Gantt Desktop Icon will open that file in Gantt.

File Open

Will load and display an existing Gantt file.

File Save

Will save the current Gantt chart and prompt you for a filename when the chart has not been saved before.

File Save As

Will prompt you for a file name and save the chart under that name.

File Close

Will close the current Gantt file.

File Printer Setup

Opens a dialog box where you can set paper size and orientation.

File Print

Will send the current chart to the printer.

File Save Chart as BMP

Will save an image of the chart in the BMP format.

File Save Chart as WMF

Will save an image of the chart in the WMF format that gives a much smaller file size.

File Convert BMP to GIF

If you want to use images of your charts in other programs or on the internet it is worthwhile reducing the image size.

Gantt has a build-in GIF optimizer to convert your bmp images to gif images. You can use this function with any bmp file.

File Convert BMP to JPG

Not only can you convert/optimze to GIF but also to JPG. You will find that for plain charts without gradient backgrounds or background image, the GIF format is best suited, but otherwise JPG gives better results.


 Basics

Basics

A Gantt chart can be used to keep track and overview of time related projects and tasks.

You best start with adding the project bar to the chart. The project bar spans the whole duration of the project.

Adding the project bar

To add the project bar proceed as follows:

 1.	Enter project in the item name field

 2.	Select the start date

 3.	Select the end date

 4.	Set the vertical position to 100

 5.	Select the bar color with the First Color selector

 1.	Press the F4 key

Now the project bar is displayed.

You may wonder, why enter 100 as the vertical position?

In Gantt every bar has a vertical position between 0 and 100. Placing the project bar at 100 will make sure it is alway at the top of the chart.

Of course you can also place the  project bar at position 0, to keep it at the bottom, or at any other position between 0 and 100 if you prefer that.

Adding a project task

To add a project task you proceed in the same way as when adding the project bar. Only this time your time frame will be smaller, you will select a different vertical position and bar color, and most important: you will give a different item name.

Deleting a project task

To delete an project task from the chart you either select the task in the chart or you select the task from the item names dropdown list. Next you press the ctrl+F4 key to delete the task bar.

Editing a project task

To edit a project task you either select the task in the chart or you select it from the item names dropdown list. The you change the task bar porperties like start date , end date, color etc. Finally you press the shift+F4 key to update the chart.

Using the mouse

You can edit a project task as explained above, using the toolbar to change the settings.

Gantt allows you to change most of a task bar's properties using the mouse.

Start Date

Click-drag-release with the mouse in the left part of a bar to change the Start Date.

End Date

Click-drag-release with the mouse in the right part of a bar to change the End Date.

Vertical Position

Click-drag-release with the mouse in the middle part of the bar to change its vertical position. Move slowly or you will 'loose' the bar. Go back and drag again when this happens.

Bar Color

First select a First Color and then right-click Color over a bar. This will change the color of the bar to the selected First Color.

Connecting Bars

You may want to connect bars visually with a line to show their relation.

To connect two bars:

•	Ctrl+click the first bar

•	click the second bar

•	Press the F5 key

To remove a connection between two bars you do the same. In Gantt when you try to make an existing connection, the connection will be removed.


 Chart

Chart

Gantt allows you to change the appearance of the chart and zoom in and out.

Zoom In

To zoom in on part of the chart just click-drag-release a rectangle to the right with the mouse.

Zoom Out

To Zoom out to the original chart view you do the same as for zooming in, only this time you drag to the left.

View Monochrome

Use this to toggle between color display and dithered black and white. If you are printing to a black-and-white printer you want to set the colors to monochrome.

Chart Color

Will set the background color of the chart to the currently selected First Color.

Chart Title

Will ask you for a new chart title and display it above the chart.

Chart Gradient

Allows you to apply a gradient fill to the chart background, or select no gradient. A gradient will be displayed bewteen the First Color and the Second Color slection.

Chart Pen Style

Allows you to change the line style of the bar connectiong lines.

Chart Pen Color

Will change the color of bar connection lines to the selected First Color.

View 3D

Will switch between 2D and 3D chart view.

View Back Image Load...

Allows you to load an image that will be used for the chart background. Images can be in bmp, gif and jpg format.

When Gantt can't find the image in the given path it will also look in the Gantt directory.

View Back Image Clear

Will clear the back image.

View Back Image Inside

Will toggle the way the back image is displayed.

When True this property restricts display of the BackImage to inside the chart Frame area.

View Back Image Stretch/Tile/Center

Determines the way a backimage is displayed. This property is not saved/loaded.

Left and Bottom wall color

Allows you to set the 3D view colors of left and bottom wall.


 Updates

Updates

Gantt is written by Jan Verhoeven with Delphi 5.

Email:

jan1.verhoeven@wxs.nl

Website:

http://members.xoom.com/JanVee/freeware.htm