B4J Question Gantt diagram for PM

[udg]

Hi all,
I could be wrong on this, but I seem to recall an initial step made by @klaus some time ago in order to write a simplified version of a Gantt diagram tool to serve the project management area.
My question is about any possible evolution of that initial step.

A second, related question, is: what tool do you use in order to manage your projects? I was used to MS Project, but the guys I currently work with can't afford that sw nor they have enough experience on Project Management in general. So a free (or almost free) tool, able to work with just the essentials data useful to understand when a project is going to execced its limits on time constraints/budget and (more importat) if-then scenarios showing what could happen to all your on-going projects when you "insert" a new task/project somewhere on the timeline would be ideal.
What I need is a reference to something you (or your company) daily use and can recommend (out of the tens of refeneces a google search can lead to).

TIA

 

[klaus]

There does exist an evolution, not published, of the xGantt Class.
Attached the xGanttDemo B4XPages project, it contains the xGantt.bas file, it is not yet a b4xlib.
There exist three types or objects:
1. Task, with different properties.

2. Group, with different properties.

3. Milestone, with different properties.

Two types of display.
The chart:

The table.

I post it as it is, I can give more explanations if you are interested in.

EDIT:
I removed the project from this post.
The demo program with the xGantt module is published in this thread: [B4X] xGantt chart.

 

[udg]

Well done, Klaus!
I'd like to know if you plan to invest more time on it in the near feature (no time constraints, just the intention to keep it high on your "software development" to-do list).

Did you consider the "resources" (and related costs) needed to complete a task?
They could be, for example, equipment to buy/rent, logistics (room, transport..) and people. Well, talking about people, one thing I always hated was the use of the word "resource" applied to them, altough it's of common use. Anyway, on a task we could have hired personnel, external specialists (payed by hours/day), consultants..anyone working full day or part-time.
All that will add to the cost of a task/group and sum up to the total cost of the project.
Adding resources (e.g when you risk to exceed time constraints) will invrease total project cost and eventually take it out of budget.

Thank you again for the great job you did so far.

udg

 

[klaus]

Sorry, but this is not on my to do list.
My goal was to show what could be done for Gantt charts, more from the graphics point of view.
Adding resources management of any kind and costs control would lead into a full project management program.
And this is not on my to do list.

Even in the demo project there are still some features missing.
1. Official holidays or free days are not taken into account, only Saturdays an Sundays.
2. Optimistic and pessimistic time estimations with the corresponding chart display.
3. Critical path.
etc.

Anyway, the source code i posted is open source and anyone who is interested in can reuse it and modify in any way.

 

[udg]

Thank you @klaus
I wasn't asking you to develop a complete PM system. My question was primarily intended to have a glimpse on your to-do list on the subject in order to avoid duplication of efforts in the case I come up withe some time to dedicate to it.

Anybody interested could use the [xGantt] prefix to keep this subject current. Eventually we (b4xers, not necessarily the two uf us) will have a "graphics engine" and a "logic counterpart" to combine in the skeleton of a "complete" tool, which anyone could personalize and augment in the desidered way. Mainly to demostrate (once more) how powerful the B4x language and its development tools are.

 

[klaus]

Maybe i could open a thread to publish the current version.
And other members could find it more easily, if there is interest.

 

[klaus]

The demo program with the xGantt module is published in this thread: [B4X] xGantt chart.