Long plans read better in groups. SimpleGantt builds the hierarchy from your table and draws a summary bar for each group that spans its tasks.
Three ways to define groups #
| Column | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|
| WBS | 1, 1.1, 1.2, 2, 2.1, 2.1.1 | Any depth. A row whose number has children (1, 2, 2.1) becomes a summary. |
| Level | 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3 | Each row belongs to the nearest row above with a lower level. |
| Phase | Design, Design, Build, Build | One summary per phase value, in the order phases first appear. |
If more than one of these columns exists, WBS wins over Level, and Level over Phase.
How summaries are calculated #
- A summary runs from the earliest start to the latest end of its tasks.
- Its progress is the average of its tasks, weighted by duration.
- A summary row in a WBS plan uses its children’s dates. If the dates typed in that row disagree, the Issues panel says so for information.
Collapse and expand #
- Click the chevron next to a summary in the chart grid to fold or unfold it.
- Expand all and Collapse all on the toolbar do it for every group.
- In a plan with a Phase column, right-click a task and choose Show only this phase to focus on one phase. A line above the chart says which phase is shown; Show all brings the others back.
The folded state is saved with the chart. Dependency links to a task inside a folded group are drawn to its summary bar.
Gaps and jumps #
A WBS with gaps (1, 1.3) or a level that jumps (1 to 3) still works: the task is placed under the nearest fitting parent. When a row skips an outline level, the Issues panel mentions it.