Gantt chart extension

Gantt Chart Extension

1. Overview  

The Gantt chart is a powerful project management tool that illustrates your project's schedule, outlining tasks in a timeline with their respective start and end dates. Each task is represented by a horizontal bar called Gantt bars. It provides an overall view of the project as it depicts various factors like task duration, overlapping tasks, milestones, and deadlines. With this Gantt chart extension, you can efficiently plan, schedule, and track your projects within Zoho Creator applications.


2. Key features
  

  • Visualize the project timeline for effective planning and identify the project completion timeframe.

  • Customize the Gantt chart by applying themes and colors to the timeline (Gantt bars) based on values for improved comprehension.

  • View the project timeline across various intervals like daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.

  • Track your project's progress and manage task dependencies for efficient project execution.  

  • Detect and correct incorrect data by reviewing the error logs provided.

3. Types of chart

This extension supports three types of Gantt charts, depending on the form setup.

 

Type 1: Basic chart with list of tasks

A chart that displays a straightforward list of tasks with start and end dates. Best suited for forms that only need to present task timelines.

 

Type 2: Multiple projects with list of tasks

A chart that displays task timelines for individual projects and allows switching between projects. Ideal when each project has its own set of tasks that has to be viewed separately.



 

Type 3: Multiple projects with list of tasks and its subtasks

A chart that displays tasks and their associated subtasks for each project, which allows you to switch projects. Most useful when projects need a detailed breakdown of tasks and subtasks.



4. Installing the extension  

To install the Gantt chart extension, please follow the below steps.

  1. Go to Zoho Marketplace.

  1. Click Extensions in the top-left corner and select Zoho Creator.

  1. Search for the Gantt chart extension and click Install. You need to login to your Zoho account to install the extension. 

Refer to this page to learn more about installing the extension. Once installed, the extension will be available in your Zoho Creator account.

5. Setting up the extension     

Type 1 


This setup is suitable for Gantt chart that shows a list of tasks.


1. Create a new form with the below fields.

Field name

Field data type

Field link name

Description

Task name

Single line

Task_name

To record the task name

Start date

Date

Start_date

To record the start date of the task

End date

Date

End_date

To record the end date of the task 

 

2. Embed the extension on a page and add scripts

  1. Open page builder and add the Gantt chart extension as a widget.

  2. Click the Page Variables and Scripts icon on the top menu bar.

  3. Click Add Variables and add the below variable.
              Variable Name - data
              Data type         - Text

  4. Click Scripts and add the below scripts. Ensure the parameters are mapped to the correct link names as explained in the table below.

input.data =

{

"reportName":"All_Tasks",

"chartSetup":{

"dateFormat": "dd-MM-yyyy",

"fields":

{

"taskName":"Task_name",

"startDate":"Start_date",

"endDate":"End_date"

}

}

};

                      

  Parameter

  Description

 reportName

 Name of the Tasks report

 dateFormat

 (Optional)

 The date format specified in the date and time settings in your application settings.

Supported Formats:
  1. dd-MM-yyyy (Default)

  2. dd-MMM-yyyy

  3. MM-dd-yyyy

 taskName

 The field link name of the tasks name field in the Tasks form

 startDate

 The field link name of the start date field of the Tasks form.

 endDate

 The field link name of the end date field of the Tasks form.


 

3. Add records and view the Gantt chart

  1. Access the live mode of the application and add records to the Task form.

  2. Sort the report by Start date ascending order.

  3. Click the page where the extension is embedded. The Gantt chart will be displayed.

See how to configure

 

Type 2 


This type is useful for Gantt chart that displays list of tasks associated with a project. This chart allows to switch projects and view its tasks.


1. Create forms

You need to create two forms for this type.


Form 1 - Task form

Field name

Field data type

Field link name

Description

Task name

Single line

Task_name

To record the task name

Start date

Date

Start_Date

To record the start date of the task

End date

Date

End_date

To record the end date of the task

Project name

Lookup

Project_Name

To record the project name to which the task belongs.

 

Form 2 - Projects form

Field name

Field data type

Field link name

Description

Project name

Single line

Project_Name

To record the project name

Tasks

Subform

Tasks

To record the tasks form from projects form

 

Constraints: The link name of start date and project name must be Start_Date and Project_Name in all the instances; only then the Gantt chart will work as expected.

 

2. Embed the extension on a page and add scripts

  1. Open page builder and add the Gantt chart extension as a widget.

  2. Click the Page Variables and Scripts icon on the top menu bar.


  3. Click Add Variables and add the below variable.
                 Variable Name - data
                 Data type - Text

  4. Click Scripts and add the below scripts. Ensure the parameters are mapped to the correct link names as explained in the table below.

input.data =

{

"parentReport":"All_Projects",

"reportName":"All_Tasks",

"relationLinkName":"Project_Name",

"chartSetup":

{

"dateFormat":"dd-MMM-yyyy",

"fields":

{

"taskName":"Task_name",

"startDate":"Start_date",

"endDate":"End_date"

}

}

};

 

Parameter

Description

parentReport

Denotes the report name of the projects form from which the lookup is used in the Tasks form.

reportName

Name of the Tasks report

relationLinkName

The link name of the project lookup field in the Tasks form.

dateFormat

(Optional)

The date format specified in the date and time settings in your application settings.

Supported Formats:
  1. dd-MM-yyyy (Default)

  2. dd-MMM-yyyy

  3. MM-dd-yyyy

taskName

The field link name of the task name field in the Tasks form.

startDate

The field link name of the start date of the Tasks form.

endDate

The field link name of the end date of the Tasks form.

 

3. Add records and view the gantt chart

  1. Access the live mode of the application and add records to the Tasks form.

  2. Sort the report by Start date ascending order.

  3. Click the page where the extension is embedded. The Gantt chart will be displayed. 

See how to configure

  

Type 3 


This type is useful for Gantt chart that displays list of tasks and its subtasks associated with a project. It also allows you to switch projects and view the tasks and subtasks within them.

1. Create forms

You need to create three forms for this type.


Form 1 - Projects form

Field name

Field data type

Field link name

Description

Project name

Single line

Project_Name

To record the project name

Tasks

Subform

Tasks

To record the tasks form from projects form

 

Form 2 - Task form

Field name

Field data type

Field link name

Description

Task name

Single line

Task_name

To record the task name

Start date

Date

Start_date

To record the start date of the task

End date

Date

End_date

To record the end date of the task

Project name

Lookup

Project_Name

To record the project name to which the task belongs.

Subtask

Subform

Subtasks

To record subtasks of a particular task

 

Form 3 - Subtask form

Field name

Field data type

Field link name

Description

Subtask name

Single line

Subtask_name

To record the task name

Subtask start date

Date

Subtask_start_date

To record the start date of the task

Subtask end date

Date

Subtask_end_date

To record the end date of the task

Project name

Lookup

Project_Name

To record the project name to which the task belongs.

Task name

Lookup

Task_name

To record the task that the subtask belongs.
(Must be made bidirectional from the subtasks form)

 

Constraints:

  • The link name of start date and project name must be Start_Date and Project_Name in all the instances; only then the Gantt chart will work as expected.

  • A subtask's start and end dates must be fall within its parent task's start and end dates.

 

2. Embed the extension on a page and add scripts

  1. Open page builder and add the gantt chart extension as a widget.

  2. Click the Page Variables and Scripts icon on the top menu bar.

  3. Click Add Variables and add the below variable.
                 Variable Name - data
                 Data type         - Text

  4. Click Scripts and add the below scripts. Ensure the parameters are mapped to the correct link names as explained in the table below.

input.data =

{

"parentReport":"All_Projects",

"reportName":"All_Tasks",

"relationLinkName":"Project_Name",

"chartSetup":

{

"dateFormat":"dd-MMM-yyyy",

"fields":

{

"taskName":"Task_name",

"startDate":"Start_Date"

,"endDate":"End_date",

"subData":

{

"subReportName":"All_Subtasks",

"subRelationName":"Task_Lookup",

"subFields":

{

"subTaskName":"Subtask_name",

"subStartDate":"Subtask_start_date",

"subEndDate":"Subtask_end_date"

}

,

"expansion":true

}

}

}

};

 

Parameter

Description

parentReport

Denotes the report name of the projects form.

reportName

Name of the Tasks report.

relationLinkName

The field link name of the project field (lookup) in the Tasks form.

dateFormat

(Optional)

The date format specified in the date and time settings in your application settings.

Supported Formats:
  1. dd-MM-yyyy (Default)

  2. dd-MMM-yyyy

  3. MM-dd-yyyy

taskName

The field link name of the task name field in the Tasks form.

startDate

The field link name of the start date field in the Tasks form.

endDate

The field link name of the end date field in the Tasks form.

subReportName

Report name of the subtasks form.

subRelationName

Link name of tasks lookup field in the subtasks form.

subTaskName

Link name of the subtask name field in subtasks form.

subStartDate

Link name of the subtask start date field in subtasks form.

subEndDate

Link name of the subtask end date field in subtasks form.

 

 

3. Add records and view the gantt chart

  1. Access the live mode of the application and add records to the Tasks form.

  2. Sort the report by Start date ascending order.

  3. Click the page where the extension is embedded. The Gantt chart will be displayed.

 

See how to configure

 

Notes
Note: Only existing forms can be used as subforms here. Inline subforms are not supported.

6. Other customizing options

This extension provides customization options to distinguish various tasks with colors and have a more visually appealing chart.

 

6.1  Set chart theme 

You can set any desired color to your chart and make it more attractive. Add the below script to set the chart theme.

  1.  "theme": {

  2.         "color" : "pink",

  3.         "fontColor" : "#FFF"
  4.         }

The above script sets the color and font of the extension.
InfoInfo The value can be given in both color codes or specified as color names.

6.2 Set Gantt bar colors  

You can set multiple colors for the timeline to help you distinguish between various tasks. The chart utilizes a round-robin pattern from the multiple colors to determine the timeline (Gantt bars) colors. If you've given four colors - red, blue, green, and yellow - the bars will be colored in the same sequence. For the subsequent bars, the color sequence will repeat in the same order.

  1. "colors" : ["#ff793f", "#706fd3", "#6ab04c","#ffff00"]

6.3  Set color based on field values 

You can set colors for the Gantt bars based on the value of a field. For example, if you want to view the tasks in different colors according to their status (field), you can do so by assigning different colors to different statuses. Like Pending tasks could be displayed in yellow, Ongoing tasks in blue, and Completed tasks in green.

This helps you quickly identify the critical aspects of a project, therefore reducing the time to interpret the information and improving overall clarity. You can add the below script and set colors according to your preference.

  1.  "colors": {

  2. "basedOn": "Status",

  3. "values": {

  4. "Pending": "yellow",

  5. "In Progress": "blue",

  6. "Completed": "#4CAF50"

  7. }

  8. }
  • basedOn - denotes the field link name based on which the bars color will be configured.

Info
All the above three customization scripts can to be added at the end of the Gantt chart scripts.

7. Points to note

Alert
  1. For the Gantt chart to display effectively, you should sort the report by start date in ascending order.
  2. The 'dateFormat' parameter is supported only in the latest version of the Gantt chart extension. The older version will only support 'dd-MMM-yyyy' date format by default. Learn more about updating the extension.