Turning the progress display on and off

When you mark progress on a task or allocation, you can choose to display shading on the completed part of the task or allocation (progress shading), and a vertical line marking the report date of the selected progress period (progress line). You can choose to display progress shading across the top half of tasks and allocations (default shading), or across the entire height (solid shading). Both types of progress shading are illustrated below:


Default progress shading	Solid progress shading

To turn the display of progress shading and progress lines on and off:

On the Format tab, in the Format group, click Format Bar Chart. The Format Bar Chart dialog appears.
Click the Progress tab.
Select the On check box in the Lines group to display progress lines on the bar chart. If you want to display progress lines or shading in the date zone, you must select this check box.
Select the Progress entry date line only check box to display only the progress line that relates to the report date of the current progress entry period, or clear the check box to display progress lines from the progress periods that you select in the Progress periods field.
Select a colour in the Override colour field to override the colour of all progress lines in the bar chart with a single colour of your choice, or select None to display progress lines using the line style colours that have been specified for each progress period.

In the Line style group, specify whether you want the progress lines to be drawn straight or jagged:


The straight progress line marks the progress period report date	The jagged progress line highlights tasks that are behind or ahead of schedule: the first task is behind, the second is ahead and the third is on schedule

You can choose to display straight progress lines on expanded tasks, summary tasks and hammock tasks, even when progress lines are drawn jagged in the rest of the bar chart, by selecting the Straight progress line on Summaries/Hammocks check box. Note that this check box also affects the display of progress lines on the 'fake' summaries that can be displayed in sort/group subheadings.

In the Shading group, select the Show shading check box to display progress shading in the bar chart, or clear the check box to omit progress shading from the bar chart.

If you do display progress shading, specify whether you want to display it all in a colour of your choice, or using the colours assigned to the relevant progress periods using the fields in the Shading group.

If you choose to display progress shading using the colours that have been specified for each progress period on summary tasks, expanded tasks and hammocks, the progress is calculated according to the progress method that you have selected in the Progress method field on the Properties tab of the Backstage view. Note that if you choose one of the cost or effort-based progress methods, it is not possible to display progress shading using the colours that have been specified for each progress period on summary tasks, expanded tasks and hammocks.

Use the Tasks and Summaries/Hammocks drop-down fields to specify whether you want to display progress shading across the top half of tasks and allocations (default shading), or across the entire height (solid shading). You can choose to omit progress shading from summary tasks, expanded tasks and hammock tasks by selecting No shading in the Summaries/Hammocks drop-down field.

The summary/hammock progress shading settings that you choose also affect progress shading on the 'fake' summaries that can be displayed in sort/group subheadings.

Displaying progress shading using the colours that have been specified for each progress period makes it easier for you to identify the progress period in which progress occurred. It also makes it easier to identify which progress period you should be using when you progress tasks.

When you turn the display of progress lines on, the selected progress lines are immediately displayed on the bar chart. When you turn the display of progress shading on, progress shading is not displayed unless progress is marked on tasks and allocations.

You can also turn the display of progress on and off instantly using display switches. There are two display switches that affect the display of progress. One turns the display of progress lines on and off, while the other affects the display of progress shading.