Creating and editing links using the spreadsheet columns

The following illustration provides a simple example of what the Predecessors and Successors fields display:

In the above illustration:

• Task A lies at the start of a Finish-to-Start link to task B and a Start-to-Start link to task D. Tasks B and D are therefore the successors of task A. Task A has no predecessors.
• Task B lies at the end of a Finish-to-Start link from task A and at the start of a Finish-to-Start link to task C. Task A is therefore the predecessor of task B and task C is its successor.
• Task C lies at the end of two Finish-to-Start links: one from task B and one from task D. Tasks B and D are therefore the predecessors of task C. Task C has no successors.
• Task D lies at the end of a Start-to-Start link from task A and at the start of a Finish-to-Start link to task C. Task A is therefore the predecessor of task D and task C is its successor.

Note that where a task has more than one predecessor or successor, they are separated by a separating character - usually a comma - in the Predecessors and Successors columns. Note also that you can configure the Predecessors and Successors fields to display the following information other than the task name (using the Table Definition Properties dialog):

• Task ID.
• WBN pathname.
• Path name.
• Unique task ID.
• Line number.

You can also configure the fields to display the type of link and any lead or lag on the link. This is illustrated below, where the Predecessors and Successors fields have been configured to display the line number rather than the task name, plus the type of link and the amount of lead or lag on each link:

In addition to this, you can configure the fields to display the link category that has been assigned to the link. If you choose to display the link category, it appears in brackets in between the task description and the description of the link.

Finally, you can configure the fields to display any notes that have been entered against the link. Note that you cannot edit link notes in the spreadsheet even if they are displayed; you must use the Link Properties dialog to edit link notes.

1. If the bar on which the task at which you want the new link to start contains more than one task, display the bar in one-task-per-line mode.
2. Click in the Predecessors or Successors column against the task at which you want the new link to start.
3. Enter details of the new link using the following syntax:

<task identifier> (<link category>) <link type> <lead/lag amount>

The elements of this syntax are explained in the following table:

<task identifier>	Enter either the name, task ID, WBN pathname, path name, unique task ID or line number of the task at which you want the new link to end. You need to enter the identifier that the column is currently configured to display. For example, if the column currently displays the unique task ID, this is the identifier you must enter. If the column is configured to omit any identifier, you cannot create links by typing in the column. Note the following points about the <task identifier>: When using the task ID, WBN pathname, path name or unique task ID as a task identifier, Asta Powerproject is able to identify the task at the other end of the link precisely as these are by their very nature unique. When using the task name as a task identifier, Asta Powerproject first searches for tasks of that name in the current chart or summary group. If one is not found, it searches for tasks of that name in the rest of the project. When using the line number as a task identifier, Asta Powerproject creates the link provided that the specified line number in the current bar chart contains a single task.
(<link category>) (optional)	Enter the name of the link category that you want to apply to the link, within brackets.
<link type> (optional)	Enter either FF, FS, SS or SF.
<lead/lag amount> (optional)	Enter the amount of lead/lag that you want to apply to the link. The lead/lag will be applied to the start of the link.

Note that the (<link category>), <link type> and <lead/lag amount> elements are optional: you only have to specify the task identifier. If you do not specify the (<link category>), <link type> or <lead/lag amount>, the link that is created will be FS (Finish-to-Start), will have no lead/lag and will be assigned the default link category. Note also that you can specify the (<link category>), <link type> and <lead/lag amount> elements when creating a new link even if the Predecessors or Successors columns are not currently configured to display them.

You can create more than one link to or from a task at the same time by separating the details of each link with the separator character, which is normally a comma. If the Predecessors or Successors column already displays details of one or more links for a task, you can add new links by appending them to the list, again separating the details of each link with the separator character.

When you click in the Predecessors or Successors column, a dropdown control appears:

You can also create new links by clicking this dropdown control and selecting Add new link to... (for the Predecessors column) or Add new link from... (for the Successors column). The Link From/To dialog appears, which you can use to select the task that you want to be at the other end of the new link.

Examples of creating new links

The examples below use the following tasks as a starting point. Note that the Predecessors and Successors columns are configured to display the task name of predecessor and successor tasks, and no other details:

Clicking in the Successors column in line 1 and entering B would create a Finish-to-Start link with no lead/lag from task A to task B:

Clicking in the Successors column in line 1 and entering B,C would create two Finish-to-Start links with no lead/lag: one from task A to task B and the other from task A to task C:

Clicking in the Predecessors column in line 3 and entering A (Category A) SF 2d would create a Start-to-Finish link with 2d lead/lag at the start of the link from task A to task C, with the Category A link category assigned to the link:

Note that in the above example the Predecessors column is configured to display only the task name, so the (<link category>), <link type> and <lead/lag amount> are not displayed once the link has been created. If the column was configured to display all details, it would appear as follows:

1. If the bar at which the link you want to edit starts or ends contains more than one task, display the bar in one-task-per-line mode.
2. Click in the Predecessors or Successors column against the task at which the link starts or ends.
3. Edit the link's details using the same syntax that you use when creating links (<task identifier> (<link category>) <link type> <lead/lag amount>): enter a new task identifier to change the task at the other end of the link and change the link category, link type and lead/lag amount if required.

As when creating new links, when editing existing links you can alter the (<link category>), <link type> and <lead/lag amount> elements even if the Predecessors or Successors columns are not currently configured to display them.

You can also edit existing links by clicking the dropdown control that appears when you click in the Predecessors or Successors column and selecting Properties of.... The Link Properties dialog appears, which you can use to change the properties of the selected link.

Examples of editing existing links

The examples below use the following tasks as a starting point. Note that the Predecessors and Successors columns are configured to display the task name of predecessor and successor tasks, and no other details:

Clicking in the Predecessors column in line 2 and overwriting A with A SS would change the existing Finish-to-Start link from task A to task B into a Start-to-Start link:

Clicking in the Successors column in line 1 and overwriting C with C FF 5d would change the existing Finish-to-Start link from task A to task C into a Finish-to-Finish link with five days lead/lag at the start of the link:

1. If the bar on which the task from which you want to delete a link contains more than one task, display the bar in one-task-per-line mode.
2. Click in the Predecessors or Successors column against the task from which you want to delete the link.
3. Select the details of the link(s) you want to delete in the column and press DEL to delete the link.

If the Predecessors or Successors column displays details of more than one link for a task - if the task has more than one predecessor or successor - you can delete all of the links, or just one or more of the links, leaving others undeleted.

Examples of deleting links

The examples below use the following linked tasks as a starting point. Note that the Predecessors and Successors columns are configured to display the task name of predecessor and successor tasks, and no other details:

Clicking in the Predecessors column in line 3 and deleting A would delete the link between task A and task C (clicking in the Successors column in line 1 and deleting C would have the same effect):

Clicking in the Successors column in line 1 and deleting B, C would delete both of the links, from task A to task B and task C: