Linking tasks

Usually tasks in a project have to take place in a particular order. For example, you cannot build a wall until you have dug the foundations. You specify the order in which tasks take place by drawing links from one task to another. The task at the start of the link is the predecessor, and the task at the end of the link is the successor. If you did not link your tasks, they might be scheduled to take place in the wrong order.

To draw a link between two tasks:

Move the mouse pointer so that it is over the top or bottom edge of the predecessor task. The shape of the cursor indicates the point on the predecessor task from which you are linking:

- Link from/to the start of the task.

- Link from/to relative to the start of the task.

- Link from/to relative to the end of the task.

- Link from/to the end of the task.

The different cursor shapes are particularly helpful if you have more than one task close together on a bar because the cursor indicates whether you are dragging a link from the end of the first task or from the start of the second task.
Hold down the left mouse button and drag the pointer onto the successor task. A link extends from the predecessor task and follows the mouse pointer as you drag. The shape of the cursor indicates the point on the successor task to which you are linking.

As you draw the link, a popup box displays where the link is being drawn from and to:
Release the mouse button when the pointer is at the correct position on the successor task. If you release the mouse button when the pointer is not on a task, the link is abandoned, unless you have selected the Display Link From/To radio button on the Settings tab of the Link Settings dialog, in which case the Link From/To dialog appears.

A link is drawn between the two tasks. The link slope is shown in the Object Edit toolbar. Note that there is an arrowhead at one end of the link. The arrowhead points to the successor task, indicating the direction of the link:

You can draw a link to or from the start of a summary task or expanded task, and from (but not to) the end of a summary task or expanded task. You cannot draw a link to a hammock but you can draw a link from a hammock to another task not within the hammock.

If the tasks you want to link are not close to each other in the bar chart, or if they are in different charts, you may find it difficult to link them by drawing on the bar chart. If this is the case, you can use the Link From/To dialog to link tasks by specifying the tasks you want to link, rather than by drawing links on the bar chart.

You can create, edit and delete links using the Predecessors and Successors columns when they are displayed in the spreadsheet. The Predecessors column displays the tasks at the start of the links that end at a task; the Successors column displays the tasks at the end of the links that start at a task. You can edit the text in these columns directly to create new links and to edit or delete existing links. You can also create, edit and delete links using the Links tabs of the Bar and Task Properties dialog and of the properties view.

Once you have drawn a link between two tasks, you can move either end of the link to another task - or to a different position on the same task - by selecting the link and clicking and dragging one of its ends.