Options dialog - Edit tab
You use the Edit tab of the Options dialog to specify a number of options relating to the way in which you edit projects.
How to access the Options dialog
To access the Options dialog, click the File tab, then click Options.
Explanation of the fields and buttons on the dialog
| Field/Button | Description |
|---|---|
| When editing start or finish in spreadsheet - Change duration |
Click this radio button to allow
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| When editing start or finish in spreadsheet - Move task |
Click this radio button to allow
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| When inserting by spreadsheet - Create subheading |
Click this radio button to create a subheading (a bar with a name but no tasks) when entering a bar or task name on a new bar.
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| When inserting by spreadsheet - Create task |
Click this radio button to create a new task when entering a bar or task name on a new bar. The task will take the default duration as specified on the Task tab of the Bar Chart Defaults Properties dialog.
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| When creating tasks - Copy bar name |
Click this radio button to specify that new tasks are given the name of the bar on which they are created automatically.
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| When creating tasks - Leave name empty |
Click this radio button to specify that new tasks should be created without a name, so that you can enter the name of your choice subsequently.
You may find it useful to create new tasks without a name if you regularly create more than one task on a bar.
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| Inherit attributes from neighbouring task |
Select this check box to specify that new tasks should inherit code library assignments, calendar, WBS code and the 'use parent calendar' setting from a neighbouring task where possible; clear the check box to specify that they should inherit these attributes (except WBS code) from the default settings that have been defined on the Task tab of the Bar Chart Defaults Properties dialog.
Specifying that tasks should inherit these attributes from a neighbouring task may prove useful in situations where tasks in different sections of a project tend to share these attributes with other tasks in the vicinity; specifying that tasks should inherit attributes from the global bar chart default settings may prove useful in situations where all tasks in a project tend to share the same attributes.
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| Charts inherit display attributes from parent |
Select this check box to specify that new charts should inherit certain properties from their parent chart, or clear this check box to specify that these properties should be blank for new charts.
If you select this check box, the following fields on the Chart tab of the Chart/Project Properties dialog inherit information from the parent chart:
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| Editing duration for a task work driven task updates |
Specify the task work related parameter that you want to be updated automatically when you change the duration of tasks that are modelled in terms of task work. You can choose to update either the amount of task work or the task work rate.
Modelling tasks in terms of task work without using resources |
| Task work rate determiner |
Enter a text string to use in between the work unit and the time unit when describing task work, for example 'per' or 'each'. This text string is highlighted in italics in the following examples:
Modelling tasks in terms of task work without using resources |
| Round work rate down to retain whole time units |
If you change the task work rate of a task against which task work has been recorded, the duration of the task is updated accordingly to reflect the revised work rate. For example, if a 10d task has 100 units of task work with a work rate of 10 units per day and you change the work rate to 20 units per day, the task duration will change to 5d.
With this check box cleared, changing the task work rate of a task can result in fractional task durations. For example, if a 10d task has 100 units of task work with a work rate of 10 units per day and you change the work rate to 8 units per day, the task duration will change to 12d 4h. If you like to work in whole time units - for example, in whole days rather than in part days - this behaviour is undesirable.
With this check box selected, the task work rate is adjusted downwards automatically if necessary when it is changed to produce a non-fractional task duration - one with a whole number of time units. For example, changing the work rate of the task in the above example to 8 units per day would result in the task work rate being adjusted automatically to 7.69 units per day and a task duration of 13d. The task work rate is adjusted so that the task duration has a whole number of the time unit specified in the task work rate. For example, if a 10d task had 100 units of task work with a work rate of 50 units per week and you changed the work rate to 40 units per week, the task work rate would be adjusted automatically to 33.33 units per week and the task duration would change from 10d to to 15d - ie from 2w to 3w - as 'week' is the time unit specified in the task work rate.
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| Ignore costs on satisfied allocations | Select this check box to omit the cost of a satisfied demand resource allocation from the task's costs and from the parent task's roll-up costs, or clear the check box to include that cost. |
| Task Pools | Click this button to display the Task Pools dialog, which you can use to specify a number of options relating to the creation of task pools, which can be used as templates for the creation of networks of tasks. |
| Link Settings | Click this button to display the Link Settings dialog, which you can use to specify a number of options relating to the creation and editing of links. |
How do I...
... specify the way in which tasks are affected when editing their start or finish date in the spreadsheet?
Click the Change duration radio button to increase or decrease the duration of a task when you edit one of its dates in the spreadsheet, or click the Move task radio button to move the task forwards or backwards in time without changing its duration.
... specify whether tasks are created when you enter information in a new bar of the spreadsheet?
Click the Create task radio button to create a task in the bar chart when you enter a bar or task name in a new bar in the spreadsheet, or click the Create subheading radio button to disable this automatic task creation.
... specify whether new tasks inherit the name of the bar on which they are located?
Click the Copy bar name radio button to specify that new tasks are given the name of the bar on which they are created automatically, or click the Leave name empty radio button to specify that new tasks should be created without a name, so that you can enter the name of your choice subsequently.
... specify where newly-created tasks should inherit certain key attributes from?
Select the Inherit attributes from neighbouring task check box to specify that new tasks should inherit code library assignments, calendar and the 'use parent calendar' setting, plus the WBS code, from a neighbouring task where possible, or clear the check box to specify that new tasks should inherit these settings (except the WBS code) from the default settings that have been defined on the Task tab of the Bar Chart Defaults Properties dialog.
... specify whether newly-created charts should inherit certain key attributes from their parent chart?
Select the Charts inherit display attributes from parent check box to specify that new charts should inherit certain properties from their parent chart, or clear this check box to specify that these properties should be blank for new charts.
... specify the task work related parameter to be updated automatically when you change the duration of tasks that are modelled in terms of task work?
Select either Task work or Work rate in the Editing duration for a task work driven task updates field.
... specify the text string to use in between the work unit and the time unit when describing task work?
Enter a suitable text string, for example 'per' or 'each', in the Task work rate determiner field.
... specify whether to adjust the task work rate of tasks automatically to ensure that task durations are in whole time units?
Select the Round work rate down to retain whole time units check box to adjust the work rate of tasks downwards automatically if necessary when it is changed to produce a non-fractional task duration - one with a whole number of time units - or clear the check box to leave the work rate unchanged, resulting in task durations that may be fractional.
... specify whether to include costs on completed tasks in calculations?
Select the Ignore costs on satisfied allocations check box to omit the cost of satisfied demand resource allocations from a task's costs (and from costs that are rolled up), or clear the check box to include the costs.
Creating tasks in the spreadsheet
Modelling tasks in terms of task work without using resources