User manual

Dependencies 5-2

Turn Dependency Mode on and off

Dependency Mode is either on or off for the whole schedule. It is a global setting.

• Choose Dates | Date Related Settings |

Dependency Mode.

• A check mark by Dependency Mode indicates that it is on.

- or -

1. Click the

tool in the toolbox.

2. Right-click any symbol.

3. Choose Turn On Dependency Mode or Turn Off Dependency Mode.

• Even though you only selected one symbol and turned the dependency mode on or off, this

setting applies to the whole schedule.

Show or hide the vertical links

The task links (vertical links) which establish dependencies may by visible or hidden.

1. Choose View | Optional Items | Task Links.

• A check mark next to the Task Links option means that vertical links are currently being

displayed.

• If there is no check mark, then click the menu once to make the check mark appear.

• Even when the vertical links are hidden, the rules for the movement of parent (predecessor)

and dependent (successor) symbols still apply.

Symbol Dependencies and Movement

When Dependency Mode is on, a symbol is dependent (successor) if it comes after (to the right of) the parent

symbol (predecessor) on the same line, or if a vertical link runs from the parent symbol to the dependent symbol on

another task row.

Vertical links can go both up and down, so dependent symbols can actually be on task rows above the parent

symbol.

In the example on the ﬁ rst page of this chapter, a vertical link with a “from-to” arrowhead is used to easily see the

direction of the dependencies.

• If Dependency Mode is on, then dependent symbols will always shift if the parent symbol is moved with

the mouse.

• If you try to change an individual symbol’s date in the Selection menu or the Symbol Properties

dialog box, you will be prompted to allow/not allow dependent symbols to shift.

• If you right-click a symbol when dependency mode is on, choose Highlight Dependent Symbols to

easily see all symbols dependent on the selected symbol.

• If you change an end date in a SmartColumn, dependent symbols will shift accordingly.