Lesson5.5.Splitting Tasks

Lesson 5.5. Splitting Tasks

Figure 5-6. Splitting a task.

Figure 5-7. The split task.

If work on a task is interrupted, you can split the task to stop work and begin it again at a later date. A task can be split multiple times if necessary.

1. Select the Write XML-based lessons task.

   Uh-oh. The resources for this task will have to stop working on this project for a few days to work on another project. We'll have to split the task to account for the time.

2. Click the Split Task button on the Standard toolbar.

   A status window pops up and the cursor turns into a dividing tool, as shown in Figure 5-6.

3. Place the splitting cursor at 1/05/06.

   The instruction window shows the date that the interruption will begin.

4. Click the task bar and drag it to the right until the instruction window says the task will start again on 1/10/06.

   A dotted line separates the two parts of the task, as shown in Figure 5-7. The first part of the task ends at 1/05/06, where you began the interruption, and the second part of the task begins at 1/10/06, where you ended the interruption.

   Notice that the duration of the task has not changed: it is still 0.5 months. Also notice that a Task Deadline indicator appears next to the task. Since you moved back the finish date of the task, the deadline will not be met.

   It is also easy to adjust the length of a split, or to remove the split altogether.

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   Tip: You can remove a split by dragging one part of the split bar so that it touches another part of the split bar. The task bars will just bond together.

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5. Click the second half of the task bar and drag it to the left until the instruction window says the task will start on 1/05/06.

   The split is removed, and the task is scheduled to meet its deadline once again.

   Notice that the duration of the task never changed; it is still 0.5 (half of a month). Instead, the scheduling of work on the task has changed, moving back the finish date of the task.

QUICK REFERENCE

TO SPLIT A TASK:

1. SELECT THE TASK.

2. CLICK THE SPLIT TASK BUTTON ON THE STANDARD TOOLBAR.

3. PLACE THE SPLITTING CURSOR () on the date you want the interruption to begin.

4. CLICK AND DRAG THE TASK BAR TO THE DATE YOU WANT THE INTERRUPTION TO END.

TO REMOVE A SPLIT:

• CLICK AND DRAG THE SPLIT TASK PORTIONS UNTIL THEY TOUCH.