Creating a Task List

Core Training for Microsoft Project 2002

Entering Tasks, Durations, and Milestones

1	To start entering tasks, click the List the tasks in the project link in the Tasks pane.
2	To enter the name of the first task, click in the cell directly below the Task Name column heading, type Pre-Production, and then press the ENTER key.
3	To view the bar for task 1 on the Gantt Chart, click the Task Name field for task 1 and click the Go To Selected Task button on the Standard toolbar.
4	To enter a second task, click the second cell below the Task Name column heading, type Develop script, and then press the ENTER key.
5	To start entering durations for the existing tasks, click the second cell below the Duration column heading, type 5d, and then press the ENTER key.
6	To enter a duration for task 3, type 3d and press the ENTER key.
7	To create a milestone task, click the Task Name field for task 6 task, click the Insert menu, and then click New Task.
8	Notice that a new task is inserted above the selected task and that subsequent tasks are renumbered, and type Pre-Production complete!
9	To format the new task as a milestone, press the RIGHT ARROW key, type 0d, and then press the ENTER key.
10	To complete the tasks in the project activity, click below the scroll box on the scroll bar of the List Tasks pane and click the Done link at the bottom of the pane.

Organizing Tasks into Phases

1	To start grouping tasks into phases, click the Organize tasks into phases link in the Tasks pane.
2	To specify the tasks to be grouped, click the Task Name field for task 2 and drag down to select tasks 2 through 6 in the right pane of the window.
3	To format the selected tasks as subtasks of task 1, click the Indent Tasks button in the Organize Tasks pane.
4	Notice that task 1 becomes a summary task and that it is represented by a summary task bar in the Gantt Chart, and click the Task Name field for task 8 and drag down to select tasks 8 through 10.
5	To format the selected tasks as subtasks of task 7, click the Indent Tasks button in the Organize Tasks pane.
6	To complete the Organize tasks into phases activity, click below the scroll box on the scroll bar and click the Done link at the bottom of the Organize Tasks pane.
7	To start defining relationships between tasks, click the Schedule tasks link in the Tasks pane.
8	To specify a relationship between two specific tasks, click the Task Name field for task 2 and drag down to select tasks 2 and 3 in the right pane of the window.
9	To assign a Finish-to-Start relationship to the selected tasks, click the Finish-to-Start Link button in the Schedule Tasks pane.
10	Notice that Microsoft Project changed the start date of task 3 to the next working day following the completion of task 2 and that the duration of the Pre-Production summary task grew correspondingly, and click the Task Name field for task 3 and drag down to select tasks 3 through 6.
11	To assign a Finish-to-Start relationship to the selected tasks, click the Finish-to-Start Link button in the Schedule Tasks pane.
12	To make one task the predecessor of another, click the Task Name field for task 9.
13	Click the Task Information button on the Standard toolbar.
14	In the Task Information dialog box, click the Predecessors tab.
15	On the Predecessors tab, click the cell directly below the Task Name column heading, click the Task Name arrow, click Rehearse in the list, and then press the ENTER key.
16	To close the Task Information dialog box, click OK.
17	To select two more tasks to link, click the Task Name field for task 8 and drag down to select tasks 8 through 10.
18	To assign a Finish-to-Start relationship to the selected tasks, click the Finish-to-Start Link button in the Schedule Tasks pane.
19	To select and link the two summary tasks in the project, click the Task Name field for task 1, hold down the CTRL key, click the Task Name field for task 7, and then release the CTRL key.
20	To assign a Finish-to-Start relationship to the selected tasks, click the Finish-to-Start Link button in the Schedule Tasks pane.
21	To complete the Schedule tasks activity, click the Done link at the bottom of the pane.
22	To check the overall duration of the project as it stands now, click the Project menu and click Project Information.
23	In the Project Information dialog box, notice that the project finish date is 1/27/04 and then click the Statistics button.
24	In the Project Statistics dialog box, notice that the project is scheduled to take 17 working days to complete and then click the Close button.

Documenting Tasks

1	To start adding information to existing tasks, click the Link to or attach more task information link in the Tasks pane.
2	To attach additional information to a specific task, click the Task Name field for task 4 and click the Add a note link in the Add Information pane.
3	In the Task Information dialog box, type Includes exterior street scene and indoor studio scenes in the Notes box of the Notes tab and click OK.
4	Notice that a Note icon appears in the Indicators column, and point to the Note icon.
5	Notice that the text that you entered is now displayed in a ScreenTip, and move the mouse pointer to the chart area of the window to hide the ScreenTip.
6	To add a hyperlink to a task, click the Task Name field for task 5 and click the Add a hyperlink link in the Add Information pane.
7	In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, click in the Text to display box and type Check recent agent postings.
8	To specify the URL of the Web page that contains the recent agent postings, click in the Address box, type http://www.southridgevideo.com, and then click OK.
9	Notice that a Hyperlink icon appears in the Indicators column, and point to the Hyperlink icon.
10	Notice that the text you entered in the Text to display box appears in a ScreenTip and that the icon included in the ScreenTip enables you to open the designated Web page in your Web browser, and move the mouse pointer to the chart area of the window to hide the ScreenTip.
11	To complete the Link to or attach more task information activity, click the Done link at the bottom of the Add Information pane.