home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Cream of the Crop 1
/
Cream of the Crop 1.iso
/
WINDOWS
/
ML14A.ARJ
/
MAINLINE.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-06-25
|
91KB
|
2,771 lines
MainLine
Project Management Software
By
Minuteman Systems
P.O. Box 152
Belmont MA 02178
Preface
Copyright Information
Copyright 1992, by Minuteman Systems
The software and the disks on which it is contained are licensed
to you, for your own use. This is copyrighted software. You are
not obtaining title to the software or any copyright rights.
You may not sublicense, rent, lease, convey, modify, trans-
late, convert to any other programming language, decompile, or
disassemble the software for any purpose.
You may make as many copies of this software as you need for
backup purposes. You may use this software on more than one
computer, provided there is no chance it will be used simultane-
ously on more than one computer.
Preface v
Registration Information
This program is supplied as Shareware. This means that you
may evaluate the program for free, but are required to pay a
registration fee if you keep it and use it.
Note that any fee paid to a Shareware distribution company or
similar supplier does not replace, nor contribute towards, the
registration fee.
If you are satisfied with the program and wish to use it, you
may register it by filling out a hardcopy of the included file
ORDER.TXT. Send it with a check or money order for $59.95 to
Minuteman Systems, PO Box 152, Belmont, Massachusetts, 02178.
As a registered user, you will receive
o A printed, bound User's Manual.
o Free updates for one year.
o Telephone service.
o A personalized diskette with your name and a serial number.
Also, the registration screen usually presented when exiting
the program will be disabled.
Incentive Plan - Once you have registered, have acquaintences
list your name as a reference when they register. You will receive
a $10.00 rebate.
vi Preface
Notice
This software is supplied as-is. There are no warranties, ex-
pressed or implied.
Minuteman Systems disclaims all warranties relating to this
software, whether expressed or implied, including but not lim-
ited to any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness
for a particular purpose, and all such warranties are expressly
and specifically disclaimed. Neither Minuteman Systems nor any-
one else who has been involved in the creation, production,
or delivery of this software shall be liable for any indirect,
consequential, or incidental damages arising out of the use
or inability to use such software even if Minuteman Systems
has been advised of the possibility of such damages or claims.
In no event shall Minuteman Systems' liability for any damage
ever exceed the price paid for the license to use the software,
regardless of the form of claim. The person using the soft-
ware bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the
software.
Some states do not allow the exclusion of the limit of liability
for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitation
may not apply to you.
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts and shall inure to the benefit of Minuteman
Systems and any successors, administrators, heirs and assigns.
Any action or proceeding brought by either party against the
other shall be brought only in a STATE or FEDERAL COURT of com-
petent jurisdiction located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
The parties hereby consent to in personam jurisdiction of said
courts.
Preface vii
CONTENTS
Preface............................................... v
1 Introduction......................................... 1
1.1 How This Manual Is Organized...................... 1
2 Installation......................................... 2
2.1 System Considerations............................. 2
2.2 Installation Procedure............................ 4
3 Trial Run - 1st Pass................................. 6
3.1 The Initial Screen................................ 6
3.2 Moving Around - Key Commands...................... 8
3.3 The Menu-Command Line............................. 10
3.4 Adding a Task..................................... 11
3.5 Storing a Project................................. 14
3.6 Printing Reports.................................. 14
3.7 Exiting........................................... 14
3.8 Examining The Reports............................. 15
4 Trial Run - 2nd Pass................................. 18
4.1 Reading In A Project.............................. 18
4.2 Editing an Existing Task.......................... 19
4.3 Inserting, Deleting, Moving Lines................. 20
4.4 Deleting A Task................................... 24
4.5 Adding Descriptions to Groups of Tasks............ 26
4.6 Adding A Date and Labels to The Display........... 26
4.7 Locating Tasks - The "Search" Function............ 29
4.8 The Wait Function................................. 29
4.9 Changing Program Configuration.................... 31
5 Advanced Topics...................................... 35
5.1 System Capabilities............................... 35
5.2 Following The Critical Path....................... 35
iii
5.3 The Journal File - Recovering Damaged Project
Files............................................. 35
5.4 Attaching Fixed Dates to Milestones............... 36
5.5 Project Rollups................................... 36
5.6 Renumbering Tasks and Milestones.................. 39
5.7 Copying A Group of Projects....................... 39
5.8 Importing Projects................................ 41
6 Command Listing...................................... 43
6.1 Filing............................................ 43
6.2 Global............................................ 43
6.3 Exit.............................................. 44
6.4 Tasks............................................. 44
6.5 Display........................................... 44
6.6 Print............................................. 45
Appendix A QUICK-START INFORMATION....................... 47
A.1 Starting Up........................................ 47
A.2 Moving Around The Screen........................... 47
A.3 Calling Up Commands................................ 49
A.4 Basics of Editing and Generating Reports........... 49
A.5 Notes on Dates and Calculations.................... 50
Appendix B SELECTING OUTPUT FORMATS...................... 51
Appendix C SERVICE....................................... 53
iv
FIGURES
1 Blank Project..................................... 7
2 1 Task Added...................................... 13
3 DEMO.DAT.......................................... 16
4 DEMO.RPT.......................................... 17
5 Tasks Added....................................... 22
6 Moved Lines....................................... 23
7 Adding Comments................................... 27
8 Date and Label Fields............................. 28
9 Using The Task Wait Function...................... 30
10 Global Configuration Menu......................... 32
11 Using Rollup Tasks................................ 38
v
1 Introduction
The principal job of the MainLine Project Management Program is
to develop a schedule in a clear and understandable format, for
the purposes of
1. Identifying the parts of the project and their interdependen-
cies.
2. Allowing easy changes to the schedule for "what if" purposes.
3. Providing compact reports suitable for presentations, and
compatible with electronic mail systems for distribution to
those working on the project.
1.1 How This Manual Is Organized
Section 2 describes the method for installing the program on the
machine. It also discusses the requirements of the computer this
program is to run on.
Section 3 and Section 4 illustrate how to use MainLine by means
of a series of examples.
Section 3 goes over the basics - turning on the program, creat-
ing a simple project, and generating some reports.
Section 4 demonstrates with further examples how to edit a
project and manipulate the display of a project on the screen.
Section 5 describes some advanced features.
Section 6 lists all the individual commands available and de-
scribes each briefly.
Appendix A includes "quick-start" information if you wish to get
up-and-running prior to having read this whole manual.
Appendix B gives further information on formatting the schedule
output for printing and electronic mailing.
1
2 Installation
To install and use this program, all that is required is famil-
iarity with the basics of DOS operation. If you aren't experi-
enced with creating directories and copying files, consult the
DOS documentation with your system.
2.1 System Considerations
This program is intended to be run on IBM-style personal com-
puters and exact compatibles. The program has been successfully
tested and used on numerous machines.
Speed of the program will vary depending on the model of PC
used. The program was developed and tested on 20MHz 386-SX
machines and found to have very usable speed. It has been tested
on older machines including 8 MHz "XT" machines - while the
performance is slower, it is still quite usable.
Whatver machine used should have at least 360K of RAM memory
free and available.
Note - The presence on a system of Terminate-And-Stay-Resident
programs (TSRs), memory managers, or Local Area Network (LAN)
software may interfere with the operation of this program. "In-
terference" usually means that the program cannot load and ex-
ecute. However, in borderline cases there may be misoperations
during the running of the program. This includes things like
running out of memory, or disturbances of the display. If you
are experiencing difficulty loading or running this program, and
any of those other types of software are installed on your sys-
tem, try removing them or disabling them in various combinations
to determine what is causing the problem.
2
Video Considerations - The first time the program is used, it
will default to run in a black and white mode compatible with
most if not all video cards and display monitors available. The
program's command menu has options for selecting the colors
displayed, and for changing the resolution of the display.
(See Section 4.9.) These selections may then be stored away
as defaults for future use.
3
2.2 Installation Procedure
Registered users receive a diskette containing the updated,
executable code and related files in non-compressed format. They
should be copied directly into the working subdirectory.
Diskettes obtained from Shareware vendors include the following
files;
o MAINLINE.EXE - A compressed, self-extracting file containing
the executable code, this documentation, and several data
files.
o INSTALL.BAT - Installation Batch File
o INSTALL.TXT - Instructions for using INSTALL.BAT to install
the program.
o ORDER.TXT - A Form for registering the program
o README.1ST - A brief description of the program, including
installation considerations.
o PACKING.LST - A list of the included files.
Diskette vendors may also place other files on the diskette.
Before doing any installation, it is best to make a backup copy
of the supplied diskette. This is easily done by copying all
files on the diskette using the DOS command;
DISKCOPY b: b: (Assuming diskette drive is "b" - otherwise
substitute the proper disk drive letter.)
To install the program, run the installation batch file. First
set your default drive to the diskette drive.
Then type INSTALL from: to: followed by ENTER, substituting the
diskette drive and the harddisk drive respectively. I.E. A:, B:,
C:, D:. Be sure to include the colons.
A subdirectory MAINLINE will be created. The following files
will be installed in it;
4
o MAINLINE.DOC - This file, the User's Manual.
o ML.EXE - The executable program file.
o SMCGA.FNT - Fonts used in high resolution black/white dis-
play.
o SMVGA.FNT - Fonts used in high resolution color display.
If for some reason the installation procedure does not work,
install the program manually as follows;
Create a subdirectory on your harddisk where you will do your
project work. Example - C:\MAINLINE. Copy MAINLINE.EXE into this
subdirectory. Set your default drive/directory to C:\MAINLINE.
Extract the file by typing MAINLINE (followed by ENTER).
If you obtained the program from a bulletin board or an on-line
service such as COMPUSERVE, all the above files are bundled into
MAINLINE.EXE. Use the manual installation procedure described
above.
5
3 Trial Run - 1st Pass
This section will go through the real basics - turning the
program on, creating and saving a simple project, generating
some reports, and exiting the program.
First set the default drive to the one where you have stored
the program. Start the program by entering ML followed by
ENTER or Carriage Return (CR).
3.1 The Initial Screen
See Figure 1. After a few seconds the display will show a
Gantt/Pert chart for a minimal project. It will have only a
start milestone, a single task, and an end milestone.
Here are some important things to note about the way a schedule
is displayed.
o The Calendar - Dates run left to right across the top of
the display. Month, date, and day-of-week (MTWTF) are shown.
Only week-workdays are used, and there are no provisions for
holidays.
o Milestones - Each Milestone is represented by an asterisk (*)
and is shown as occurring on one day only.
o Tasks - Tasks are represented as equal signs (=) if they are
on the critical path, or dash-lines (-) if they aren't.
o ID's - Each task or milestone must have a unique identifying
number which is displayed below it ("10" for the "Start"
Milestone).
o Line Numbers - Each task or milestone is represented on a
3-row "Line". ("1" for the Start milestone, "2" for "Task".)
You can assign the Line Number for any Task or Milestone, to
format the Schedule the way you want.
That's enough description for now - more characteristics will be
described as we use them.
6
Figure 1: Blank Project
Press "/" or "\" For Command Menu MainLine Rev 1.4
.----------------------+---------------------+------------------.
|_____Mar '92__________|___ Apr '92 _________|___ May '92 ______|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
Date:16-Mar-92 |MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
.--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|Blank 1 |Start . . . . . . . . . . . |
| |* . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 2 | Task . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | ===================^ . . . . . . . . |
| | 20. . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 3 | . . . .End . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . .* . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . 30 . . . . . . . . |
| 4 | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 5 | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 6 | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
`--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
| Mar '92 | Apr '92 | May '92 |
`----------------------+---------------------+------------------'
7
3.2 Moving Around - Key Commands
You can use keyboard keys to move around and look at other parts
of the schedule.
You can use the UP(^) and DOWN(v) arrows to scan through the
schedule one line at a time.
The "PAGE UP" and "PAGE DOWN" keys will move the display one
screen at a time.
Pressing the RIGHT and LEFT Arrow keys moves the display hori-
zontally.
Note - If multiple Arrow or PAGE UP/DOWN keys are entered
quickly, after a brief pause the screen will be updated only
once. This is a great timesaver. It reduces the time spent
waiting for the screen to be redrawn. To demonstrate this fea-
ture, press RightArrow three times quickly. This only works with
multiple entries of the same key type.
These and other key selections are listed below;
________________________________________________________________
Key___________Function__________________________________________
Down Arrow Advance Screen One Line
Up Arrow Back Screen One Line
Right Move Forwards in time.
Arrow
Left Arrow Move Backwards in Time
PAGE DOWN Advance to Next Screen
PAGE UP Go Back 1 Screen
8
________________________________________________________________
Key___________Function__________________________________________
HOME Move to Top-most Screen and Start of Calendar
CTRL-T Move to Top-most Screen
CTRL-B Move To Bottom-most Screen
CTRL-L Move Horizontally Left To Start of Calendar
CTRL-R Move Horizontally Right to Latest Used Date
CTRL-F Find Task/Milestone
+ Follow the critical path forwards in time
- Follow the critical path backwards in time
"|" Go To A Specific Line Number
"\"_or_"/"____Activate_Menu-Command_Line________________________
9
3.3 The Menu-Command Line
There are many commands for editing, filing, generating outputs,
etc. The majority are activated by use of a Menu-Command Line.
The Menu-Command line is called up by pressing the "\" or "/"
key. (Press "/" Now)
Note that the commands "Filing,Global,Exit,Tasks,Display,Print"
are displayed at the top of the screen, and that "Filing" is
highlighted.
The Highlight may be moved around by pressing the right- or
left- arrows. Try it, but then return to "Filing".
Pressing ENTER (don't do it yet!) executes whichever command
is highlighted. This may result in the immediate execution of a
command, or the appearance of a nested Command line.
With "Filing" still highlighted, hit ENTER now and note that the
command line "Get, Store, New, Import" appears.
Note - You may also activate a command directly by pressing the
key of the first letter of the command. It is not necessary to
press ENTER when so doing.
While viewing the Menu-Command Line, screen movement keys no
longer operate. Pressing BACKSPACE or ESCAPE at any time backs
up one level in the Menu-Command line. Pressing BACKSPACE or
ESCAPE when at the top level exits the Menu-Command Line and
normal screen viewing ability returns. (Hit BACKSPACE now.)
From here on, sequences of using the command line will be de-
scribed as follows;
"\+Filing+Store" means execute the series of menu choices start-
ing with "\" or "/", then "Filing", "Store".
10
3.4 Adding a Task
Execute the following command line; \+Tasks+Add_Task
You will be prompted for a task number - enter "25". (All en-
tries require termination by ENTER.)
Enter "t" or ENTER when prompted to select a Task or Milestone.
You will be asked to specify the ID of a Task or Milestone which
the new task is to succeed - enter "20".
You will be asked to specify the ID of a Task or Milestone which
the new task is to preceed - enter "30". (You don't have to
enter anything here, you could leave it blank - we'll just
include it for this exercise.)
A Task Data Sheet for task 25 will now appear at the bottom
of the screen. You may edit any of the task's data entries by
selecting a letter/number associated with the data, pressing
ENTER, and then entering the data.
Enter "c" (with ENTER) to edit the Title. Then enter "New
Task".
"New Task" should appear in the Title field of the Task Data
Sheet.
Enter "d" to edit the Duration. Then enter "20" for 20 working
days.
To leave the editing mode, enter "x" for Exit.
The full screen is displayed again. It should look like Fig-
ure 2.
Note the following about the new task;
o It is chronologically between the "Task" and the "End".
11
o It is on line 2.
o It is on the critical path.
Note 1 - Note that the screen-movement keys (Arrows, PG UP/DN,
etc, all function while the task editor is working.)
Note 2 - A default line number is always supplied, typically
the same line number as that of the "After Task?" entry. When
the Task Editor is active, you may change the line number as
follows;
Enter "l" to select which line the task should appear on. Use
BACKSPACE to erase the present line number, then enter the new
line number.
Note 3 - Notice that the top line of the display has changed.
When the program was first activated, the top line contained a
message indicating how to activate the command menu. After the
first time that the command menu is used, the top line message
is replaced with information describing the name of the present
project, and the percentage of MainLine's project-handling
capability that is being used. Since MainLine can handle up
to 150 tasks and/or milestones, the percentage shown now is
quite small.
12
Figure 2: 1 Task Added
Project=<DEMO> Usage = 2% MainLine Rev 1.4
.----------------------+---------------------+------------------.
|_____Mar '92__________|___ Apr '92 _________|___ May '92 ______|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
Date:16-Mar-92 |MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
.--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|Blank 1 |Start . . . . . . . . . . . |
| |* . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 2 | Task . . . New Task. . . . . . . |
| | ===================^===================^ . . . . |
| | 20. . . . 25. . . . . . . . |
| 3 | . . . . . . . .End . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . .* . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . 30 . . . . |
| 4 | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 5 | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 6 | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . . |
`--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
| Mar '92 | Apr '92 | May '92 |
`----------------------+---------------------+------------------'
13
3.5 Storing a Project
In order to store the edited project under a new name, do the
following;
Execute /+Filing+Store
You will be prompted for the name to store it under - a default
of "mlwork" is shown in brackets.
Type "demo" for the name and press ENTER.
The data base for this project has now been saved. The project
could be edited further (remember to store again after addi-
tional changes), or you could exit, restart the program, and
load the stored project.
3.6 Printing Reports
Before exiting let's generate some output reports. We'll just
create the reports now, and examine them after exiting.
Create a schedule report by executing \+Print+Partial_Schedule.
Create a date report by executing \+Print+Date.
Create a task-milestone report by executing \+Print+Task_Detail
3.7 Exiting
Let's temporarily exit.
Enter the commands \+Exit
14
3.8 Examining The Reports
You should be back to the DOS prompt.
Enter the command
C:\MAINLINE>DIR
You will get a directory listing which should include the fol-
lowing files
1. ML.EXE - The executable MainLine file
2. DEMO.PRJ - The data file for the demo project you have cre-
ated.
3. DEMO.TXT - The Schedule for DEMO
4. DEMO.DAT - A Date Report for DEMO
5. DEMO.RPT - A complete report with all the data of all the
tasks and milestones in DEMO.
6. MLJRNL.PRJ - A backup file to protect project data. (See
Section 5.3.)
DEMO.TXT is a text file containing the schedule. It will be
132 columns wide. It should look almost exactly like Figure 2.
(Figure 2 has been modified here to be 80 columns wide to fit
better in this manual.)
You can examine DEMO.TXT with the TYPE command or with a text
editor. You can mail it to anyone on your network. You can send
it to any ASCII printer. If you print it out in LANDSCAPE on
a laser printer, a viewgraph/transparency can be made which is
suitable for use in presentations.
DEMO.DAT lists the start- and end- dates for all the tasks and
milestones in DEMO. It is reproduced in Figure 3
DEMO.RPT lists all tasks and milestones in DEMO, with their
complete data - predecessors, titles, start and end dates, etc.
It is listed in Figure 4
15
Note - Any change to a .PRJ file file could make the file un-
usable. Never try to directly edit or otherwise change a .PRJ
file. Don't even try to view it with a word processor or text
editor.
Figure 3: DEMO.DAT
Report Date: 16-Mar-92
Task and Milestone Date Report Project Name: demo
--------------------
Task# Typ Description Start End
----- --- ---------------------------------------- --------- ---------
10 S Blank Start 02-Mar-92 02-Mar-92
20 T Task 03-Mar-92 30-Mar-92
25 t New Task 31-Mar-92 27-Apr-92
30 F End 27-Apr-92 27-Apr-92
16
Figure 4: DEMO.RPT
Report Date: 16-Mar-92
Task and Milestone Detail Report Project Name: demo
--------------------
*******************************************************************************
Task # 10 Type S Description; Blank Start
Start:02-Mar-92 End:02-Mar-92 Duration: 0 Wait : 0
Display Line: 1
Predecessors ;
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Task # 20 Type T Description; Task
Start:03-Mar-92 End:30-Mar-92 Duration: 20 Wait : 0
Display Line: 2
Predecessors ; 10,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Task # 30 Type F Description; End
Start:27-Apr-92 End:27-Apr-92 Duration: 0 Wait : 0
Display Line: 3
Predecessors ; 25,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Task # 25 Type t Description; New Task
Start:31-Mar-92 End:27-Apr-92 Duration: 20 Wait : 0
Display Line: 2
Predecessors ; 20,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17
4 Trial Run - 2nd Pass
In the previous chapter we demonstrated the very basics; turning
the program on, creating and storing a simple project, generat-
ing some reports, and exiting.
This chapter will demonstrate in more detail the functions of
MainLine.
We'll start by reading back in the project that was previously
created.
4.1 Reading In A Project
Enter ML to start the program. Execute the command se-
quence \+Filing+Get.
Select project demo. You may do this either of two ways. Press-
ing ENTER will load the highlighted project. (Arrow keys and
PAGE UP/DOWN keys move the highlight around the displayed list
of existing project files.) Or, just type in the project name
DEMO followed by ENTER.
Note - Another way to load a project is to include the
name of the project when starting Mainline. I.E. entering ML
DEMO at the DOS prompt would have automatically loaded the
DEMO project.
18
4.2 Editing an Existing Task
Before demonstrating more functions, lets first update the
project to represent something a little more specific.
Call up the Task Editor for Task 20 by entering the command
\+Tasks+Edit
When prompted for a task number, enter 20.
Select the Title by entering "c". Erase the present title using
the BACKSPACE key, and enter the new title "Define".
In a similar manner, edit the task duration (field "d") to be 10
days.
Select task 25 for editing by entering "n" (for New task) and
the Task Data Sheet for Task 25 will appear. Using the procedure
above, change its title to "Develop".
Select "x" to end the editing session.
This has demonstrated how to make changes to an existing set of
tasks or milestones.
Note that in editing entries the cursor may be positioned using
the right- and left-arrows, and new characters may be inserted
by typing.
19
4.3 Inserting, Deleting, Moving Lines
The lines on the screen may be changed much like those in a
spreadsheet. Blank lines may be added or deleted, or blocks of
lines may be moved around.
To insert some blank lines execute \+Display+Add_lines.
When prompted, enter that you want to add lines before line 3,
and that you want to add 3 lines. Note on the screen that the
END task has been "pushed down" 3 lines. (Remember - one "line"
means 3 rows on the screen.)
We don't need to demonstrate it here, but by using \+Dis-
play+Delete_lines you can delete a group of consecutive lines.
It is not possible to delete a line that has tasks or milestones
on it.
You are now somewhat proficient at adding and editing tasks. Now
proceed to add the following tasks to the project.
o Task 40, line 2, duration 15, title "Manufacturing" - add
this task after task 25, and before milestone 30.
o Task 50, line 3, duration 30, title "Programming" - add this
task after task 20, and before milestone 30.
o Task 60, line 4, duration 33, title "Marketing" - add this
task after task 20, and before milestone 30.
o Task 70, line 5, duration 20, title "Testing" - add this task
after task 25, and before milestone 30.
The project should appear as in Figure 5.
At this point, save the project so the work doesn't get lost.
To move lines 5 and 6 so that they are after line 2, and ahead
of the present line 3, execute \+Display+Move_lines.
20
When prompted respond as follows;
Move From Line = "5"
Thru Line = "6"
To Line = "3"
The whole command sequence will be repeated for verification.
Type ENTER to proceed, or "n" to abort. The lines should now be
re-ordered as in Figure 6.
21
Figure 5: Tasks Added
MainLine Rev 1.4
.----------------------+---------------------+------------------.
|_____Mar '92__________|___ Apr '92 _________|___ May '92 ______|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
Date:16-Mar-92 |MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
.--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|Blank 1 |Start . . . . . . . . . . . |
| |* . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 2 | Define . Develop . . . Manufacturing. . . . |
| | =========^===================^--------------^ . . . |
| | 20. . 25. . . . 40. . . . . . |
| 3 | . . Programming . . . . . . . . |
| | . . -----------------------------^ . . . . |
| | . . 50. . . . . . . . . . |
| 4 | . . Marketing . . . . . . . . |
| | . . --------------------------------^. . . . |
| | . . 60. . . . . . . . . . |
| 5 | . . . . . . Testing . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . ===================^ . . |
| | . . . . . . 70. . . . . . |
| 6 | . . . . . . . . . .End . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . .* . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . 30 . . |
`--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
| Mar '92 | Apr '92 | May '92 |
`----------------------+---------------------+------------------'
22
Figure 6: Moved Lines
MainLine Rev 1.4
.----------------------+---------------------+------------------.
|_____Mar '92__________|___ Apr '92 _________|___ May '92 ______|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
Date:16-Mar-92 |MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
.--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|Blank 1 |Start . . . . . . . . . . . |
| |* . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 2 | Define . Develop . . . Manufacturing. . . . |
| | =========^===================^--------------^ . . . |
| | 20. . 25. . . . 40. . . . . . |
| 3 | . . . . . . Testing . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . ===================^ . . |
| | . . . . . . 70. . . . . . |
| 4 | . . . . . . . . . .End . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . .* . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . 30 . . |
| 5 | . . Programming . . . . . . . . |
| | . . -----------------------------^ . . . . |
| | . . 50. . . . . . . . . . |
| 6 | . . Marketing . . . . . . . . |
| | . . --------------------------------^. . . . |
| | . . 60. . . . . . . . . . |
`--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
| Mar '92 | Apr '92 | May '92 |
`----------------------+---------------------+------------------'
23
4.4 Deleting A Task
Deleting a task is very straightforward.
Execute \+Tasks+Delete, and when prompted enter the ID of the
task or milestone to be deleted.
In some instances it may not be appropriate to delete a task,
and the DELETE will be automatically aborted. This can occur
if deleting the Task would make it impossible to calculate the
Critical Path.
How It Works
The critical path is automatically calculated between a speci-
fied "Start" milestone and a specified "Finish" milestone.
These two milestones are selected by the user. Call up the task
data sheet and you will notice that there is a field called
"Type". Tasks and Milestones are identified here by "t" and "m"
respectively.
The "S" (Start) milestone is fixed for any one project. Any
one milestone may be assigned as the "F" (Finish) Milestone.
The Critical path is calculated between the Start and Finish
milestones.
Requirements
The only requirement is that there be a logical "path" between
the Start and Finish milestones. An interesting result of this
is that you may have other tasks/milestones which originate or
terminate "in space" - no path leading directly from or to the
Start and Finish dates. This is acceptable, and in many cases
reflects real life. (Many other Project Management tools require
that all tasks are connected together and that there are no
"loose ends".)
24
Moving the End Points Around
The "Blank" project starts with exactly one Start and one Finish
Task assigned.
To "move" the Finish designation around, for What-If purposes,
you may temporarily append the Finish characteristic to more
than one milestone, then remove the superfluous one.
Any edits which even temporarily result in having no Finish
milestone will be rejected.
If at any point there is more than one Start or Finish mile-
stone, the critical path calculations may be wrong. This will be
corrected once there are no superfluous Starts and Finishes.
25
4.5 Adding Descriptions to Groups of Tasks
It is helpful to add comments to groups of tasks or milestones.
Comment fields may be added in the left hand field of the dis-
play. There are two comment fields, called Head1 and Head2.
Call up the DEMO project. Edit task #20 ("Define") so that the
Head1 field contains "Project 1" and the Head2 Field contains "-
Hardware". Edit Task 50 ("Programming") so that the Head2 Field
contains "- Software". Finally, edit Task 60 ("Marketing") so
that the Head2 field contains "- Other"
The schedule should now look like Figure 7.
When 2 or more Tasks or milestones on the same line both have
entries in their Head1 or Head2 fields, the Heads from one
task/milestone are arbitrarily selected for display.
4.6 Adding A Date and Labels to The Display
A Date field, and user-defined Labels, are displayed in the
upper left-hand corner of the display. There are 4 Labels, each
15 characters long.
The Date field is assigned or updated whenever the project is
Stored.
The Label fields are set by the user using the commands \+Dis-
play+Labels
A menu will be presented to enter new Labels or to change the
existing ones.
26
Figure 7: Adding Comments
MainLine Rev 1.4
.----------------------+---------------------+------------------.
|_____Mar '92__________|___ Apr '92 _________|___ May '92 ______|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
Date:16-Mar-92 |MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
.--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|Blank 1 |Start . . . . . . . . . . . |
| |* . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
|Project 1 2 | Define . Develop . . . Manufacturing. . . . |
| - Hardware | =========^===================^--------------^ . . . |
| | 20. . 25. . . . 40. . . . . . |
| 3 | . . . . . . Testing . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . ===================^ . . |
| | . . . . . . 70. . . . . . |
| 4 | . . . . . . . . . .End . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . .* . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . 30 . . |
| 5 | . . Programming . . . . . . . . |
| - Software | . . -----------------------------^ . . . . |
| | . . 50. . . . . . . . . . |
| 6 | . . Marketing . . . . . . . . |
| - Other | . . --------------------------------^. . . . |
| | . . 60. . . . . . . . . . |
`--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
| Mar '92 | Apr '92 | May '92 |
`----------------------+---------------------+------------------'
27
Figure 8: Date and Label Fields
MainLine Rev 1.4
Label 1 .----------------------+---------------------+------------------.
Label 2 |_____Mar '92__________|___ Apr '92 _________|___ May '92 ______|
Label 3 | 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
Label 4 | 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
Date:16-Mar-92 |MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
.--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|Blank 1 |Start . . . . . . . . . . . |
| |* . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
|Project 1 2 | Define . Develop . . . Manufacturing. . . . |
| - Hardware | =========^===================^--------------^ . . . |
| | 20. . 25. . . . 40. . . . . . |
| 3 | . . . . . . Testing . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . ===================^ . . |
| | . . . . . . 70. . . . . . |
| 4 | . . . . . . . . . .End . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . .* . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . 30 . . |
| 5 | . . Programming . . . . . . . . |
| - Software | . . -----------------------------^ . . . . |
| | . . 50. . . . . . . . . . |
| 6 | . . Marketing . . . . . . . . |
| - Other | . . --------------------------------^. . . . |
| | . . 60. . . . . . . . . . |
`--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
| Mar '92 | Apr '92 | May '92 |
`----------------------+---------------------+------------------'
28
4.7 Locating Tasks - The "Search" Function
Features are included to make it easy to locate a particular
task. This becomes necessary as a project grows.
You can search through the entire project for one or more
tasks having a particular Title or Descriptive field. Enter
\+Task+Search and you will be prompted to search by Title,
Head1, or Head2. Enter a word or phrase, and all tasks will be
sequentially displayed that match the entry. "Near misses" will
be accepted - i.e. if "Des" is entered, tasks or milestones hav-
ing Titles of "Design", "Destination",and "Oldest" would all be
located. (The search ignores the case of characters). This can
be very helpful when the exact title is not remembered. As each
found task is displayed, the option is presented of stopping
and displaying the screen holding that task, of continuing the
search, or of quitting. If you continue to search and no further
matching tasks are found, you have the option of displaying the
last found match, or of quitting.
It is also possible to locate tasks directly by ID Number (press
CTRL-F when viewing the screen) or by going to the tasks line
if it is known ( press "|" ).
4.8 The Wait Function
It is sometimes useful to specify that a task not actually start
until some fixed time after its predecessors have completed.
This could be accomplished by inserting a "wait" task. However,
MainLine offers the simpler step of assigning a "wait" period
for each task.
In the Demo example, edit the [W]ait field of the task data
sheet for task 40 to have a delay of 10 days. The results are
shown below. The period of waiting is indicated by a string of
"......" characters for tasks off the critical path, or "::::::"
for tasks on the critical path.
29
Figure 9: Using The Task Wait Function
MainLine Rev 1.4
Label 1 .----------------------+---------------------+------------------.
Label 2 |_____Mar '92__________|___ Apr '92 _________|___ May '92 ______|
Label 3 | 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
Label 4 | 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
Date:16-Mar-92 |MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
.--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|Blank 1 |Start . . . . . . . . . . . |
| |* . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
|Project 1 2 | Define . Develop . . . . . Manufacturing. . |
| - Hardware | =========^===================^::::::::::==============^ . |
| | 20. . 25. . . . . . 40. . . . |
| 3 | . . . . . . Testing . . . . . |
| | . . . . . . -------------------^ . . |
| | . . . . . . 70. . . . . . |
| 4 | . . . . . . . . . . .End . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . .* . |
| | . . . . . . . . . . . 30 . |
| 5 | . . Programming . . . . . . . . |
| - Software | . . -----------------------------^ . . . . |
| | . . 50. . . . . . . . . . |
| 6 | . . Marketing . . . . . . . . |
| - Other | . . --------------------------------^. . . . |
| | . . 60. . . . . . . . . . |
`--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
| Mar '92 | Apr '92 | May '92 |
`----------------------+---------------------+------------------'
30
4.9 Changing Program Configuration
MainLine has several options for changing the appearance of the
screen display or printed output, or for changing fundemental
characteristics of the present project. These are accessed via
the Global command \+Global.
The menu shown in Figure 10 will appear. Information about the
current project will be displayed - the project's name, and
its date of most recent revision. Other information about how
MainLine is currently operating is also displayed. Information
preceeded by a letter in brackets may be changed using this
menu.
To change a setting, enter the bracketted letter in front of
the setting, and then press ENTER. For some settings, a series
of choice-prompts will follow. For others, the setting will
automatically toggle to its only other value.
Example - Changing The Start Date
MainLine uses the current date as the default project start
date. To change it, enter S followed by ENTER. When prompted for
a new start date, enter 6-Jan-92.
Press X followed by ENTER to leave the Global menu. The Calendar
should be appropriately updated. When you store the project
again, the new start date will be stored with it.
The only restriction is that the selected date must be on a
week-day.
Example - Changing The Time Scale
Projects can be displayed using either days or weeks as the ba-
sic unit of time. When the default, days, is used, approximately
4 1\2 months of activity may be displayed on an 80 column screen.
(Wider screen styles, allowing longer time ranges to be dis-
played, are described in the following material.) When a scale
of weeks is used, approx. 7 months activity can be displayed on
an 80 column screen.
31
On the Global menu, enter T and ENTER, and the time scale will
automatically toggle from DAYS to WEEKS.
When a project is stored, the time_scale in use is stored as
part of the project. That time scale will be used when that
project is read back in at a later time.
Note - All Task Durations must always be entered as working-
days, regardless of which time scale is used for displays,
Figure 10: Global Configuration Menu
.------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
! Project Configuration !
! ---------------------------- ----------------------- !
! Name : __________ Name : __________ !
! Rev Date : __________ [F] File !
! [S] Start Date : __________ [G] Get !
! !
! Screen Printer !
! ---------------------------- --------------------- !
! [W] Width : ___ [P] Print Width: ___ !
! [C] Color/Fore : __________ [D] Display ID : ___ !
! /Back : __________ !
! [T] Time Scale : __________ !
! [I] ID Display : __________ [X] Exit !
! !
! Press Letter in [ ] To Change Function, [x] to Finish !
! !
! MainLine Rev 1.4 Registered To : ____________________ Ser.No. _____ !
`------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
32
Screen Width and Color
Black and White display, of an 80 column-wide screen, is the
default display mechanism. However, the use of colors, and wider
screen styles is also supported.
Assuming your machine's graphics adapter and monitor support
color, you may change the display colors using the Global Colors
function [C]
A wider time range may be displayed on the screen by changing
the Screen Width to 105 columns using the Global Width function
[W]. The 105 columns mode also provides about 50% more rows of
displayed data. If your system supports VGA graphics, you will
be prompted for a choice of Black/White display ("CGA-style"
graphics) or full color. If your system does not support VGA
graphics, only the Black/White CGA-style is offered.
There are some tradeoffs to using the 105 columns-mode of screen
display;
o All letters are displayed in Uppercase. (Printed outputs
continue to use Upper and Lower case).
o Black/White CGA-mode runs somewhat slower than 80-columns
mode. 105-Columns color-mode runs slower still. This is more
noticeable on older, slower machines. On a 20 MHz 386-based
machine, all modes run quite acceptably.
33
Other Settings
Here is a brief description of other settings that may be se-
lected using the Global menu. See Section 6 for more informa-
tion.
o [I] : Screen ID Display - Controls (yes/no) whether task
identifying numbers are displayed below each task.
This allows mores lines of tasks to be displayed on the screen.
o [P] : Printer Size - Selects "A" size 80 column output, or
"B" size 132 column output.
o [D] : Printer ID Display - Similar to Screen ID Display, but
affects printed output only.
Configuration_Files
You can store the configuration so that it will be used auto-
matically the next time MainLine is used. (This saves you from
having to set it up every time). Pressing F and ENTER will file
the present configuration. A default filename will be supplied
(MainLine). Press ENTER to store the configuration as MainLine.
You may find that there are different configurations you prefer
to use on some occasions. You can set a different configuration,
then store it under some other name. It can be recalled at
a later time using the "Get" command (choice G in the Global
Menu). The name of the configuration presently in use is always
displayed in the Global menu.
The configurations are stored in your directory with extension
.cfg. You do not have to specify the extension when storing or
loading a configuration file - that is done automatically.
34
5 Advanced Topics
5.1 System Capabilities
Projects of the following sizes can be handled;
o Up to 150 Tasks and/or Milestones.
o Tasks/Milestones may be displayed on up to 1000 "Lines"
o Dates must fall within the range of 1-Jan-1991 to 1-Jan-2000.
Attempts to exceed these values will usually not be accepted. It
is possible that under some circumstances the program may accept
the value and then crash.
5.2 Following The Critical Path
On larger projects, it may be desirable to trace the tasks and
milestones along the critical path. Pressing the "+" and "-"
keys moves the display forwards or backwards in time along the
critical path.
5.3 The Journal File - Recovering Damaged Project Files
It is possible that at some time the operation will be unwill-
ingly terminated while there are edits that have not been saved.
This may occur due to a system crash (possibly due to a power
outage), or due to some as-yet-unknown bug in the program.
To allow recovery from this, a "backup" or "journal" file of
editing activity is created. Every time you leave the text
editor, the Project File of the current project, including
edits, is copied to the file MLJRNL.PRJ.
To recover, copy the MLJRNL.PRJ to some random project filename
like RECOVER.PRJ. Then start MainLine again, and read in RECOVER
as a project. If it appears to be what you want, exit the pro-
gram and copy RECOVER.PRJ over your original projects' .PRJ
file.
35
5.4 Attaching Fixed Dates to Milestones
A milestone may be entered with no predecessors, with its date
manually entered. This is useful for indicating fixed or exter-
nal occurrences.
To do this, enter a milestone using the normal task addition
procedure. When prompted for "After Task?" enter n for "none".
Enter (or not) a "Before Task?". When the Task Editor Screen
pops up, enter a [B]egin date for the milestone. (Note - for
Tasks, the "none" choice is not appropriate nor is it offered.)
Thereafter, that milestone will appear at that date, regardless
of other tasks or milestones in the project. (You can always
Edit that date.)
Note - Fixed milestones which get on the critical path will
prevent the critical path from reaching all the way back to the
project START milestone. There is nothing wrong with this, but
it may at first appear to be a surprising result.
5.5 Project Rollups
It is often desirable to summarize a group of related tasks
as one larger effort. The Project Rollup task provides this
function.
A Rollup is a special type of task whose beginning and end dates
are linked to a collected group of tasks.
Figure 11 demonstrates this function. Task #100 is a rollup
task. It rolls up the results of tasks 40,70, and 90. Note that
100's start date equals the start date of task 40 (earliest
start of the 40,70,90). Task 100's end date equals the end date
of task 90 (latest end date of 40,70,90) Note that task 70's
start and end lie within the min/max ranges, and so task 70 does
not affect task 100. (Later changes in start/ends of the project
tasks could alter this.)
36
Entering Rollup Tasks - A Rollup task is entered using the same
process as a regular task. Enter it initially as a regular task.
It's predecessors are the tasks it is to rollup. After entering
the rollup task, use the TASK/EDIT function to change its TYPE
to "R" or "r".
Helpful Hint - On a large schedule, Rollups can be used to
provide a concise summary of the overall project. Enter the
whole schedule in the normal fashion. Create a page-worth of
blank lines at the head of the schedule. Place rollups there
which summarize the key subsections of the project.
37
Figure 11: Using Rollup Tasks
MainLine Rev 1.4
.----------------------+---------------------+------------------.
|_____Mar '92__________|___ Apr '92 _________|___ May '92 ______|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
Date:16-Mar-92 |MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
.--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|Blank 1 |Start . . . . . . . . . . . |
| |* . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| | 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . |
| 2 | . Rollup - 40/70/90 . . . . . . . . |
| | . -----------------------------^ . . . . . |
| | . 100 . . . . . . . . . . |
| 3 | Task Task 40 . Task 50 . . . . . . . . |
| | ====^=========^---------^ . . . . . . . |
| | 20. 40. . 50. . . . . . . . . |
| 4 | . . . Task 90 . . . . . . . . |
| | . . . ===================^ . . . . . |
| | . . . 90. . . . . . . . . |
| 5 | Task 60 . Task 70 . . . . Task 80 . . . . |
| | ---------^-------------------^ . =========^ . . . |
| | 60. . 70. . . . . 80. . . . . |
| 6 | . . . . . . . . .End . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . .* . . . |
| | . . . . . . . . . 30 . . . |
`--------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+---|
|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMT|TFMTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTWT|MTWTFMTWTFMTWTFMTW|
| 0 1 2 2 | 0 1 1 2 | 0 1 2 |
| 6 3 0 7 | 3 0 7 4 | 8 5 2 |
| Mar '92 | Apr '92 | May '92 |
`----------------------+---------------------+------------------'
38
5.6 Renumbering Tasks and Milestones
As a Project is used and modified over time, it may become
desirable to renumber tasks. Work is generally easier if related
tasks have task numbers in the same range.
The Renumber command;
\+Tasks+Renumber
allows this. You may renumber an individual task, a group of
tasks, or all the tasks in the present project. You select
the task(s) to be renumbered, and specify a point to start
renumbering the tasks At. All tasks are renumbered from the
starting point forwards. The tasks will have the same sequence
as in the original range. They will be numbered in steps of 10.
To prevent overlaps, or having multiple tasks with the same
number, a few restrictions are imposed;
o The new range cannot overlap any tasks which aren't being
renumbered.
o The new range cannot overlap the "old range" of tasks that
are being renumbered.
Any attempted renumberings which violate the rules are rejected.
The rules may not seem intuitively obvious. If you experiment
with a sample project, though, the principles will soon become
clear.
5.7 Copying A Group of Projects
Very often a sequence of events (a group of tasks and mile-
stones) will need to be entered multiple times in a project.
This is simplified by using the Copy Tasks function. \+Tasks+Copy
will lead to a menu to select a range of tasks for copying.
Since each task must have a unique ID number, the menu will re-
quest a new starting point to re-number the copied tasks to. A
39
sufficient block of blank lines is automatically inserted into
the project following the last task to be copied. The range of
tasks/milestones will then be copied into that area, with the
same relationships, durations, titles and comments. It is advis-
able, but not mandatory, to modify the titles and comments to
make it easier to distinguish the new tasks from the old ones.
40
5.8 Importing Projects
It often becomes desirable to merge together projects which have
been developed separately. This is achieved using the Import
command;
\+Filing+Import
Before any two projects can be merged, it is necessary to make
sure that the two projects do not repeat any task numbers. This
can be done easily using the Renumber function described above.
It is not necessary for you to change the Line Numbers which
are used to display the tasks. The program does this for you.
It re-numbers the "Line Number" entry for each task so that
the imported project starts being displayed after the existing
project. (If you don't like this order, you can always change it
using the Move Lines command.)
The merged projects retain the name of the project that was in
memory when the import started.
If the original and imported projects have different start
dates, the earlier date is selected as the start date for the
merged projects.
There are cases where projects cannot be merged. The reason will
be displayed, along with relevant numbers. The cases are;
o The imported project cannot have tasks numbers which overlap
the existing project.
o The total number of tasks in the merged project cannot exceed
the maximum number of tasks allowed per project (150).
o The total number of lines displayed cannot exceed the maximum
displayed for any one project (1000).
After two projects have been merged, some additional work may be
necessary. For example, if the two projects each have their own
Start and End milestones, it will be necessary to select single
Start and End milestones for the new, merged, project.
41
Also, it will probably be necessary to add links between various
tasks in the two projects - that was possibly the reason for
merging the projects in the first place.
42
6 Command Listing
This section describes briefly all functions that may be ac-
cessed by the menu-command line.
6.1 Filing
The following functions may be accessed by this command;
1. Get - recall an existing project file. You will be prompted
for a project name.
2. Store - Save away the project file which is being worked on.
A default is always given. If you're working on a file which
was read-in, the old name is the default. You may store it
under a new name if you wish.
3. New - Restarts with the "blank" project being displayed.
4. Import - Merge another project file with the project
presently being worked on.
6.2 Global
This allows the setting of certain parameters that affect the
overall operation of the program.
1. Screen Width - 80 or 105 column display
2. Color - Slect forground and background colors
3. Screen ID - Remove the row with that has the task ID numbers.
This results in a more compact display - more lines per
screen or per page of printed report.
4. Calendar Start Date - The Starting point for all dates. This
must be a weekday.
5. Time Scale - Select whether schedule is displayed in units
of days or weeks. Schedule durations are always entered in
working-days.
43
6. Printer Width- Select number of columns displayed per page in
the Schedule report; 80 or 132 (default) columns. All other
reports (.DAT, .RPT) are always 80 columns.
7. Print ID - SImilar to Screen ID, but for printed output.
6.3 Exit
Allows exit from the program.
6.4 Tasks
This is the environment for changing tasks and milestones.
1. Edit - Select an existing Task or Milestone to change its
data.
2. Add Task - Add one or more new tasks.
3. Delete - Delete an existing task or milestone.
4. Find Task - Locate an existing task by its ID number.
5. Renumber - Change the Task Numbers for One, Some, or All
Tasks.
6. Copy - Duplicate a group of tasks and milestones.
6.5 Display
1. Add Lines - Add Blank Lines into the display.
2. Delete Lines - remove unused lines from the display.
3. Move Lines - Move a block of used lines up or down.
4. Labels - Enter or change 4 label-lines on display.
44
6.6 Print
1. Partial Schedule - Print a schedule report covering only
the time-span presently shown on the screen. Output file =
filename.txt
2. All Schedule - Print a schedule report for the period cur-
rently shown on the display through the end of the project.
Adjacent pages of the report will need to be taped together
to obtain a full horizontal view. Output file = filename.txt
3. Date Report - Print a report of the start and end dates for
all tasks and milestones. Output file = filename.dat
4. Task Detail report - List complete information on all tasks
and milestones in the project. Output file = filename.rpt.
45
APPENDIX A
QUICK-START INFORMATION
A.1 Starting Up
Install MAINLINE by creating a subdirectory on your Hard Disk
such as C:\MAINLINE and copying MAINLINE.EXE into that
subdirectory. Set the default drive to this directory and
decompress the files by typing MAINLINE followed by CR.
The executable file is ML.EXE. To run the program, at the DOS
prompt type ML followed by ENTER.
A.2 Moving Around The Screen
After a few seconds a screen will be displayed for a blank
project.
The calendar is displayed across the top of the screen.
The duration of all tasks is identified with either "="'s (on
critical path) or with "-"'s (not on critical path.) All mile-
stones have a duration of 0 and are indicated with a "*".
All tasks and milestones have unique identifying TASK ID num-
bers. These are displayed on the schedule below the row of sym-
bols (-,=, or *) indicating the duration of the task/milestone.
The up and down arrow keys may be used to scroll the display up
and down one task-line at a time.
When examining the schedule, the following other controls may be
used;
Quick-Start Information 47
________________________________________________________________
Key___________Function__________________________________________
Down Arrow Advance Screen One Line
Up Arrow Back Screen One Line
Right Move Forwards in time.
Arrow
Left Arrow Move Backwards in Time
PAGE DOWN Advance to Next Screen
PAGE UP Go Back 1 Screen
HOME Move to Top-most Screen and Start of Calendar
CTRL-T Move to Top-most Screen
CTRL-B Move To Bottom-most Screen
CTRL-L Move Horizontally Left To Start of Calendar
CTRL-R Move Horizontally Right to Latest Used Date
CTRL-F Find Task/Milestone
+ Follow the critical path forwards in time
- Follow the critical path backwards in time
"|" Go To A Specific Line Number
"\"_or_"/"____Activate_Menu-Command_Line________________________
48 Quick-Start Information
A.3 Calling Up Commands
Pressing "\" or "/" calls up a menu-command line which is dis-
played at the top of the screen. The majority of commands are
activated from this.
One entry on the command line is highlighted. Pressing ENTER
activates the highlighted command. That will either cause a
command to occur or it will cause a "nested" menu to appear.
The highlight may be moved around by either using the horizontal
arrow keys (<- or ->) or by pressing the alphabetic key of the
first letter of the desired command.
Many commands include a verification step ("Do you wish to
do this?). All commands include a confirmation message when
complete.
You may step backwards through the menu-command line (or exit
from the top level) at any time by pressing backspace.
A.4 Basics of Editing and Generating Reports
Existing Tasks and Milestones are edited by activating the
menu-command line and selecting "Tasks" followed by "Edit".
A data sheet will appear listing all current data on the task
or milestone. Individual entries are selected by pressing the
code-letter in front of the data field on the sheet - i.e. "d"
for "duration", "c" for "description, etc. When done, enter "x"
to exit the data-editor with changes, or "q" to quit without
implementing the changes.
New Tasks and Milestones may be added by using the menu-command
to select "Tasks" followed by "add task". You will be prompted
for basic information about the task/milestone, and then the
data sheet will appear.
Similarly, tasks may be deleted using "Tasks" followed by
"Delete". Deletions which make it impossible to calculate the
critical path are not accepted.
Quick-Start Information 49
A.5 Notes on Dates and Calculations
o Each project must contain one milestone designated as the
"Start" of the Critical Path, and another designated as
the "Finish". These selections are made with the data-sheet
editor by entering "s" and "f" respectively in the "Type"
field for those milestones.
o There must be a logical path of tasks and milestones between
the Start and Finish milestones. There may be tasks and
milestones which are partially or completely disconnected
("hanging or ending in space"), but there must be a set
of tasks and milestones connecting the Start and Finish
together.
o Only work-weekdays are used. Weekend-days, if entered, are
rejected.
50 Quick-Start Information
APPENDIX B
SELECTING OUTPUT FORMATS
A principal function of MainLine is to generate compact schedule
reports suitable for viewing on screens, mailing, hardcopy, or
making viewgraphs for use in presentations.
The schedule is a TEXT file which can be mailed, or printed in
a variety of ways. A schedule printed on 8.5"x11" paper can be
made into a viewgraph or transparency suitable for presenta-
tions. Use the Global command to select whether the output is
80 or 132 columns wide. A schedule that is 132 columns wide can
be printed on 11"x14.5" paper and reduced on a photocopier onto
8.5"x11" paper. Many printers provide a LANDSCAPE option which
allows a schedule 132 columns wide to be printed directly on
8.5"x11" paper.
Selecting Output Formats 51
APPENDIX C
SERVICE
Registered users are provided service for this program.
Telphone service is provided at (617)489-5639
Additionally, limited service is provided on the COMPUSERVE
network at user ID 70214,210
Service 53
