[Project Title] Gantt Chart Template Pro © 2006-2020 by Vertex42.com.

[Company Name], Project Manager: [Name] ►

Start: Tue 6/1/2021 Display: Daily

End: Fri 6/18/2021 Week: 1 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10
Today: Fri 5/31/2024 Task Start Task Duration Show Overdue: No 31-May-2021 7-Jun-2021 14-Jun-2021 21-Jun-2021 28-Jun-2021 5-Jul-2021 12-Jul-2021 19-Jul-2021 26-Jul-2021 2-Aug-2021
Assign Predece Start Work Cal. End Colo % Prior Work 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
WBS Task Start End
To ssors Date Days Days Date r Done ity Days M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S
1 Before you begin 6/1/2021 6/14/2021 K Tue 6/01/21 Mon 6/14/21 10
1.1 Edit the [Project Title] 6/1/2021 2 100% Tue 6/01/21 Wed 6/02/21 2
1.2 Enter a Start date in C4 1.1 3 100% Thu 6/03/21 Mon 6/07/21 3
1.3 Read the Help worksheet 1.2 3 50% Tue 6/08/21 Thu 6/10/21 3
1.4 Look at the examples below 1.3 2 Fri 6/11/21 Mon 6/14/21 2
2 Ways to Define Task Durations 6/2/2021 6/18/2021 K Wed 6/02/21 Fri 6/18/21 13
2.1 Start & End dates [Name] 6/2/2021 6/14/2021 G 50% ▲ Wed 6/02/21 Mon 6/14/21 9
2.2 Start & Work days [Name] 6/2/2021 4 B 50% ⎯ Wed 6/02/21 Mon 6/07/21 4
2.3 Start & Calendar days [Name] 6/2/2021 12 P 20% ▼ Wed 6/02/21 Sun 6/13/21 8
2.4 Start & No Duration [Name] 6/2/2021 X Wed 6/02/21 Wed 6/02/21 1
2.5 Predecessor & Work days 2.4 3 R Thu 6/03/21 Mon 6/07/21 3
2.6 Predecessor & Calendar days 2.5 3 O Tue 6/08/21 Thu 6/10/21 3
2.7 Predecessor & No Duration 2.6 Y Fri 6/11/21 Fri 6/11/21 1
2.8 End date & Work days 5 6/17/2021 1 Fri 6/11/21 Thu 6/17/21 5
2.9 End date & Calendar days 5 6/17/2021 2 Sun 6/13/21 Thu 6/17/21 4
2.10 End date & No Duration 6/17/2021 3 Thu 6/17/21 Thu 6/17/21 1
2.11 Milestone 1 6/18/2021 M Fri 6/18/21 Fri 6/18/21 1 ◆
3 Ready to Begin? - - -
3.1 Save a backup copy of your file - - -
3.2 Clear the sample tasks - - -
3.2.1 a. Select the input cells (not the gray columns) - - -
3.2.2 b. Press Delete - - -
3.3 Define tasks - - -
3.3.1 a. Choose a WBS level - - -
3.3.2 b. Enter a Task description - - -
3.3.3 c. Enter a Start date - - -
3.3.4 d. Enter an End date - - -
4 Delete a Row - - -
4.1 a. Right-click on a row # - - -
4.2 b. Select Delete - - -
5 Insert a New Row - - -
5.1 a. Right-click on a row # - - -
5.2 b. Select "Insert" - - -
5.3 c. Press Ctrl+d to copy formulas down - - -
6 Move a Row - - -
6.1 a. Right-click on a row # - - -
6.2 b. Select "Cut" - - -
6.3 c. Right-click on a different row # - - -
6.4 d. Select "Insert Cut Cells" - - -
7 Things to Try - - -
7.1 Format cells any way you want - - -
7.2 Hide unneeded columns to … - - -
7.2.1 a. Make a more condensed view - - -
7.2.2 b. Print only what is needed - - -
7.3 Adjust the Display Week # to scroll - - -
7.4 Use View > Freeze Panes - - -
7.5 Unhide all hidden columns - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Insert new rows above this one. - - -
Holidays to Exclude from Work Days
Dates in this list are excluded from work days, and are highlighted green in the Daily view of
the Gantt chart. If you add more rows to the bottom of the list, you may need to edit the
named range "holidays" via Formulas > Named Ranges to include the new rows.
The Description and Country columns are just for reference.

Date Description Country

12/25/2018 Christmas
12/25/2019 Christmas
12/25/2020 Christmas
12/25/2021 Christmas
12/25/2022 Christmas
12/25/2023 Christmas
12/25/2024 Christmas
12/25/2025 Christmas
12/25/2026 Christmas
12/25/2027 Christmas
12/25/2028 Christmas
12/25/2029 Christmas
12/25/2030 Christmas
1/1/2018 New Year's Day
1/1/2019 New Year's Day
1/1/2020 New Year's Day
1/1/2021 New Year's Day
1/1/2022 New Year's Day
1/1/2023 New Year's Day
1/1/2024 New Year's Day
1/1/2025 New Year's Day
1/1/2026 New Year's Day
1/1/2027 New Year's Day
1/1/2028 New Year's Day
1/1/2029 New Year's Day
1/1/2030 New Year's Day
10/8/2018 Columbus Day US
10/14/2019 Columbus Day US
10/12/2020 Columbus Day US
10/11/2021 Columbus Day US
10/10/2022 Columbus Day US
10/9/2023 Columbus Day US
10/14/2024 Columbus Day US
10/13/2025 Columbus Day US
10/12/2026 Columbus Day US
10/11/2027 Columbus Day US
10/9/2028 Columbus Day US
10/8/2029 Columbus Day US
10/14/2030 Columbus Day US
7/4/2018 Independence Day US
7/4/2019 Independence Day US
7/4/2020 Independence Day US
7/4/2021 Independence Day US
7/4/2022 Independence Day US
7/4/2023 Independence Day US
 7/4/2024 Independence Day US
7/4/2025 Independence Day US
7/4/2026 Independence Day US
7/4/2027 Independence Day US
7/4/2028 Independence Day US
7/4/2029 Independence Day US
7/4/2030 Independence Day US
9/3/2018 Labor Day US
9/2/2019 Labor Day US
9/7/2020 Labor Day US
9/6/2021 Labor Day US
9/5/2022 Labor Day US
9/4/2023 Labor Day US
9/2/2024 Labor Day US
9/1/2025 Labor Day US
9/7/2026 Labor Day US
9/6/2027 Labor Day US
9/4/2028 Labor Day US
9/3/2029 Labor Day US
9/2/2030 Labor Day US
1/15/2018 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/21/2019 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/20/2020 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/18/2021 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/17/2022 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/16/2023 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/15/2024 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/20/2025 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/19/2026 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/18/2027 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/17/2028 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/15/2029 M.L.King Jr. Day US
1/21/2030 M.L.King Jr. Day US
5/28/2018 Memorial Day US
5/27/2019 Memorial Day US
5/25/2020 Memorial Day US
5/31/2021 Memorial Day US
5/30/2022 Memorial Day US
5/29/2023 Memorial Day US
5/27/2024 Memorial Day US
5/26/2025 Memorial Day US
5/25/2026 Memorial Day US
5/31/2027 Memorial Day US
5/29/2028 Memorial Day US
5/28/2029 Memorial Day US
5/27/2030 Memorial Day US
2/19/2018 Presidents Day US
2/18/2019 Presidents Day US
2/17/2020 Presidents Day US
2/15/2021 Presidents Day US
2/21/2022 Presidents Day US
2/20/2023 Presidents Day US
2/19/2024 Presidents Day US
2/17/2025 Presidents Day US
 2/16/2026 Presidents Day US
2/15/2027 Presidents Day US
2/21/2028 Presidents Day US
2/19/2029 Presidents Day US
2/18/2030 Presidents Day US
11/22/2018 Thanksgiving US
11/28/2019 Thanksgiving US
11/26/2020 Thanksgiving US
11/25/2021 Thanksgiving US
11/24/2022 Thanksgiving US
11/23/2023 Thanksgiving US
11/28/2024 Thanksgiving US
11/27/2025 Thanksgiving US
11/26/2026 Thanksgiving US
11/25/2027 Thanksgiving US
11/23/2028 Thanksgiving US
11/22/2029 Thanksgiving US
11/28/2030 Thanksgiving US
11/11/2018 Veterans Day US
11/11/2019 Veterans Day US
11/11/2020 Veterans Day US
11/11/2021 Veterans Day US
11/11/2022 Veterans Day US
11/11/2023 Veterans Day US
11/11/2024 Veterans Day US
11/11/2025 Veterans Day US
11/11/2026 Veterans Day US
11/11/2027 Veterans Day US
11/11/2028 Veterans Day US
11/11/2029 Veterans Day US
11/11/2030 Veterans Day US
12/26/2018 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2019 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2020 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2021 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2022 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2023 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2024 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2025 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2026 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2027 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2028 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2029 Boxing Day UK
12/26/2030 Boxing Day UK
3/30/2018 Good Friday UK
4/19/2019 Good Friday UK
4/10/2020 Good Friday UK
4/2/2021 Good Friday UK
4/15/2022 Good Friday UK
4/7/2023 Good Friday UK
3/29/2024 Good Friday UK
4/18/2025 Good Friday UK
4/3/2026 Good Friday UK
3/26/2027 Good Friday UK
4/14/2028 Good Friday UK
3/30/2029 Good Friday UK
4/19/2030 Good Friday UK
4/2/2018 Easter Monday UK
4/22/2019 Easter Monday UK
4/13/2020 Easter Monday UK
4/5/2021 Easter Monday UK
4/18/2022 Easter Monday UK
4/10/2023 Easter Monday UK
4/1/2024 Easter Monday UK
4/21/2025 Easter Monday UK
4/6/2026 Easter Monday UK
3/29/2027 Easter Monday UK
4/17/2028 Easter Monday UK
4/2/2029 Easter Monday UK
4/22/2030 Easter Monday UK
5/7/2018 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/6/2019 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/4/2020 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/3/2021 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/2/2022 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/1/2023 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/6/2024 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/5/2025 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/4/2026 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/3/2027 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/1/2028 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/7/2029 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/6/2030 Early May Bank Holiday UK
5/28/2018 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/27/2019 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/25/2020 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/31/2021 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/30/2022 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/29/2023 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/27/2024 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/26/2025 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/25/2026 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/31/2027 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/29/2028 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/28/2029 Spring Bank Holiday UK
5/27/2030 Spring Bank Holiday UK
8/6/2018 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/5/2019 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/3/2020 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/2/2021 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/1/2022 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/7/2023 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/5/2024 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/4/2025 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/3/2026 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/2/2027 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/7/2028 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/6/2029 Summer Bank Holiday UK
 8/5/2030 Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/27/2018 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/26/2019 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/31/2020 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/30/2021 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/29/2022 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/28/2023 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/26/2024 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/25/2025 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/31/2026 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/30/2027 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/28/2028 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/27/2029 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK
8/26/2030 Late Summer Bank Holiday UK

Insert new rows above this one

Help & Settings
Gantt Chart Template Pro, Version 5.0 © 2006-2020 Vertex42 LLC

▸Getting Started
▸Settings
▸How To …
▸FAQs
If this page does not answer your questions, please visit the following page: Support

Getting Started ▲ Top

Watch the Demo Videos

New demo videos will be created for this version of Gantt Chart Pro. For now, it will still help to
watch the demo videos currently on the Gantt Chart Pro page, because the information and
techniques are still mostly applicable to this version of the spreadsheet.

Watch the Demo Videos on Vertex42.com

Important
• Backup your file regularly to avoid losing data! Excel files get corrupted occasionally.
• Do not delete the Help & Settings, Holidays, or TermsOfUse worksheets. Hide them if necessary.
• Before sharing the file, read the license agreement in the TermsOfUse worksheet. Only limited
private sharing within your team or organization is permitted.

What to do first
• Save a Copy of the file to use for other projects.
• Edit the [Project Title] in the header. Unhide row 2 to include a subtitle.
• Enter a project Start date in the header. This date determines the first week shown in the Gantt Chart.
• Edit the input cells with the white background, except for the cells in the chart area. Example input cell
• Edit tasks by choosing a WBS Level then editing the Task description
• Edit the Holidays worksheet to define the non-working dates.
• Skim this Help & Settings worksheet so that you are aware of what it contains.

Other things to note or try

• Click on column labels to read notes about each column. Example: Click Here

• If you see "#####" in a cell, widen the column to display the cell contents.
• When inserting rows, many columns contain formulas that must be copied down.
• To insert a new task, insert a new row, then with the new row selected, press Ctrl+d to copy
the formulas and formatting from the row immediately above the one you inserted.
• Toggle between the Daily, Weekly, and Monthly view using the Display drop-down box.
• Change the Display Week number to adjust the range of dates shown in the gantt chart.
• Define the START of a task by entering a Predecessor or Start Date.
• Define the END of a task by entering the Work Days, Calendar Days, or End Date.
• Use View > Freeze Panes to lock the top rows or left columns in place as you scroll.
• Some columns are hidden by default, such as the Planned Start and Planned End columns.
Unhide all columns to use all features.
• To extend the chart area, unhide the hidden columns to the right of the Gantt Chart.
• Hide unneeded columns when printing or to create a more compact view.

Compatibility
Version 5.0 requires Excel 2010 or Later, Excel Online, or Excel Mobile.
• Some loss of detail occurs in the Weekly, Monthly and Quarterly views for short-term projects
because of the use of only one column per week/month/quarter in the display.
• Form controls like scroll bars are not compatible with Excel Online. Delete the scroll bar for full
compatibility with Excel Online.
• Excel Online does not permit cross-hatching as fill patterns, so the Planned vs. Actual feature will
not work in Excel Online.
New in Version 5.0
• Show Planned Start and Planned End via cross-hatching (columns are hidden by default).
• Milestones can be displayed with "◆" symbols by entering "M" in the color column.
• Improved logic for simplifying the definition of the Start and Duration of tasks.
• New Priority column with customizable values (see below).
• Formatting updated for improved user experience and appearance.
• Show (Highlight) Overdue Tasks (see below)
• Progress bars in the % Done column, and 100% turns green (via conditional formatting).
• Updated the Help and Settings worksheet.
• Added more columns (hidden by default) to the Gantt chart area.

Gantt Chart Settings ▲ Top

Priority Options
The Priority column can be hidden if you do not want to use it. Priorities Meaning
Edit the first 3 values or symbols in the Priorities list to change what shows up in the ▲ High Priority
drop-down box in the Priority column. You can enter text like "High" "Medium" or "Low" ⎯ Medium Priority
or use special symbols. ▼ Low Priority
3 Very High
In addition to the top 3 symbols, the priority column uses conditional formatting to show 2 High
circle icons when you enter a priority of 3, 2, 1, or 0. 1 Medium
0 Low

Define the Weekend (Non-Working) Days

Weekend
Choose an option or enter a weekend string → 0000011

The WORKDAYS.INTL() and NETWORKDAYS.INTL() functions allow you to specify Options Non-Work Days
which day(s) of the week should be used as the weekend or non-working days. 1 Saturday, Sunday
2 Sunday, Monday
To use these functions, choose an option from the drop-down box on the right. 3 Monday, Tuesday
4 Tuesday, Wednesday
If one of the options to the right does not work for you, you can enter a string of 5 Wednesday, Thursday
7 characters, using a "1" to represent a non-workday and a "0" to represent 6 Thursday, Friday
a work day, beginning with Monday. 7 Friday, Saturday
11 Sunday Only
For example, the string 0000011 would result in a Saturday-Sunday weekend. 12 Monday Only
13 Tuesday Only
14 Wednesday Only
15 Thursday Only
16 Friday Only
17 Saturday Only

Set the Date Format to d/m/yy

Date Format
If you want to display dates in the UK format (d/m/yy) choose the dmy option: mdy ◂Choose an option
Note: This option uses conditional formatting and affects only some columns and dates.

Show ISO or Sequential Week Numbers

Week Numbering
In the "Daily" and "Weekly" displays, you can show ISO or Sequential week numbering: Sequential ◂Choose an option

Set the Timeline Start Day

Start Day
Choose to display the work week starting with Sunday or Monday: Monday ◂Choose an option
This affects the chart/timeline display only, not any other work day formulas. 2 ◂Don't Delete

Show % Complete in the Daily View

Show % Complete
 In the Daily view the % Complete will be shown as a gray portion of a bar: Yes ◂Choose an option
Note: Showing the % Complete in Weekly, Monthly, or Quarterly views is inaccurate,
so this option is not available in those views.

Show (Highlight) Overdue Tasks

The "Show Overdue" option uses conditional formatting to highlight the End date red 6/3/2020 ◂Overdue
when a task is overdue and orange when a task is approaching the due date. 6/3/2020 ◂Approaching Due

The Urgency Days option to the right affects the dates Approaching Due. Urgency Days
Set Urgency Days to 0 to highlight when End Date = Today, 1 for End Date <= Tomorrow, etc. 1 ◂Enter a number

Show Overdue in Chart

Set the following option to "Yes" to add light red bars in the chart up to the current date: Yes ◂Choose an option

How To… ▲ Top

Click a topic below to go to that section

▸Add Rows (Insert New Tasks)
▸Delete Rows (Remove Tasks)
▸Move a Row
▸Edit the WBS Numbering
▸Create Task Dependencies
▸Change the Gantt Chart Bar Colors
▸Use Advanced Formulas in the Color Column
▸Calculate the Start and End dates for a Summary Task
▸Calculate the %Done for a Summary Task
▸Create Budget Subtotals for Summary Tasks
▸Show Planned vs. Actual in the Gantt Chart

Add Rows (Insert New Tasks) ▲ How To...

There are many ways to add more tasks. Most importantly, you need to remember to copy formulas
and formatting for the entire row when adding new rows. If you insert a row between two tasks, the
formatting is automatically copied, but you need to copy formulas. Below are the recommended
ways to add new rows.

Note: Use row operations by right-clicking on the Row #

Method 1: Insert a Row then Copy Formulas Down

1. Right-click on a row and select "Insert" (This inserts a row ABOVE the selected row)
2. Press Ctrl+d to copy formulas and formatting from the row above the new one.
3. Edit the green cells in your newly inserted row.

Method 2: Copy a Row down using the selection drag handle

Note: After inserting a row, you can select the row above it and use the selection drag
handle to copy the row down. This is also how you can easily add rows at the bottom.

The screenshot on the right shows the

selection drag handle for a selected row.

Delete a Row (Remove a Task) ▲ How To...

Right-click on the row number of the row you want to delete and select Delete. If this results in
errors, then you probably had formulas that referenced cells in the deleted row. Press CTRL+z to
Undo, or search for #REF! errors and fix them.

Move a Row ▲ How To...

 After selecting a row, you can hold the SHIFT key down as you click and drag on the edge of the
row selection box. Note that the WBS numbering formula is based on the task's relative position, so
the WBS numbering will update based on where you move the row. The other method for moving a
row is to cut a row (right-click on a row and select "Cut"), then right-click on the location where you
want to move it and select "Insert Cut Cells."

Edit the WBS Numbering ▲ How To...

Use the WBS Level column to choose the outline level for the WBS numbering.
A formula in the WBS column will automatically update the WBS number. The Task Description is
also indented using conditional formatting based on the WBS Level.

If you leave a blank cell above a WBS number, the numbering will reset to 1. The formulas are
meant for convenience, but you can manually enter them if you must. If you manually enter WBS
numbers, then you may need to enter them as text by preceding the number with an apostrophe,
such as '2. Just remember that if you enter them manually, the WBS Level column cannot be used
to change them.

Create Task Dependencies ▲ How To...

You can use Excel formulas to make tasks adjust based on the start or end of another task.
Normally, a task dependency is used to define the start date to be the day after the end date of a
prior task. The prior task is called the "predecessor." Below are a few different ways that you can
create task dependencies using Excel formulas.

Note: Using formulas to reference other cells may result in Excel adding a green triangle to the
corner of the cell. See the note in the FAQ about how to turn them off.

Method 1: Use the Predecessor Columns

The Predecessor columns make it easy to create a task dependency where the Start date is the
next Work Day after a predecessor's end date. To use the Predecessor columns, you must enter
the WBS for the predecessor task using a formula or as text.
A. Reference a Predecessor using a formula.
In the predecessor column, press "=" and then click on the cell containing the WBS that you want
to reference. Then press Enter. This is the preferred method.
B. Enter the Predecessor manually as text.
You can enter the Predecessor manually, but you must make sure that you enter it as text, or you
will end up with #NA errors. To enter 1.3 as text, just add an apostrophe at the beginning like this:
'1.3. Entering the WBS manually is not the best method, because if you insert or move tasks you'll
have to update all of the Predecessors again, or at least verify that they are still correct.

Multiple Predecessors
The worksheet contains 3 Predecessor columns, but two are hidden by default. If you want to use
more than 1 predecessor, unhide the hidden columns.

Method 2: Create Your Own Formulas

Entering your own formulas allows you to do whatever you want, but may be more difficult. Also, it
may not be easy for somebody else to identify your task dependencies.

A. Reference the project Start date (e.g. =$C$4 )

B. Set the Start date to the next Work Day after another task's End date.
- Use the formula =WORKDAY.INTL(enddate,1,weekend,holidays) where enddate is the
reference to the End date of a predecessor task.
- For multiple predecessors, the formula would be
=WORKDAY.INTL(MAX(enddate1,enddate2,enddate3),1,weekend,holidays)
C. Set the Start date to the next Calendar Day after another task's End date.
- This formula is very simple: =enddate+1
- For multiple predecessors, the formula would be =MAX(enddate1,enddate2,enddate3)+1
D. Set the Start date to a number of Work days before or after another date.
- This formula is just like the one in C or D, except that in place of the "1" you enter the number of
days, such as =WORKDAY.INTL(startdate,-5,weekend,holidays)

Note: Refer to Excel help (F1) to learn more about the WORKDAY.INTL function.

Change the Color of the Bars in the Gantt Chart ▲ How To...
Use the Color Column:
The cells that make up the chart area use conditional formatting to control the color of the bars. The
default color is blue. You can make the bars different colors by entering one of the following letters
in the color column:
Colors: B=blue, K=black, G=green, P=purple, O=orange, R=red, X=gray, Y=yellow
You can also enter a number 1-6 to use an accent color from the theme palette.
Use Advanced Formulas in the Color Column ▲ How To...

Use a Formula to Change the Color for Completed Tasks

You can enter a formula in the Color column to change the color code based on the value in the
%Done column. For example, if M13 is a reference to the value in the %Done column on the same
row, the following formula will change the completed task to green (color code "G") or use blue "B" if
not completed.
=IF(M13>=100%,"G","B")

Use a Formula to Show Urgency

You can enter a formula in the Color column to change the color to orange based on a
comparison of the End date and Today's date. For example, the following formula would give
you a 10-day warning, where P13 is a reference to the End date cell on the same row.
=IF(P13<TODAY()+10,"o","")

The example below makes the 10-day warning orange and a 2-day warning red.
=IF(P13<TODAY()+2,"r",IF(P13<TODAY()+10,"o","")) Urgency (Days)
2 red
The complex formula below makes use of the table of urgency values to the right. 14 orange
Note that "urgency_days" is a named range referring to the table on the right. 28 yellow
=IF(P13<TODAY()+INDEX(urgency_days,1),"r", IF(P13<TODAY()+
INDEX(urgency_days,2),"o",IF(P13<TODAY()+ INDEX(urgency_days,3),"y","")))

Color-Code Based on Assign To Name Names Color

One popular reason for color-coding is to help identify ownership of a task. To do this, Bob k
you could create your own nested IF formula: =IF(ref="Bob","o",If(ref="Sally","p","")) Sarah x
where "ref" is the reference to the cell in the Assign To column. Bill b
Jim g
If you want to use the table listed to the right, you can use the following formula in the p
Color column. Note that the names must match exactly. Change ref to be a reference y
to the cell in the Assign To column. o
=IFERROR( INDEX( assign_to_color, MATCH( ref, assign_to_names, 0) ), "") r

Calculate the Start and End dates for a Summary Task ▲ How To...
In the Start Date input column for a summary task, enter the formula =MIN(startdates) where
startdates is a reference to the range of start dates for sub tasks. Example: =MIN(O15:O25)

In the End Date input column for a summary task, enter the formula =MAX(enddates) where
enddates is a reference to the range of end dates for sub tasks. Example: =MAX(P15:P25)

Important: When using MIN() and MAX(), if you insert rows, you should check and update the
formulas to make sure they are still referencing the correct range of dates.

Advanced Formulas for Excel 2019+: The MINIFS and MAXIFS functions available in the most
recent versions of Excel permit a useful method for calculating the Start and End dates that makes
it unnecessary to select specific ranges. You can also copy and paste the cells to use them for
other summary tasks.

Calculate the Start date and End date based on all sub tasks:
=MINIFS(start_range,wbs_range,B13&".*")
=MAXIFS(end_range,wbs_range,B13&".*")
Note: start_range, end_range, and wbs_range are named ranges that you can use in your formula.
B13 is a reference to the WBS for the summary task row.

Calculate the %Done for a Summary Task ▲ How To...

The %Complete for a summary task can be calculated from its sub tasks using the formula below,
where "workdays" is a reference to the range of work day values and "percent_complete" is a
reference to the %Done for each of the sub tasks.

=SUMPRODUCT(workdays,percent_complete)/SUM(workdays)
Example: =SUMPRODUCT(Q9:Q15,M9:M15)/SUM(Q9:Q15)

How this works: 'Let's say you have 3 sub tasks that are 10 days, 12 days, and 14 days long,
respectively. If the first subtask is 50% complete and the others are 25% complete, you could
calculate the overall percent complete for the group as: =(10*50%+12*25%+14*25%)/(10+12+14).

Create Budget Subtotals for Summary Tasks ▲ How To...

When using the Budget column (hidden by default), you can use =SUM(range) or
=SUBTOTAL(9,range) within summary tasks rows to create subtotals for summary tasks, where
range is the range of budget values for the sub tasks.
 The SUBTOTAL function allows you to exclude other SUBTOTAL formulas that may exist within the
sum range. This is useful if you also want to calculate the overall budget.

Show Planned vs. Actual in the Gantt Chart ▲ How To...

The Planned Start and Planned End columns are hidden by default. To show them, select columns
R through W and then right-click on the column header and select "Unhide."

The best way to use this feature is to first create your plan using the main Task Start and Task
Duration columns. Then, you can use Copy and Paste Special > Values to copy the list of dates
from columns P-Q into columns T-U. Make sure to use Paste Special > Values !

As you make changes to the Actual schedule, you will do that using the main Task Start and Task
Duration input columns. The Planned Schedule will show up as a cross-hatched fill pattern in the
Gantt chart. Turn this display on/off using the Display Plan drop-down box.

FAQs ▲ Top

Q: How do I turn off the green triangles when I enter a formula?

If you add a formula in Excel, you may see a green "warning" triangle that will say "Unprotected
Formula" or some other message if you investigate it. This is not usually an error. It is mostly just an
annoying Excel feature. Visit the link below to learn how to turn off the green triangles for specific
warnings.
https://www.vertex42.com/support.html#solutions

Q: How do I hide weekends in the Daily view?

There is not an automated way to hide weekends in this version, but you can hide columns
manually if you want to remain in the Daily view. If you change the view to Weekly or Monthly, you'll
need to unhide those columns.

Q: How do I change the Print Settings?

Select the entire range of cells you want to print and go to File > Print Area > Set Print Area.
Then go to File > Page Setup or File > Print Preview and adjust the Scaling, Margins, and
Page Orientation as desired.

Q: How do I show or print my entire project schedule?

(a) Unhide the hidden columns to the right of the Gantt Chart to extend the chart area.
(b) Change the display to weekly, monthly, or quarterly to show a larger range of dates in the Gantt
Chart.
(c) Add more columns to the gantt chart area. See the following page for more details:
https://www.vertex42.com/blog/help/gantt-chart-help/gantt-chart-support.html#printing

Q: Can I use Autofilter?

Yes. However, avoid using Sort unless you know exactly what you are doing and how sorting will
make all the WBS numbering change.

Q: I've messed up the chart area somehow. How do I fix it?

Find a row that works, then copy the cells that make up the gantt chart area from that row into the
row that is messed up. Or, find a recent backup file and start over from there.

Q: How do I transfer data from a different Gantt chart file?

There is not an automated way to transfer data from a different file. However, very careful use of
copy/paste can help save time. Only copy/paste to/from input cells. Do not paste over existing
formulas. Use Paste Special > Values to avoid messing up formatting.

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