Access Gantt Chart Planner
By Richard Rost

2 months ago

Who's Interested in a Gantt Chart Planner for Access?

Hey folks. This is just a quick post to see who's interested in something like this? I put this together for a personal project, and figured some of you might be interested in it. I'm probably not going to take the time to record a step-by-step video on building it. It took me a few hours and I really don't want to do it again, but I'd do a quick walk-thru video to show you the code in case you want to make modifications.

I did a quick Google search and I'm not seeing a lot out there for this in Access, and the few solutions I did see look like you have to install 3rd party components. What I build it strictly using native Access controls (labels, text boxes, etc.) and is fully customizeable.

Let me know, and if there is enough interest I'll package it up as a template. Also, let me know what features you'd like to see added. Right now it's just a simple proof of concept. You enter in a task description and set the start and end dates (with the mouse if you like). Buttons move left and right in time. What else?

Free Download

Planner ACCDE Template Download - Free (32 bit only)

I packaged up what I have right now into an ACCDE file you can download to play with. Keep in mind at this point it's just a proof of concept. I'll be adding more features to it as requested.

Feature Requests

Timeline in 15min, 30min, hours, days, weeks, months, quarters - I guess the best thing to do would to pick an interval (minute, hour, day, etc.) and how many of those to make each block.
Hide weekends
Assign category, each with color
Mouse hover tooltips with description
Mouse drag to assign hours (not sure I can do this)
Complex Scheduling
Tasks can optionally have a ProjectID and a CustomerID if assigned to a project/customer
Tasks can optionally have one or more EmployeeIDs (analogous to shift hours for scheduling)
Option to not have same employee scheduled for more than 1 task at once (for scheduling purposes - no overlaps)
Add your ideas here.

Planner Ideas Upload Images Link
Alex Hedley
2 months ago

Grouping (see below) to see how complete at different levels

Tasks and Sub-Tasks (Expand should be easy :p)

Assignments - To an actual person or a Type, you dont know whos free yet but you know youll need 1 of type x, 2 of type y. Can then auto assign free people or be prompted with who is available and choose them. Read More...

Richard Rost
2 months ago

You trying to kill me? LOL. Just kidding. All great ideas. Some of these may have to wait for v2.0 though.

Alex Hedley
2 months ago

I know you can't say no to a challenge :p

Just wanted to jot stuff down, no urgency for when they get added, tomorrow seems fair...

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I Added a Download Upload Images Link
Richard Rost
2 months ago

I added a download file for this so you can see what I have so far. It's just the ACCDE but you can download it and play with it and give me feedback if you like.

Juan C Rivera
2 months ago

Sorry, this is a 32 bit ver. Comments and you most likely already have this in the works if I pull up a client, will I see all project loaded under them or only 1? Will this be able to look out as far as 2 years? What I see on the picture is a cool schedule but will I be able to see a one-line total project start date end date and click on it to zoom in and see what you have on the screen? Something tells me this is going to be real fun, even more than the genealogy.

Richard Rost
2 months ago

Yeah sorry. I still run 32 bit in my office (why). You'll be able to use the final template by pulling the objects into a 64-bit empty DB which I'm sure you already know. I'm going to make the scale up to you: showing days, weeks, months, quarters, etc. I have the form set up for 21 intervals (currently days) so if you change the scale to months, you'll see almost 2 years.

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Planner Notes Upload Images Link
Ron Anderson
2 months ago

Being a contractor this could be very helpful. How about a notes field at the bottom of the form that opens up detail notes for each task that is clicked on. Also, a button or check box to turn the notes field either on or off. Read More...

Richard Rost
2 months ago

Definitely a possibility. You can add any fields you want to each "task."

Planner Multiple People Upload Images Link
Simon Baynton
2 months ago

Yes i am interested in this, possible additions, can the gantt be made to handle tasks for more than one person or crew of persons and show these at the same time?

Richard Rost
2 months ago

Absolutely. I'm going to pull this into my Customer/Contact/Order template and make it so you can assign a customer to it for now. Later on, I'm going to add it to the ABCD and make it so you can assign groups.

Planner Upload Images Link
Antony Lee
2 months ago

After watching the calendar seminar I actually tried to build one myself. After having a lot of setbacks I decided to shelve this to a later date and carry on with parts of my database that I could do. Anything you could produce would be very helpful.

Richard Rost
2 months ago

Yeah I would have never thought of even trying to build something like this in Access. Wouldn't have deemed it possible. Then yesterday morning it just came to me.

Didnt Know Access Could Upload Images Link
Nancy Troutman
2 months ago

I didn't know Access could do this. I realize that Gantt charts are primarily used as work-flow charts. I use graph paper and make a Gantt chart to track progress towards complex goals. Such as going debt-free. Goals that require time and consistency to accomplish.

Richard Rost
2 months ago

Yeah, Access really isn't designed to do this. Gantt charts are better left to Project or Excel. However with a little trickery I can get Access to do pretty much anything. :)

Project Licenses Upload Images Link
Brandon Jackson
2 months ago

I would love seeing this! I could use something like this at my company to avoid the need for a separate license for Microsoft Project.

Richard Rost
2 months ago

Good - tell the boss it will save you money! :)

Complex Scheduling Upload Images Link
Brandon Jackson
2 months ago

Tech Help Idea Complex Scheduling: Hello Mr. Rost! I have done some simple scheduling before on a mechanic shop manager database I built where a certain time slot during a certain day would be booked and not allow for overlapping times. This would then show up on the schedule report for the current day. However, I am now working on a stock database model for doctor's offices and I need to use a complex scheduling system where multiple appointments can be at the same time. For example, if a practice has multiple doctors or several nurses, there may be four or five appointments at 8 am. I feel like I'm on the right path with record sets, but I can't quite figure this one out. Also, I'd like to have some way of displaying this in a "schedule view" or "calendar style view". I did some experimenting with crosstab queries and was on the right track, but honestly, this is a very complex issue lol. I like the challenge though!

Richard Rost
2 months ago

This would be way beyond a TechHelp video, but I could add something like this either to the Planner template or as part of the Developer classes. Basically you'd just need to schedule doctors in one table and then appointments in another. If you don't have enough doctors for that time slot to see patients (assuming one patient per doctor per slot) then give an error message. I like a challenge too. I'll add this to the list. You wouldn't really even need a recordset for it - just a DLOOKUP.

Brandon Jackson
2 months ago

It's good to know I'm on the right track. That's the way I have it set up currently with doctors in one table and appointments in another. Also, knowing it would be way beyond a Tech Help video makes me feel better about it lol.

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Planner Upgrades Upload Images Link
Inderjeet Puaar
2 months ago

Very interested in this. Would love to see timeline as hours.
Include Multiple categories each having an individual colour assigned. Mouse hover tooltips with brief description. Mouse drag across to increase or decrease blocks or move blocks.

Richard Rost
2 months ago

Timeline as hours, days, weeks, months, years - definitely possible. Going to have option to hide weekends too.

Multiple categories not too hard. COLORS might be tricky but I'm sure I can figure it out.

Hover tooltips w description: not a problem.

Mouse DRAG might be a challenge. Not sure about that one. Access doesn't handle drag-and-drop well.

Planner Multi User Upload Images Link
Juan C Rivera
2 months ago

Interested.
better if multiuser... I have several QA working I like to pull up a name and see what they have for tasking this will help to determine if I should assign this tasker or pass it on to another for a balance work load Read More...

Richard Rost
2 months ago

I'm going to make it so you can assign a customer. For now you could set your users up as customers.

Juan C Rivera
2 months ago

WOW I'm in looking to do this one.

V/r
Juan

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