Gantt for Trac

56 views
Skip to first unread message

Chris Nelson

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 10:10:57 AM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
I'm looking for a Gantt chart for Trac and I haven't identified one that is current and robust (though at this point I'm relying on documentation).

The Gantt plugin (http://trac-hacks.org/wiki/GanttPlugin) seems dated. There's a patch that makes it work in 0.11 but I read a comment that said there are several extra Gantt-specific fields that make it awkward to use and maintain. The README says:

The first things to add are the new ticket fields. If you already have
a ticket-custom section, append these to it:

[ticket-custom]
...
dependencies = text
dependencies.label = Dependencies
dependencies.value =
...

This will add four new fields to tickets, ... a "Dependencies"
field, for listing ticket numbers upon which this ticket
depends,

But we already use MasterTicketsPlugin which adds blocking and blockedby to indicate dependencies. It'd be nice if GanttPlugin had a dependencies.field field to set to the "blockedby" so we could use both plugins together.


I looked at FlashGanttPlugin but it seems to require even more fields and the description on the Trac-Hacks page for it makes it sound like the developers aren't sure where they are going or where they'll get there. (Maybe that's too harsh.)


Does anyone else find it kind of amazing that a plugin that's supposed to create a chart doesn't have a sample chart in the documentation? I'd really like to see what these plugins produce.


All of that said, can someone on the list recommend a Gantt chart plugin or comment on their experience with either of these? Thanks.

Chris
--
Christopher Nelson, Software Engineering Manager
SIXNET, 331 Ushers Road, Ballston Lake, NY 12065
Phone: +1(518)877-5173,  Facsimile: +1(518)877-8346
Innovative. Open. Industrial Data Products. http://www.sixnetio.com

Olemis Lang

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 12:14:41 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 9:10 AM, Chris Nelson <Chr...@sixnetio.com> wrote:
>
> All of that said, can someone on the list recommend a Gantt chart plugin or comment on their experience with either of these?  Thanks.
>

Wanna know too

;^)

--
Regards,

Olemis.

Blog ES: http://simelo-es.blogspot.com/
Blog EN: http://simelo-en.blogspot.com/

Featured article:
Se retira el BDFL ... ¿El fin de Python 3k?

Noah Kantrowitz

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 12:19:37 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
If someone wants to adapt the old gantt plugin to the mastertickets
fields I would be happy to look at it, unlikely to have time to do it
myself though. Mastertickets does have a depgraph if it helps.

--Noah

Greg Troxel

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 1:45:10 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com

If someone wants to adapt the old gantt plugin to the mastertickets
fields I would be happy to look at it, unlikely to have time to do it
myself though. Mastertickets does have a depgraph if it helps.

It seems the old gantt plugin requires you to assign start/stop dates.
What I think is needed is several things all at once:

dependencies (mastertickets does this fine)

estimates (timingandestimation is mostly ok, but needs computation
logic a little more towards earned value)

recording of available resources (people in hours/week)

scheduling to show given all of the above when tasks are expected to
be done

and finally

a way to show the schedule


It could be that there are existing project planners and what we really
need is a way to export dependencies and estimates and let that other
tool work.

Olemis Lang

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 2:03:18 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 12:45 PM, Greg Troxel <g...@ir.bbn.com> wrote:
>
>  If someone wants to adapt the old gantt plugin to the mastertickets
>  fields I would be happy to look at it, unlikely to have time to do it
>  myself though. Mastertickets does have a depgraph if it helps.
>
> It seems the old gantt plugin requires you to assign start/stop dates.
> What I think is needed is several things all at once:
>
>  dependencies (mastertickets does this fine)
>

However ... is there any interface to retrieve dependencies between tickets ?

> and finally
>  a way to show the schedule
>

Maybe this is the key concern, at least from my perspective ... maybe
I'm wrong ...

Yunior Armando Hernandez Andrade

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 2:39:09 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
For me this is one of the primary things trac should provide, there is no project without planning, right now I'm into python so I could help in the future but right now I think this is a priority one improvement.

-----Mensaje original-----
De: trac-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:trac-...@googlegroups.com] En nombre de Olemis Lang
Enviado el: lunes, 06 de abril de 2009 14:03
Para: trac-...@googlegroups.com
Asunto: [Trac] Re: Gantt for Trac

Noah Kantrowitz

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 3:11:50 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com


> -----Original Message-----
> From: trac-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:trac-...@googlegroups.com]
> On Behalf Of Olemis Lang
> Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 11:03 AM
> To: trac-...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Trac] Re: Gantt for Trac
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 12:45 PM, Greg Troxel <g...@ir.bbn.com> wrote:
> >
> >  If someone wants to adapt the old gantt plugin to the mastertickets
> >  fields I would be happy to look at it, unlikely to have time to do
> it
> >  myself though. Mastertickets does have a depgraph if it helps.
> >
> > It seems the old gantt plugin requires you to assign start/stop
> dates.
> > What I think is needed is several things all at once:
> >
> >  dependencies (mastertickets does this fine)
> >
>
> However ... is there any interface to retrieve dependencies between
> tickets ?
>

http://trac-hacks.org/browser/masterticketsplugin/0.11/mastertickets/model.p
y

Chris Nelson

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 3:43:13 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
Greg Troxel wrote:
> If someone wants to adapt the old gantt plugin to the mastertickets
> fields I would be happy to look at it, unlikely to have time to do
> it myself though. Mastertickets does have a depgraph if it helps.
>
> It seems the old gantt plugin requires you to assign start/stop dates.
> What I think is needed is several things all at once:
>
> dependencies (mastertickets does this fine)
>...

It seems to me that there are two types of dependencies required for a
Gantt and I don't think MasterTickets does both.

1) You need a way to say "task A is composed of tasks B, C, and D" so
that you can show Task A at one level of detail and tasks B, C, and D at
a lower level. The duration of task A is the total of the durations for
tasks B, C, and D.

2) You need a way to say "task C is dependent on task B" (that is, C
can't begin until B is done).


Joseph, Ray

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 4:37:39 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: trac-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:trac-...@googlegroups.com]
> On Behalf Of Greg Troxel
> Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 12:45 PM
> To: trac-...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Trac] Re: Gantt for Trac
>
<snip>

>
> It could be that there are existing project planners and what we
really
> need is a way to export dependencies and estimates and let that other
> tool work.

Yes, every project needs planning. But Trac may not be the place to
perform this. I agree that Trac should collect data and provide a means
to export the data to another tool(s). The question then becomes, what
other tools and what common formatting do they share.

Ray

______________________________________________________________________
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information which is confidential to, and/or privileged in favor of, CDI Corporation or its affiliated companies (CDI) or CDI's customers. Any review, use, reproduction, disclosure or distribution by the recipient is prohibited without prior written approval from an authorized CDI representative. This notice must appear in any such authorized reproduction, disclosure or distribution. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message and any attachments. Thank you.

Yunior Armando Hernandez Andrade

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 5:03:57 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
Actually you need 2 more dependencies,
- the ones you said, plus
3) Task A cannot start until task B starts (finish doesn't matter)
4) Task A cannot end until task B ends (start doesn't matter)

-----Mensaje original-----
De: trac-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:trac-...@googlegroups.com] En
nombre de Chris Nelson
Enviado el: lunes, 06 de abril de 2009 15:43
Para: trac-...@googlegroups.com
Asunto: [Trac] Re: Gantt for Trac

Chris Nelson

unread,
Apr 6, 2009, 7:47:37 PM4/6/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
Joseph, Ray wrote:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: trac-...@googlegroups.com
>> [mailto:trac-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Greg Troxel Sent:
>> Monday, April 06, 2009 12:45 PM
>> To: trac-...@googlegroups.com
>> Subject: [Trac] Re: Gantt for Trac
>>
> <snip>
>>
>> It could be that there are existing project planners and what we
>> really need is a way to export dependencies and estimates and let
>> that other tool work.
>
> Yes, every project needs planning. But Trac may not be the place to
> perform this. I agree that Trac should collect data and provide a
> means to export the data to another tool(s). The question then
> becomes, what other tools and what common formatting do they share.

I agree that I don't want to graft on project management if it doesn't
really make sense. For me, I need a fairly integrated interface so my
users can get to everything by navigating links. If PM is another
web-enabled application, that's fine.

Chris Nelson

unread,
Apr 7, 2009, 8:32:06 AM4/7/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
Yunior Armando Hernandez Andrade wrote:
> Actually you need 2 more dependencies,
> - the ones you said, plus
> 3) Task A cannot start until task B starts (finish doesn't matter)
> 4) Task A cannot end until task B ends (start doesn't matter)

I don't see it. Can you give me an example of those types of
dependencies?

Lachlan Musicman

unread,
Apr 8, 2009, 9:16:10 AM4/8/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
On Tue, Apr 7, 2009 at 09:47, Chris Nelson <Chr...@sixnetio.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> It could be that there are existing project planners and what we
>>> really need is a way to export dependencies and estimates and let
>>> that other tool work.
>>
>> Yes, every project needs planning.  But Trac may not be the place to
>> perform this.  I agree that Trac should collect data and provide a
>> means to export the data to another tool(s).  The question then
>> becomes, what other tools and what common formatting do they share.
>
> I agree that I don't want to graft on project management if it doesn't
> really make sense.  For me, I need a fairly integrated interface so my
> users can get to everything by navigating links.  If PM is another
> web-enabled application, that's fine.

Fwiw, redmine _looks_ excellent for gantt charts and PM. The problems
we found were:

- another app. Just what we didn't need (email lists, tracs, actual
websites, stats, groupware/redmine to do PM etc etc) A gantt facility
in Trac would be useful for gettingrid of some of our app switching
overhead, especially when working in low bandwidth areas.
- redmine is written in ruby on rails. As much as I wanted to love it,
they way it would bring my server to it's knees....was unimpressive.
Plus, with the dev speed of RoR et al, it means there is a constant
need for upgrading. We run debian servers and the bleeding edge can't
keep up with that pace.
- we have a soft spot for python and trac, have been using them for a
few years and feel competent using (if not dev'ing) them :)

+1 to gantt charts plugin/hack - can provide testing support.

L.

--
word of the month: un-sip-dong
developer: andycat
meaning: un-cool-hey (literal translation from Indonesian)

Olemis Lang

unread,
Apr 8, 2009, 9:43:36 AM4/8/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Lachlan Musicman <dat...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Fwiw, redmine _looks_ excellent for gantt charts and PM. The problems
> we found were:
>

I'll take a look at that and the src code, if available ;)
In fact I started TracGViz [1]_ since I found no working TracGantt plugin, and

I was hoping ...
I was hoping ...
to see a gadget for Gantt charts (thnx Alanis for the backgrounds :P)

>
> +1 to gantt charts plugin/hack - can provide testing support.
>

+1 for me too, -0.5 for having it in trac core ;)


--
Regards,

Olemis.

Featured article:
Se retira el BDFL ... ¿El fin de Python 3k?

- http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/simelo-es/~3/HpncxTKfB1c/se-retira-el-bdfl-el-fin-de-python-3k_02.html

Yunior Armando Hernandez Andrade

unread,
Apr 8, 2009, 11:23:06 PM4/8/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
Examples of new proposed dependency types for Cris Nelson

3) Task A cannot start until task B starts (finish doesn't matter)

- A task for auditing someone's job as he works can only start
when the job's task that is going to be reviewed starts but can end long
after the audited job ends.
- Some parallel tasks.

4) Task A cannot end until task B ends (start doesn't matter)

- Right now I cannot recall an example for this one, maybe
interface prototyping and use case description... the first one cannot
end until the second one ends.

Chris Nelson

unread,
Apr 9, 2009, 8:30:17 AM4/9/09
to trac-...@googlegroups.com
Yunior Armando Hernandez Andrade wrote:
> Examples of new proposed dependency types for Cris Nelson

Thanks.


> 3) Task A cannot start until task B starts (finish doesn't matter)
> - A task for auditing someone's job as he works can only start
when
> the job's task that is going to be reviewed starts but can end long
> after the audited job ends.
> - Some parallel tasks.

OK. I'll buy that. I think a Gantt plugin could exist and be useful
without support for this type of task linkage but we should at least
anticiate in the design.


> 4) Task A cannot end until task B ends (start doesn't matter)
> - Right now I cannot recall an example for this one, maybe
interface
> prototyping and use case description... the first one cannot end
> until the second one ends.

My project manager friend is going to check his text books for an
example and get back to me.

Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages