org-taskjuggler export problems

org-taskjuggler export problems

[Johnny]

Hi,

I am trying to export a simple project plan from org to taskjuggler
through org-taskjuggler.el. I cannot get the behavour I expect and
need do some manual tweaks to get the taskjuggler file working. The
questions are as follows, whereafter the test org-file that I attempt
export and finally the tweaked taskjuggler file that I was expecting to
see from the 'org-export-as-taskjuggler'. What am I doing wrong?

1) The 'end' date specified in the ':taskjuggler_project' base is ignored and
the default 280d is used. Because the project duration is long this
throws an error. The 'start' date however seems properly picked up.
2) The 'task_id' fields are not exported properly.
3) The 'precedes' property is not exported at all

Taskjuggler version is 2.4.3 org version is 7.7.

Thanks,

J

# ORG testfile follows------------------

#+STARTUP: hidestars
#+STARTUP: outline

* Assessment findings (electrical)
  :taskjuggler_project:
  :PROPERTIES:
  :start:    2011-06-01
  :end:      2014-06-01
  :COLUMNS:  %23ITEM(Task) %task_id %precedes %start %5Effort 
  :END:
** Tasks
*** Task A
    :PROPERTIES:
    :task_id:  task_A
    :precedes: mils_A
    :Effort:   10d
    :END:
*** Task B
    :PROPERTIES:
    :task_id:  task_B
    :precedes: mils_B
    :Effort:   10d
    :END:
*** Task C
    :PROPERTIES:
    :task_id:  task_C
    :precedes: mils_B
    :Effort:   10d
    :END:
** Milestones
*** Milestone A
    :PROPERTIES:
    :task_id:  mils_A
    :start:    2012-01-01
    :END:
*** Milestone B
    :PROPERTIES:
    :task_id:  mils_B
    :start:    2013-01-01
    :END:


# Tweaked taskjuggler file follows------------------

project assessment "Assessment findings (electrical)" "1.0" 2011-06-01
+2800d {
 }
shift s40 "Part time shift" {
  workinghours wed, thu, fri off
}

resource jim "jim" {
}
task assessment "Assessment findings (electrical)" {
 purge allocations
 allocate jim
start 2011-06-01
end 2014-06-01
task tasks "Tasks" {

task task_a "Task A" {
 effort 80.0h
 precedes !!milestones.mils_a
}
task task_b "Task B" {
 effort 80.0h
 precedes !!milestones.mils_b
}
task task_c "Task C" {
 effort 80.0h
precedes !!milestones.mils_b
}
}
task milestones "Milestones" {

task mils_a "Milestone A" {
 milestone
start 2012-01-01
}
task mils_b "Milestone B" {
 milestone
start 2013-01-01
}
}
}
taskreport "Gantt Chart" {
  headline "Project Gantt Chart"
  columns hierarchindex, name, start, end, effort, duration, completed,
 chart
  timeformat "%Y-%m-%d"
  hideresource 1
  loadunit shortauto
}
resourcereport "Resource Graph" {
  headline "Resource Allocation Graph"
  columns no, name, utilization, freeload, chart
  loadunit shortauto
  sorttasks startup
  hidetask ~isleaf()
}



-- 
Johnny

Re: org-taskjuggler export problems

[Christian Egli]

Hi 

Johnny <yggdrasil@gmx.co.uk> writes:

> I am trying to export a simple project plan from org to taskjuggler
> through org-taskjuggler.el. I cannot get the behavour I expect and
> need do some manual tweaks to get the taskjuggler file working. What
> am I doing wrong?

You're not doing anything wrong. You've hit some bugs in the taskjuggler
exporter.

> 1) The 'end' date specified in the ':taskjuggler_project' base is ignored and
> the default 280d is used. Because the project duration is long this
> throws an error. The 'start' date however seems properly picked up.

Indeed the end date is not picked up. I remember to have tried to fix
this once, but the problem is that the root task serves as both a
container for the project attributes and is a task at the same time. So
if you define the end, you'll both define the end of the project and the
task, which might not be what you want. Can you try to increase the
org-export-taskjuggler-default-project-duration instead?

> 2) The 'task_id' fields are not exported properly.

The taskjuggler exporter uses the task_ids you define just for
dependency resolution. Other than that it creates automatic ids based on
the title of the task. The assumption is that you are not that
interested in defining ids. What do you need them for?

> 3) The 'precedes' property is not exported at all

Yes, this is not implemented. Could you use 'depends' instead? And
possibly use alap scheduling?

Hope that helps
Christian

-- 
Christian Egli
Swiss Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Print Disabled
Grubenstrasse 12, CH-8045 Zürich, Switzerland

Re: org-taskjuggler export problems

[Johnny]

Hi Christian and thanks for your response.

Christian Egli <christian.egli@sbs.ch> writes:
>
>> I am trying to export a simple project plan from org to taskjuggler
>> through org-taskjuggler.el. I cannot get the behavour I expect and
>> need do some manual tweaks to get the taskjuggler file working. What
>> am I doing wrong?
>
> You're not doing anything wrong. You've hit some bugs in the taskjuggler
> exporter.
>
>> 1) The 'end' date specified in the ':taskjuggler_project' base is ignored and
>> the default 280d is used. Because the project duration is long this
>> throws an error. The 'start' date however seems properly picked up.
>
> Indeed the end date is not picked up. I remember to have tried to fix
> this once, but the problem is that the root task serves as both a
> container for the project attributes and is a task at the same time. So
> if you define the end, you'll both define the end of the project and the
> task, which might not be what you want. Can you try to increase the
> org-export-taskjuggler-default-project-duration instead?
>

That is an acceptable solution. I guess the minor tradeoff is that by
having a large default value which is necessary for only one project
will transfer to others as well making the taskjuggler work harder. This
is not a major issue at all, but being able to specify on a per file
basis would be convenient.

>> 2) The 'task_id' fields are not exported properly.
>
> The taskjuggler exporter uses the task_ids you define just for
> dependency resolution. Other than that it creates automatic ids based on
> the title of the task. The assumption is that you are not that
> interested in defining ids. What do you need them for?
>

Well, dependency resolution is what I was after, but as the 'precedes'
is not exported that is the major culprit. 

>> 3) The 'precedes' property is not exported at all
>
> Yes, this is not implemented. Could you use 'depends' instead? And
> possibly use alap scheduling?

It is not as transparent to use 'depends', as I have one milestone with
many tasks to be completed before. By using 'depends', I will (not
really) see in column view e.g. 20 tasks in the depends column. By using
'precedes', each task will be (much more) clearly mapped to the
milestone. 

>
> Hope that helps

Yes, thanks for explaining how the export handles the fields.

Best,

-- 
Johnny