🔁 Automatically match start dates / due dates from tasks and subtasks

By default, in smenso currently the start and due dates of subtasks and main tasks can be set arbitrarily, without taking into account each other's start and due dates of the main tasks or subtasks. This offers maximum flexibility, but strictly speaking it is not compatible with classical project management approach. 

Project managers would probably expect something like this:

• Main task start date = MIN Sub-task start date
• Main task due date = MAX Sub task due date

Therefore, there is an optional possibility to make a project setting to force the alignment of start and due dates of main tasks/subtasks or at least to ask the users during the action if they want to align the dates.

Enable dates alignment (in the project settings)

By default, matching of start and due dates is inactive, i.e. dates of main tasks and subtasks can be set arbitrarily. In order to take into account the respective start and due dates of the main tasks/subtasks, the automatic alignment of dates must be activated in the project settings. There are two setting options for this:

Case 1: Automatic alignment of dates in main tasks

Concerns the case when users adjust (or set) data in subtasks and these data are outside the start and due dates of the associated main task. 

Relevant cases:

• A subtask is newly created and saved with data that is outside the dates of the main task
• An existing subtask with existing dates is rescheduled, the new dates are outside the dates of the main task
• An existing scheduled subtask is reassigned from another main task and assigned to the main task & the subtask has dates that are outside the dates of the main task

➡️ In the above cases, the dates of the main task are adjusted so that the start and due dates include all subtasks.

Alignment example:

A subtask has dates 10/17/2022 - 10/18/2022, and the main task has dates 10/17/2022 - 10/21/2022. Now, the subtask due date is moved one week into the future, to 10/25/2022. As a result, the main task due date is aligned with the new due date of the longest running subtask. The main task has the new due date 10/25/2022. 

Case 2: Automatic alignment of dates in subtasks

Concerns the case when user:s adjust (or set) dates in main tasks and these dates are outside the start and due dates of the associated subtasks. 

Relevant cases:

• A main task is moved without changing the duration (=timeline drag & drop)
• A main task is extended/shortened (=start date and/or due date is changed)

➡️ In the above cases, the dates of all subtasks are moved forward or back by the same number of days by which the main task was moved or extended/shortened. 

Examples of alignment:

1. A main task has dates 10/17/2022 - 10/21/2022. There is a scheduled subtask with dates 10/17/2022 - 10/18/2022. The main task is now moved back one week (10/24 - 10/28). The consequence is: the subtask is also shifted by the same number of days, so it has the new dates 11/24/2022 - 11/25/2022. 
2. In a main task, the due date is shifted by one week, i.e. by 7 days to 10/28/2022. The consequence is: the subtask is also extended by 7 days, new due date of the subtask is 10/25/2022.

What are the choices?

The desired behavior can be selected for both of the above cases, with the following choices:

• Always ask: If this option is set, every action that causes one of the cases described above, the respective message will appear, letting user:s decide from case to case.
  
  When a subtask is adjusted:
  
  
  
  When a main task is adjusted:
  
  

• Always align: If this option is set, the entire project will always be automatically adjusted as soon as one of the cases described above occurs.
• Never align / Ignore: For the whole project, dependencies of start and due dates of main tasks/subtasks are ignored. Any dates can be set.