Using dates with Project System

[DavidEman]

I'm having a bit of a problem setting up database with dynamically calculating dates. Please bear with me while I try to explain my problem.

I've got a Master file handling Job Information. This record will contain a Promise Date. I want to setup a portal where someone can create multiple unlimited Tasks for the Job and assign a length of time for that Task. That Task will then calculate a Start Date for that task by subtracting from the Promise Date. As a new Task is created it needs to calculate from the previous Task. The idea is to create a timeline report listing all of the Tasks and the days that they need to begin. Of course, as things change, they want to adjust the schedules.

I won't go through everything I've tried because it hasn't worked, but I would appreciate any thoughts anyone has on setting this up.

Thanks so much for your help.

[danjacoby]

Set up a field in the Master file that contains the end date of the latest task. Then set up a relationship from the Tasks file that auto-enters that date as the beginning date of the task, and resets the date based on the length of the task.

[BobWeaver]

What about tasks that can run in parallel? Or will that never happen?

[DavidEman]

I don't think it will work using the date of the last task in the master record because they'll need to go in a change the dates later on. I was thinking about somehow setting up a relationship in the Tasks DB to the previous record, but I couldn't get it to work.

Tasks shouldn't run parallel because each task needs the previous one to finish before it can start.

[danjacoby]

The dates can still be changed manually. Try it in a "dummy" file first.