# Timeline View (https://yapl.app/en/docs/user-guides/gantt/timeline-view)

# Timeline View

The timeline view displays your plan's tasks in a visual Gantt chart format. This guide covers navigating, understanding, and customizing the timeline display.

## Accessing Timeline View

1. Navigate to **Plans** in the sidebar
2. Open a plan
3. Click the **Timeline** tab

## Interface Overview

The timeline view consists of several areas:

### Task List Panel (Left)

The left panel shows task information:
- Task name and WBS code
- Duration
- Start date
- End date
- Progress percentage
- Assignees

### Timeline Panel (Right)

The right panel shows the Gantt chart:
- Time scale header
- Task bars
- Dependencies (connecting lines)
- Milestones (diamond markers)
- Today marker (vertical line)

### Header Area

Contains controls for:
- Zoom level selection
- View options toggle
- Filter controls
- Export menu

## Understanding Task Bars

### Bar Anatomy

Each task bar shows:

| Element | Meaning |
|---------|---------|
| Bar position | Start and end dates |
| Bar length | Task duration |
| Fill color | Task status or category |
| Progress fill | Completion percentage |
| Text label | Task name (if space allows) |

### Bar Colors

Default color meanings:
- **Blue** - In progress or planned
- **Green** - Completed
- **Red** - Critical path tasks
- **Gray** - Not started
- **Custom** - Workspace-defined status colors

### Progress Indicator

A darker fill within the bar shows progress:
- 0% - Empty bar
- 50% - Half filled
- 100% - Fully filled

## Navigation

### Zooming

Control time scale granularity:

| Zoom Level | Shows |
|------------|-------|
| Day | Individual days |
| Week | Weekly increments |
| Month | Monthly view |
| Quarter | Quarterly overview |
| Year | Annual summary |

**How to zoom:**
- Use zoom controls in header
- Mouse scroll with modifier key
- Pinch gesture on touch devices

### Scrolling

Navigate the timeline:
- **Horizontal** - Move through time
- **Vertical** - See more tasks
- Click and drag to pan
- Use scrollbars

### Today Line

A vertical line indicates the current date:
- Quick reference for schedule position
- Shows if tasks are behind/ahead

### Fit to View

Auto-adjust to show:
- All tasks in plan
- Selected date range
- Project duration

## Task List Features

### Columns

The task list displays:

| Column | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| Task | Name with hierarchy indent |
| Duration | Length of task |
| Start | Planned start date |
| Finish | Planned end date |
| Progress | Completion percentage |
| Assignees | Assigned team members |

### Hierarchy

Tasks show hierarchical structure:
- Parent tasks (summary bars)
- Child tasks (indented)
- Expandable/collapsible groups

### Sorting

Click column headers to sort:
- By name
- By start date
- By duration
- By progress

## Dependencies

### Viewing Dependencies

Dependencies appear as lines connecting task bars:
- Arrow shows direction of relationship
- Line style may indicate dependency type

### Dependency Types

| Type | Abbreviation | Meaning |
|------|--------------|---------|
| Finish-to-Start | FS | Successor starts after predecessor finishes |
| Start-to-Start | SS | Tasks start at same time |
| Finish-to-Finish | FF | Tasks finish at same time |
| Start-to-Finish | SF | Successor finishes when predecessor starts |

### Lag and Lead

Dependencies may include:
- **Lag** - Delay between tasks (positive)
- **Lead** - Overlap between tasks (negative)

## Milestones

### Appearance

Milestones appear as:
- Diamond shapes on the timeline
- Zero-duration markers
- Key project events

### Uses

Mark important events:
- Project kick-off
- Phase completion
- Client approvals
- Deliverable dates

## Summary Tasks

### What They Are

Summary tasks (parent tasks) show:
- Span of all child tasks
- Rolled-up progress
- Overall duration

### Display

Summary bars typically:
- Extend from first child start to last child finish
- Show aggregate completion
- Can be collapsed to hide children

### Expanding/Collapsing

Click the expand/collapse icon to:
- Show child tasks (expanded)
- Hide child tasks (collapsed)
- Simplify complex schedules

## View Options

### Toggles

Common view options:
- Show/hide dependencies
- Show/hide progress
- Show/hide critical path
- Show/hide baseline
- Show/hide weekends

### Filters

Filter what appears:
- By assignee
- By status
- By date range
- By WBS level

## Today Marker

### Purpose

The today line shows:
- Current date position
- Quick progress reference
- Schedule status indicator

### Interpretation

If most tasks are:
- **Left of line** - On or ahead of schedule
- **Right of line** - Behind schedule (for progress bars)

## Time Scale

### Header Format

The time scale header shows:
- Primary scale (larger increments)
- Secondary scale (smaller increments)

**Example:**
- Primary: Months (January, February, ...)
- Secondary: Weeks (Week 1, Week 2, ...)

### Non-Working Time

Weekends and holidays may appear:
- Shaded differently
- Excluded from calculations
- Based on plan calendar

## Performance Tips

### Large Plans

For plans with many tasks:
- Collapse summary tasks
- Use filters
- Zoom out for overview
- Focus on active tasks

### Smooth Scrolling

To improve performance:
- Limit visible date range
- Collapse hierarchies
- Apply task filters

## Troubleshooting

### Tasks Not Visible

- Check date range is correct
- Verify tasks have dates assigned
- Check filter settings
- Expand collapsed parents

### Bars Not Displaying

- Ensure tasks have start and end dates
- Check zoom level
- Verify date range includes tasks

### Dependencies Missing

- Enable dependencies in view options
- Check tasks are linked
- Verify zoom shows detail level

## Related Topics

- [Editing Timeline](/docs/user-guides/gantt/editing-timeline) - Modify tasks on chart
- [Critical Path](/docs/user-guides/gantt/critical-path) - Schedule analysis
- [Tasks](/docs/user-guides/tasks) - Task management