Whether you're an experienced Microsoft Project user or a new user of the application, you'll be aware that you can create tasks relationships in different ways. This article describes how to create task relationships quickly and efficiently in the "Gantt Chart view". This view consists of two parts. On the left is a table for data entry and on the right is display which shows the tasks on a horizontal timeline. You can create task relationships in either view.

The table on the left is called the "Table Entry" and is used to add new task names, set durations, create task relationships and edit these details. As you add or amend data in this table, the tasks you create appear on the right hand gantt chart view. So you use the table entry to add all your project task names and durations. Once this is done you then create the task relationships. We'll describe how this is done in the table entry next.

So once tasks are created they appear as a list in the table entry. You can then create a relationship or link between two tasks as follows. Select the two tasks, then click the Link button on the upper menu bar or ribbon display. This will create the default start to finish type relationship between the tasks. If you scroll this table to the right and look in the predecessors column, you'll see the task number that precedes a particular task. So if you've linked task 1 and task2, the predecessor of task 2 will show the number 1. If there's only a number in this column this indicates an F-S relationship. This link will also show on the right hand gantt chart as a blue connecting line between the tasks, with an arrow pointing from the finish of the earlier task to the start of the later task.

If you want to link more than one task in a finish to start sequence, then in the left hand table you need to select multiple tasks. If you want to select several tasks which are one after the other in the table, select the upper task first. Then press and hold down the shift key, and select the last task required. All tasks highlight to show they are selected. You can release the shift key. Then click the link icon as before, and all the tasks become linked.

If you want to select tasks which are not next to each other you need to use the ctrl key. To do this select the first task. Then press and hold down the ctrl key. Still keeping this key pressed down, with your other hand select the required tasks with the mouse. Each selected task highlights. Release the mouse, then release the ctrl key. Then use the link icon as before, and again, all selected tasks become linked.

You can also create links between tasks directly on the gantt chart. To do this, hover your mouse over a task on the gantt chart. If you move the mouse to the left and right over the task, you'll see there are three different icons on the mouse pointer, depending on where you're hovering. You want the icon showing the four way cross. With this icon showing, drag the mouse from this task to the target task and carefully release the mouse. The tasks become linked with the blue arrow. If you look in the left hand table you'll see the link shows there too. Creating task links directly on the gantt chart can be quicker than via the left hand table. However you can only create individual task links in this way and you cannot create multiple links by dragging and dropping on the gantt chart.

Editing a link on the gantt chart, for example to change the link type, is straightforward. To do this you need to carefully hover the mouse pointer over the line of the link, so the arrowhead of the pointer is actually on the line, and right click the mouse, then choose the edit option. The task relationships panel opens and you can choose a different link type, add lead or lag, or delete the link completely.

Back in the table entry you can also edit the task type. To do this, scroll the table to the right and select the cell under predecessor for the required task. Suppose the entry contains the number 5, indicating the link is to task 5. Add SS (for a Start to Start for example), and click off the cell. The link changes to this type, and you can see this by looking in the gantt chart.

So once tasks are added to your project plan using the table entry, you can create and edit task relationships in either the table entry but selecting tasks and choosing the link toolbar button, or on the gantt chart by dragging between tasks. And editing relationships is just as easy in either place. Interested in finding out more about Project? A really effective way is to attend a training course, and then really boost your skills in using Project.