Workplan AJAX Indented View

Engineer:	Sachin
Work remaining:	2 weeks
QA effort	1 week
No. of automated tests	0

Description

Utilize the ExtJs tree view to replace the Workplan's Indented and Flat Views.

User stories

The user clicks the workplan and he is presented with the task listing inside a ajax grid widget.

Analysis & Design

Existing workplan view

As this feature is an intent to eventually replace an existing View, it is worth to display first how the existing view looks like:
This view is a HTML Table object, which is populated by means of JavaBeans and XML transformation using XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation)

Ajax workplan view

The replaced workplan view would look like this:
This view is a grid rendered using ExtJs widget, by passing the task list in a JSON format. The advantage of this view would be many and first that comes to mind is correct sorting of tasks in hierarchy which was not possible with existing view. Also much of HTML rendering would be left to the widget so every action render just the gird DOM (without having to submit the whole page as in existing). Performance boost is also expected out of it and also make user experience better.

Implementation Matrix

contemplated here.

Functionality	Actual - Indented View	Beta - Indented View
Notify Task	YES	YES
Create Task	YES	YES
Modify Task	YES	YES
View Task Properties	YES	YES
Move Task(s) Up	YES	YES
Move Task(s) Down	YES	YES
Assign Resource(s)	YES	YES
Update Percent Complete	YES	YES
Assign Task to a Phase	YES	YES
Link Tasks	YES	YES
Unlink Tasks	YES	YES
Delete Task	YES	YES
Capture Work	YES	YES
Share Task	YES	YES
Add External Task	YES	YES
Quick Add Task	YES	YES
Click on Task Name cell and go to View Task page	YES	YES
Unindent Task(s)	YES	YES
Indent Task(s)	YES	YES
Re-calculate	YES	YES
Task filters	YES	YES

Known Issues

* Performance is not good as expected especially for large task list. Some javascript messages are encountered.

* Some actions won't work if tasks are not properly sequenced. However re sequence tool can fix the sequence.

* If we expand or collapse a summary task, the same is not remembered next time when that same user views the grid.

* All the task list decorations icons for all status notifiers and task types are not made available, only the important ones are made available i.e. Has Assignments, Has Dependencies, External Task, Critical Path, Date Constrained and After Deadline.

* One is not taken to original task upon clicking the external task's notifier icon.

* If there any security violation performing the action, same is not notified properly on the UI.

* The resize of column is not preserved for a user-plan setting.

Backlog

• Consider switching to the Flat view/Tree view button like Personal Assignments page
  • This may not work with because of three viewing options. (sachin: need design snapshots for the same)
• Filter panel similar to Personal Assignments page (sachin: need more input on the same)