Text Mode Report Assistance - Negative gap between start date and due date of two tasks

[bpilarsk1]

Has anyone ever created a report that shows a negative gap between the due date of one task in a project and the start date of another?  I could use some text mode assistance.  

[Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore · Accepted solution]

Hi @bpilarsk1,

Using native reporting functionality, each item in a report can only retrieve data about itself, its parent(s), and its “iterations” (eg a Project’s Tasks, a Task’s Issues, an Issue’s Expenses, etc.), noting that although the latter can (by looping through every item  “expensively”) be reduced using an IF statement, it can not be sorted or aggregated.

Although I have created (expensive) Project reports with iterations on one or more columns to IF specific Task details, and (similarly expensive) Task reports with iterations on each Task “up” to its Project “down” to (all) its Tasks (including the current Task) to also IF specific Task details, doing math to “show a negative gap” is not possible, even with textmode.

So! Some other paths to consider:

• Going the Extra Milestone blog post, which might give you an idea on a way to relate the Tasks of interest using a third Task whose duration represents the gap you are after
• creating Baselines which are powerful, and can be used to calculate differences in dates…but only between a Task and its (default) Baseline Task; see our Multi Baseline Report video for further imaginings
• if none of the above meets your requirements, I’d wager our Magic Reports solution could do so

Regards,

Doug

[bpilarsk1]

Thanks Doug - that explains a lot!