01 Overview

Overview

Planit is a browser-based project scheduling tool built around dependency-driven scheduling: change any task, dependency, calendar, or resource, and the whole plan reschedules immediately—the critical path is highlighted in real time, resource overallocation is leveled automatically, and every action can be undone.

Everything runs and is saved inside your browser, no server, no sign-up required.

Try it online: https://zgm4z.github.io/planit/

How it differs from a plain to-do list

A plain list only records "what to do"; Planit answers "when to do it, who does it, and what if you're running late":

• Tasks have dependencies between them; one delay pushes every downstream task along the chain
• The engine uses CPM (Critical Path Method) to solve each task's earliest/latest dates and slack
• Resources have capacity; when more than 100% is scheduled on a day, it automatically pushes postponable tasks later
• You can save baselines and compute earned value, answering "how far behind plan are we"

Interface overview

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Top bar: Back · Project · Menu · Views · Zoom · Assign · Language              │
├──────────────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                      │                                         │
│ Left: Outline (task tree / columns)  │ Right: Inspector (Task/Project/Resource)│
│ Right: Gantt (bars + dependency lines)│                                         │
│                                      │                                         │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Status bar (solver status / conflict hints)                                    │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

• Top bar (Views and Inspector): the menu bar on the left, the view switcher on the right; on narrow screens zoom/language collapse into the "More" menu.
• Main area: switches with the view (Gantt / Task list / Calendar / Resources); the left outline columns are pinned horizontally in the Gantt view, staying put while you scroll.
• Inspector: shows the full set of fields of the currently selected task; you can also switch to the "Project" or "Resource" tab.
• Status bar: shows "Computing schedule…" while the engine is solving in the background, and gives hints when there are conflicts (such as negative slack or resource overallocation).

The four views

View	Purpose
Gantt	Task bars on a timeline + dependency links + critical path + non-working-day shading; drag to schedule
Task list	A 27-column outline table, good for scanning numbers and editing fields in bulk
Calendar	Working days/exceptions in month form; click a date to toggle it
Resources	Resource tree + a timeline per resource (who is scheduled for what on which days, which days are overloaded)

The four core concepts

1. Task — a node in the tree; can be a leaf task, a summary task (with subtasks), or a milestone (a zero-duration point in time). See Tasks and Outline.
2. Dependency — a timing constraint between tasks, with four types and three lag units. See Dependencies and Scheduling.
3. Resource — person / equipment / material / group, with capacity and cost; attached to tasks through an "assignment". See Resources and Assignments.
4. Calendar — which days are working days; determines how duration converts to dates. See Calendars.

Next steps

• First time here? Go straight to Getting Started (a complete run-through in ten minutes).
• Want to know where data lives and how to back it up first? See Editing and Data.

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This manual covers Planit v1.0. The project is an early preview; the API, data format, and behavior may change.