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Define Task Duration

Use the General tab on the Task Properties dialog box to enter or edit the task's duration. When you add tasks to a project, the task's default start date is today's date, or the next working date after today's date if today is a holiday or non-work day.

The maximum duration you can define can extend from present day to June 3, 2079.The duration for variable-duration tasks is automatically calculated. For fixed-duration tasks, Open Workbench automatically calculates the task's finish date. If the task is fixed and you change the finish date, the duration is automatically calculated.

During autoschedule, the duration is not changed for fixed-duration tasks, except when you enter an autoschedule start date that is greater then the task finish date. In this case, ETC is moved for resources and roles to start from the autoschedule start date and spread to the task finish date, depending on the loading pattern. If the autoschedule start date is greater than the task finish date, then the finish date is moved to the Autoschedule start date, and all ETC is placed on that date.

To define a task's duration

  1. Right-click the task you want to define duration, and select Modify from the shortcut menu.

    The General tab on the Task Properties dialog box opens.

  2. Complete the following field, and click OK:
    Duration

    Defines the number of business days for this task if this task's duration is fixed.

    Values: 1 through 20,863.

    Fixed (Duration)

    Specifies whether the task's duration is fixed.

    The Task Properties dialog box closes.

More information:

Edit Task Duration

Define Task General Properties

Recalculate Task Duration

Define Autoschedule Parameters

About Establishing Task and Resource Constraints