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Prerequisites

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Step 1 — Enable Advanced Dependencies

Open Project / Repository Administration > Configuration Properties and add: 
nextedy.gantt.default.advanced_dependencies=true
This tells the Gantt to preserve the specific dependency type when you create or edit a link. Without this property, every dependency link is automatically converted to Finish-to-Start.

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Step 2 — Hide the Metadata Field

When advanced dependency types are enabled, the Gantt stores type and lag information in a custom field called gantt_dependency_metadata. End users should not see or edit this field directly.
  1. Open Administration > Form Configuration for the relevant work item types.
  2. Locate the gantt_dependency_metadata field.
  3. Mark it as hidden so it does not appear on work item forms.
Removing or renaming gantt_dependency_metadata will cause the Gantt to lose all advanced dependency type information. Always keep the field — just hide it from users.
By default, all four dependency types share the same Polarion link role. If your project requires separate link roles for each type, add the following to Configuration Properties: 
nextedy.gantt.workitems.linkRoles.finish_to_start=your_FS_role_id
nextedy.gantt.workitems.linkRoles.start_to_start=your_SS_role_id
nextedy.gantt.workitems.linkRoles.finish_to_finish=your_FF_role_id
nextedy.gantt.workitems.linkRoles.start_to_finish=your_SF_role_id
Replace each value with the actual Polarion link role ID used in your project.
You can specify a comma-separated list of link role IDs if different work item types use different dependency roles. For example:
nextedy.gantt.workitems.linkRoles.finish_to_finish=dependency_feature_ff,dependency_task_ff

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Dependency Types Reference

TypeCodeConstraint
Finish-to-Start (FS)0Target cannot start before source ends
Start-to-Start (SS)1Target cannot start before source starts
Finish-to-Finish (FF)2Target cannot end before source ends
Start-to-Finish (SF)3Target cannot end before source starts
All constraints allow the target to shift later — they define the earliest possible start or finish, not an exact alignment.
  1. Enter Edit mode on the Gantt chart.
  2. Drag from the link circle on one task bar to another task bar to create a dependency link.
  3. The dependency type is assigned based on which edge (start or end) you drag from and drop onto.
If dependency links are not loaded due to item limits or filtering, the Gantt ignores them entirely. This affects both visualization and auto-scheduling calculations.

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Step 5 — Identify Constraint Violations

When a dependency constraint is violated — for example, a Start-to-Finish link where the target task ends before the source task starts — the Gantt displays a red dotted line beneath the incorrectly positioned task bar. To resolve the violation, drag the affected task bar so its dates satisfy the dependency constraint.

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Verification

You should now see:
  • Dependency arrows drawn between tasks reflecting the specific type (FS, SS, FF, or SF)
  • The link type preserved when you save and reload the Gantt chart
  • Red dotted violation indicators appearing when a task position violates its dependency constraint

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See Also

KB ArticlesSupport TicketsSource Code
  • prod-gantt-src/com.nextedy.polarion.gantt/src/com/nextedy/polarion/gantt/model/Data.java
  • prod-gantt-src/com.nextedy.polarion.gantt/src/com/nextedy/polarion/gantt/model/Link.java
  • prod-gantt-src/com.nextedy.polarion.gantt/src/com/nextedy/polarion/gantt/model/impl/types/TypeConfigWidgetParameters.java
  • prod-gantt-src/com.nextedy.polarion.gantt/src/com/nextedy/polarion/gantt/widget/WorkItemsGanttWidget.java
  • prod-gantt-src/com.nextedy.polarion.gantt/src/com/nextedy/polarion/gantt/model/IGanttDataService.java