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Prerequisites

  • A working Gantt chart with dependency links configured (see Create and Configure Dependency Links)
  • Access to Polarion Administration > Configuration Properties (for default settings) or the wiki page editor (for per-widget settings)

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Enable Auto-Scheduling by Default

To make auto-scheduling active on all Gantt widgets by default, set the following administration property:
  1. Navigate to Administration > Configuration Properties (project or global level).
  2. Add the property:
This sets the default for new and existing Gantt widgets. The default value is false.
This property serves as the default toggle. Once auto-scheduling is set on a specific widget, the widget-level setting takes precedence.

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Toggle Auto-Scheduling at Runtime

Users can toggle auto-scheduling on and off using the toolbar button during an editing session. The auto-scheduling toggle is available in the Gantt toolbar when the chart is in edit mode. When auto-scheduling is active:
  • Moving a task automatically pushes successor tasks forward to maintain dependency constraints
  • Shortening or extending a task adjusts the start dates of successors accordingly
  • The rescheduling is triggered only when you change an item or modify a dependency link

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How Auto-Scheduling Works

Auto-scheduling enforces finish-to-start constraints between linked tasks. When you move Task A forward by 3 days, Task B (which depends on Task A) automatically shifts its start date forward by 3 days as well. This propagation continues through the entire dependency chain.
Auto-scheduling operates on the client side during your editing session. If multiple users edit the same Gantt simultaneously, the last save wins. There is no built-in conflict detection for concurrent edits.

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Combine Auto-Scheduling with Manual Control

In complex project hierarchies, you may want auto-scheduling for lower-level tasks but manual control for top-level milestones. You can achieve this by:
  • Using the readonly property on specific items via Item Script to prevent them from being moved by auto-scheduling
  • Setting specific work item types to Milestone presentation mode, which treats them as fixed date markers
For waterfall projects where top-level phases have fixed dates but sub-tasks should auto-schedule within those phases, combine the parent bounds constraint with auto-scheduling. Enable auto-scheduling for task-level items and set parent items to Derived Schedule mode so they automatically span their children.

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Enable Critical Path Alongside Auto-Scheduling

Auto-scheduling pairs well with critical path analysis. To enable both:
With both features active, the Gantt highlights the longest dependency chain in red while automatically maintaining schedule consistency when tasks are moved.

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Verification

After enabling auto-scheduling:
  1. Open your Gantt chart in edit mode.
  2. Verify the auto-scheduling toggle is active in the toolbar.
  3. Drag a predecessor task to a new date.
  4. You should now see all dependent successor tasks shift automatically to maintain the dependency constraint.

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See Also

Last modified on July 10, 2026