Activity scheduling software (2000/2003)

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I want to create a database to track dates (weeks) of sub-activities within main activities (there will be around 30 effectively identical main activities each with the same 10 sub activities – specifically we make 30 TV programmes in a year, each of which has specific sub activities such as selling, scripting, filming, editing). I have considered MS Project but it is far too complicated for the ultimate users and is far too featured.

I could easily set up a simple database that for each main activity has 10 fields to collect the dates/weeks of the sub activities. A degree of overlap checking could be implemented. Trouble is, I haven’t a clue how to convert this data by query into a format that can be used as some form of visual timeline display. Alternatively, but I think less satisfactory,is write the database so that each main activity has 52 fields, one for each week, and give them a code to indicate the sub activity – easy to show visually.

I really just do not know which way to start on this one, and a few pointers would help me.

David

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I doubt that Access is the ideal application for such an interface, in particular if you want data entry and editing in a timeline interface.

You might get some ideas for a timeline report (display only) from the thread starting at post 249,154.

Fellow Lounger D Willett has created a schedule application for motor vehicle repairs using a tool from DataSphere.

DBI has an ActiveX schedule control – see here.

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Hello Hans

I agree that Access may be less than ideal for such a task and, having thought it through, there is no way I’m contemplating data entry/editing within a timeline interface. I’m coming at this from the point of view of using standard Access forms to collect and edit actual data, but developing some form of graphical display solely for viewing or reporting. I’ve looked at the Dev Ashish example but the problem there is that, like some others that I have seen, there is an expectation that there will be only 1 date block per line. For me there will be 10 sub activity date blocks per each line.

The best I can think of at the moment is to create a fake timeline. For each record (main activity) I could have a string field of length 52 (weeks in a year) filled with spaces. I could then iterate through the date fields (sub activities) and overwrite using string manipulation the appropriate part of the string so that when I display it it will look something like ” XX X XXX X X “. I could use a block font. Inelegant and breaking the rule of not having a calcuated field in a record, but might suffice.

Thanks for your references.

Regards
David

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The example from Dev Ashish could be adapted to display multiple activity date blocks per line. It would take some work to create the queries needed for it, but it can be done.

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