To begin documenting the project, you can start filling in the various columns on the left side, such as Task Name and Duration. As an alternative you can right-click on an empty row, choose Task Information from the Shortcut menu and a dialog box appears.The shortcut key combination to open the Task Information Dialog box in Microsoft Project is [SHIFT]+[F2]. For more Project keyboard shortcuts, check out this article.
This is another convenient way to enter task information. The six tabs across the dialog box provide easy access to adding details about the task such as start and end dates, and resources to be allocated. Another method to get the Task dialog box to appear is to double-click on the actual task.
Within the Predecessors tab, you can create dependencies between tasks - such as indicating that a task cannot start until a previous task finishes. To do so, select the predecessor task via a pulldown menu under the Task Name column within the Task Information dialog box. You can also change the type of relationship between the two tasks - like Finish-to-Start or Finish-to-Finish - via the Type column in the Predecessors tab. Changing data in the Lag column to indicate if there should be a delay between the tasks, can also be accomplished in the Predecessors tab.
Using the Resources tab, you can document the resources to be used for the various tasks. If you haven't documented the resources previously using the Resource Sheet within Project 2007, you can add them here by simply typing a name in the field under Resources and hitting Enter. You can then adjust the usage of the resource using the Units column. Within the Respurces Tab you also have the ability to put in a cost associated with the resource.
The Task Information pane has numerous other details you can adjust as necessary. In the top righthand corner, you can check a box to show that the duration for a task is an estimate. This can be handy if its too difficult to nail a task down to a specific timeframe for whatever reason. There's also a checkbox on the Advanced tab in the lower left to indicate whether a task is a milestone.
Check out even more Project Tips & Tricks here. For the conclusion of this tutorial on how to create a Gantt chart in Project 2007, read on to the next page.