Gantt Keyboard Shortcuts

Performing tasks with shortcuts or commands can often be more efficient without disrupting workflow or the train of thought at that moment in time. The gantt keyboard shortcuts enhances accessibility and streamlines navigation for the project schedule or Gantt chart, allowing you to easily maneuver through the gantt columns and tasks.

In this article we will cover how to navigate, create and update tasks on the gantt schedule.

Keyboard Shortcut Descriptions

To start off, here are the shortcuts to use to guide you with navigate the gantt. 

How to access and use the keyboard shortcuts

The idea of this functionality is to maneuver easily on your gantt schedule. The keyboard shortcuts can be accessed from the gantt schedule/gantt chart by selecting one of the task columns with your mouse cursor. 

Selecting the task columns will then highlight the field with a blue outline, this indicates that the keyboard shortcuts can be used to navigate the gantt.

From this point, the fun begins.

Using the Keyboard Shortcuts

The following points indicate which fields on the gantt schedule the keyboard shortcuts can used to edit the task data:

• Editable fields
  • The task title, effort/duration, hours (for flex schedule tasks) and percentage complete. 

Along with the editable fields, the shortcuts be used to navigate through the tasks by using the following keys:

• Arrows: to navigate up and down, side to side between the tasks or cells. 
• Enter: to select the field to be edited or highlight text to input new text/numbers. This key can also be used to create new tasks and sub-tasks (see the next section for more detail).
• Space bar: to edit a task. You can start typing to update the task on the editable fields. 
• Alt + S / Ctrl + S: to select a task or row. 

Creating a new task using the Keyboard Shortcuts

The keyboard shortcuts are there to save time and provide quick navigation when performing activities on the gantt. The shortcuts not only allow you to maneuver through the gantt but also grant the ability to create new schedule tasks as well as sub-tasks. 

To start creating new tasks, simply select one of the task columns and use the arrows to navigate to the "New Task" option (the + option) and select it using the Enter key to create the new task.  The shortcut Alt + N can also be used to create a new top level task. The shortcut Alt + Enter will create a child task of the selected task.

Each task has the "New Task" option located at the end of the task's row, with this you can create sub-tasks as well.

Note: when selecting to create a new task or sub-task, the end date will be auto-filled. You can edit this by simply double clicking on the task with your mouse cursor to access the task dialog. 

How to update existing tasks using the Keyboard Shortcuts

Updating tasks on the gantt has been made easier as well with using the keyboard shortcuts. Existing tasks can be selected with the use of the Enter or Space bar keys which will highlight the title of the task.

This applies to updating the effort, hours and percentage complete as well.

Note: it is important to note that if you double click on the Space bar key while you have selected an editable field, the data/value will be removed or canceled out.