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1.5
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\section{Functionality Description}

xview's GUI, built using the Sun OpenWindows Developer's Guide,
restricts the platforms that the tool can be run on to
Unix\footnote{Unix is a trademark of AT\&T Bell Labs.} machines
running the X Windows system and having the XView libraries.  Since X
Windows and the XView libraries are both distributed freely\footnote{A
nominal distribution fee is charged if the libraries are distributed
on tape.}, and free implementations of Unix exist (386BSD, linux)
which are powerful enough to run X Windows, the restrictions are
minimal.

At the core of the graphical user interface is the \pscreen\/ (see
Figure~\ref{window:project} on page~\pageref{window:project}) which
contains a scrollable list of tasks, along with pull-down menus that
perform functions such as file loading and saving, PERT and Gantt
chart display, date calculations, and \LaTeX\ file generation.  By
clicking on a task in the task list, the user will be able to bring up
the \tiscreen\/ for that task.  The user can then modify information
about the task, and save the changes into the task database.  These
two screens are used throughout the process of building a task list,
which can then later be displayed graphically as a PERT or Gantt
chart.

\begin{figure}
\centering
\centerline{\psfig{figure=main-window.ps,height=4in}}
\caption[Project Window]{The project window and its menus.}
\label{window:project}
\end{figure}

The \tiscreen\/ (see Figure~\ref{window:taskinfo} on
page~\pageref{window:taskinfo}) is the means by which the user enters
and views specific information about each task that is a part of the
project they are planning.  That information includes task name; task
description; task duration; planned, actual, forecast, earliest, and
latest start and end dates; float time; resource list; sub-task list;
dependency list; and flags that indicate if completion of this task is
a milestone, and if completion of this task yields a deliverable.
Some items, like the earliest and latest start and end dates, cannot
be modified by the user, but are rather filled in by selecting the
{\em Date Calculation}\/ item in the {\em Analyze}\/ menu of the
\pscreen.  The resource, sub-task, and dependency lists are accessed
by selecting the appropriate button on the \tiscreen.  Once the user
is satisfied with the information entered for the task, he/she can
select the {\em Apply}\/ button to save the information for the given
task into the task database.  If at any point before selecting {\em
Apply}\/ the user decides he/she would like to revert to what was
previously stored in the database, the {\em Reset}\/ option can be
chosen.

\begin{figure}
\centering
\centerline{\psfig{figure=det-des-task-info.ps,height=4in}}
\caption[Task Information Screen]{The \tiscreen\/ with detailed task
information.}
\label{window:taskinfo}
\end{figure}

The \pcscreen\/ is for the graphical display of PERT charts which
correspond to the task list created by the user.  The chart is
generated automatically based upon the tasks and their dependency
lists.  Each box on the chart will be the same size, and will contain
the task name, planned start date and end date for the task, task
number, and task duration.  Task dependency will be indicated by the
tool placing the tasks that have to be completed first on the left end
of the chart and placing tasks that can be completed next to the right
of that task and connecting them with a line.  If the task is part of
the critical path, then the line from that task to the next task on
the critical path will be drawn thicker than other lines, to give a
good graphical representation of its importance.  By double-clicking
on a task box, the user will cause the \tiscreen\/ to be displayed
with the details of that task.

The \gcscreen\/ is for the graphical display of Gantt charts, which
like the PERT charts will be generated based on the information in the
task list created by the user.  The user will have the ability to
select a task from the Gantt chart which will cause the \tiscreen\/ to
be displayed with information on that task.

In addition to those main screens, a \flsscreen\/ along with an
\poscreen\/ are provided so that the user can control the destination
of the project file when saved, and the destination of the \LaTeX\
output that the program produces.

The \flsscreen\/ includes a field with the path to the current
directory displayed in it, along with a list of files in the current
directory, and a field in which the user can enter a directory that
they would like to move to or the name of a file they would like to
load.

The \poscreen\/ contains fields for the user to enter directory and
file names for the generated \LaTeX\ code to be stored in.  Direct
printing of the \LaTeX\ files from within the application will not be
provided since the main purpose of using a \LaTeX\ format for the
output is to allow a user to incorporate generated task sheets, along
with PERT and Gantt charts, into his/her own document for later
printing.  If the user chooses to print the generated files directly
rather than incorporating them into another document, the normal {\tt
latex}, {\tt dvips}, and {\tt lpr} commands can be used from a command
shell.

All of the menus in the system are on the project window, which is
illustrated in Figure~\ref{window:project}.  These menus, their
associated items, and the result of choosing an item include:

\begin{description}

\begin{figure}
\centering
\centerline{\psfig{figure=file-menu.ps,height=1in}}
\caption[File Menu]{The file menu of the project window.}
\label{menu:file}
\end{figure}

\item[File Menu] Refer to Figure~\ref{menu:file} on
page~\pageref{menu:file}.
\begin{enumerate}
\item {\bf Load...}\\
Prompts the user for the name of a file to load (via
Figure~\ref{default} on page \pageref{default}) and loads it.  If a
project file has been loaded previously, the information for that file
is deleted and the information for the new file replaces it.  If in
fact a project file was previously loaded, and a change has been made
to it, the user will be prompted on whether they would like to save
the changes made to it before loading the new file.
\begin{figure}
\centering
\centerline{\psfig{figure=default.ps,height=4in}}
\caption[File Selection Screen]{The file selection window.}
\label{default}
\end{figure}

\item {\bf New Project}\\
Sets the database up to begin working on a new project.  If a project
is currently loaded and has been changed, the user is prompted on
whether they would like to save the changes made to it.
\item {\bf Save}\\
Saves the current project to a file with the same  name as that from
which it was loaded.  If it is a new project, the user is prompted for
a filename to save it to. 
\item {\bf Save as...}\\
Saves the current project to a file that is named by the user.
\end{enumerate}

\begin{figure}
\centering
\centerline{\psfig{figure=chart-menu.ps,height=1in}}
\caption[Chart Menu]{The chart menu of the project window.}
\label{menu:chart}
\end{figure}

\item[Chart Menu] Refer to Figure~\ref{menu:chart} on
page~\pageref{menu:chart}.
\begin{enumerate}
\item {\bf PERT}\\
Pops up the PERT chart for the currently loaded project.
\item {\bf Gantt}\\
Pops up the Gantt chart for the currently loaded project.
\end{enumerate}

\begin{figure}
\centering
\centerline{\psfig{figure=analyze-menu.ps,height=1in}}
\caption[Analyze Menu]{The analyze menu of the project window.}
\label{menu:analyze}
\end{figure}

\item[Analyze Menu] Refer to Figure~\ref{menu:analyze} on
page~\pageref{menu:analyze}.
\begin{enumerate}
\item {\bf Find Critical Path}\\
Finds the critical path in the task network.  This critical path will
be displayed in the PERT and Gantt charts once it has been calculated.
\item {\bf Check Dependencies}\\
Checks the dependencies of the tasks to make sure there are no
dependency loops.
\item {\bf Calculate Dates}\\
Calculates the earliest and latest start and end dates for the tasks
in the task network, along with the float for each task.  The duration
of each task, along with the start date of the first task, must have
been previously specified.
\end{enumerate}

\begin{figure}
\centering
\centerline{\psfig{figure=export-menu.ps,height=1in}}
\caption[Export Menu]{The export menu of the project window.}
\label{menu:export}
\end{figure}

\item[Export Menu] Refer to Figure~\ref{menu:export} on
page~\pageref{menu:export}.
\begin{enumerate}
\item {\bf Generate Task Sheet}\\
Generates the \LaTeX\ representation of a task sheet for the current
task network, in tabular form.
\item {\bf Generate PERT Chart}\\
Generates the \LaTeX\ representation of a PERT chart for the current
network.
\item {\bf Generate Gantt Chart}\\
Generates the \LaTeX\ representation of a Gantt chart for the current
network.
\item {\bf Export Options...}\\
Pop up the export options screen to retrieve the filename and
directory that the generated charts should be stored to.
\end{enumerate}

\end{description}

The best way to learn how to use xplan is to experiment with it.  The
online help features and the GUI are self-explanatory in regards to
the function and usage of xplan and xplan's menus.  However, for the
novice user, the following section will provide an example of how
xplan may be used to enter task information and generate PERT and
Gantt charts based on the task information.
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Loads a project file into the interface.  If a project file has been
loaded previously, the information for that file is deleted and the
information for the new file replaces it.  If in fact a project file
was previously loaded, and a change has been made to it, the user will
be prompted on whether they would like to save the changes made to it
before loading the new file.
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xplan is designed to be simple to learn and simple to use software.
The user controls every aspect of xplan with the graphical user
interface (GUI). The user will use a three button mouse to control
the GUI, and a keyboard for entering text information to xplan.  Also,
the user may specify an ASCII text file of PERT/Gantt chart
information to be loaded into xplan.  Note that the ASCII text input
file must be in the proper xplan input format.  That feature is
basically used for saving previous xplan work sessions on a project.
The user should never prepare an ASCII text file for input by hand,
since xplan's GUI is so simple to use.  The user may output the
PERT/Gantt chart information created by xplan to a LaTeX file format.
The user may use the LaTeX document processing system for
incorporating PERT/Gantt charts into professional quality documents.
xplan was designed to allow the user to use the LaTeX document
processing system in the spirit of free software.  Since xplan is
provided free of charge, and LaTeX is free software, xplan is the tool
of choice for the budget conscious user.  If the user is unfamiliar
with LaTeX, we recommend obtaining a copy of the LaTeX user manual,
since LaTeX is used after xplan finishes its duties.  xplan is
designed to be used interactively with the GUI in real time, so batch
processing of PERT/Gantt charts is not available with xplan.
  
Before we discuss the details of using xplan, let's first describe
what PERT/Gantt charts are.  A Gantt chart is basically a time line
showing a bar graph of the period of time the tasks of a project take
to complete.  The PERT chart is different from the Gantt chart.  The
PERT chart is for Performance Evaluation and Review Techniques.  Tasks
are illustrated graphically so the user may see the dependencies of
the various tasks of a project.  All dependencies are calculated based
on time of completion for a particular task.  Basically, in a project,
some tasks must be completed before others may start or be completed.
xplan has a variety of dates which help forecast when one task may be
completed, based on the progress of previous tasks on which that task
is dependent.  xplan calculates a critical path for the PERT/Gantt
chart project.  The critical path is the path through the PERT chart
that shows when a project may be completed, based on which task
dependencies control the ultimate time length of a project.
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The information items needed to describe a task are: task description,
task name, options, task time, task dates, task dependencies, and task
resources.  The task name is the name of one particular task in a
project.  That task is represented as a box in the PERT chart, and a
bar in the Gantt chart.  The task description is an 800 ASCII
character text description of what that task is.  The task options are
boxes to check whether or not the particular task is a milestone or
deliverable.  A milestone is a major event in the project management
process such as the completion and review of a part of the project.  A
deliverable is a working piece of the project such as documentations
or a computer program's source code.  A deliverable is an important
piece of the project work which is usually delivered to a projects
managers or customer.  The task times are the task duration and the
task float time.  The task duration is the length of time a task takes
to be completed.  The task float time is the allowable amount of time
past the tasks planned end date that the task is allowed to remain
incomplete before adversely affecting the total project's time length.
Regarding task dates, each task has start dates and end dates.  Those
dates are the planned, actual, forecast, earliest, and latest starting
and ending dates of a certain task.  Please note that all measurements
of time are in days, and all dates are described to a day in the
Julian calendar.  Finally, the last items of task related information
are the task dependencies and task resources.  The task dependencies
is a list of all other tasks in the PERT/Gantt chart project that must
be completed before the task may start or complete.  The resources is
a list of all resources that a task may utilize. Resources may be a
list of words describing the people, software, organizations, tools,
and facilities that may be employed to complete the task.  There is no
categorization of the resources, so the user enters them in any
desired order.  No sorting of the resources or dependencies is
provided by xplan.
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To use xplan, no knowledge of special computer languages is necessary
to operate the software. The language appearing on the GUI windows,
help menus, and control button labels is English.  The user may enter
task names and descriptions in any human language that may be
described by the ASCII character set.  However, all numbers which
represent dates and times must be ASCII numbers.  Since xplan is
provided free of charge, the user may access the source code to
translate the text of the labels and help menus to a language other
than English as long as they have the OpenWindows Developer's Guide
3.0 and the new language may be represented by the ASCII character
set.  However, if the user wishes to modify the software, they must do
it in accordance with the Free Software Foundations policies regarding
the release of freeware and identify the original authors of xplan.
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The best way to learn how to use xplan is to experiment with it.  The
online help features and the GUI are self-explanatory in regards to
the function and usage of xplan and xplan's menus.  However, for the
novice user, the following section will provide an example of how
xplan may be used to create and use PERT/Gantt charts for a project
whose tasks are described in the xplan input format.
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Now that you are ready to begin using xplan's power to plan your
projects, let's first illustrate the graphical user interface of
xplan.  First, you must obtain and compile the xplan system software
(Please see the Installation Procedure section of this document).
While reading the following example, please refer to the figures of
actual xplan graphical user interface (GUI) windows and popup windows.
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Once you have a working copy of xplan on your system, just type
``xplan'' to run this PERT/Gantt chart generator project planning
tool.  You will see a window labeled ``xplan''.
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%<<<<<< INSERT THE MAIN XPLAN FIGURE HERE  main-window.ps>>>>>>>>>>>
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The four buttons at the top are your top level control buttons, and
the textpane below with the vertical scroll bar is the task list
window for a particular project. If you click on the ``File'' button
to the far left with the left mouse button, a popup window will appear
to allow you to specify the directory and file from which to load an
ASCII text file containing a project's task information.  Clicking on
the right mouse button will popup a menu with the options ``Load, New
Project, Save, Save As...''.
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%<<<<<< INSERT THE FILE MENU HERE file-menu.ps>>>>>>>>>>>
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Selecting the ``Load'' button will allow you to specify the directory
and ASCII text file containing project task information.  Selecting
the ``New Project'' button will delete all of the information in
xplan's database for a project.  However, another popup window will
appear to confirm that you actually want to delete this project's
information from xplan.  Selecting the ``Save'' button will save all
of the project's task information to the last save file specified for
that project. Selecting the ``Save As...'' button will allow you to
save all of the project's task information to another file name.  Each
time you input from, or save to a project file, you have the option of
specifying which Unix directory the project file is located in.
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Using the left mouse button to select the ``chart'' button in the
middle left of the ``xplan'' window will automatically calculate and
display the PERT chart for your project.  Using the right mouse button
to select the ``chart'' button will popup a window that gives you the
choice of calculating and displaying a PERT chart or a Gantt chart.
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%<<<<<< INSERT THE CHART MENU HERE chart-menu.ps >>>>>>>>>>>
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Selecting the right mouse button on the middle right ``Analyze''
button on the ``xplan'' window will display a popup menu with the
options to ``Find Critical Path, Check Dependencies, Date
Calculation''. Selecting only the left mouse button on the ``Analyze''
button will automatically calculate the critical path.
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%<<<<<< INSERT THE ANALYZE MENU HERE analyze-menu.ps >>>>>>>>>>>
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Selecting the right mouse button on the far right ``Export'' button of
the ``xplan'' window will allow you to produce \LaTeX\ file format
outputs of your Projects tasks, and PERT/Gantt charts.  You will have
a popup window with the options ``Generate Task Sheet, Generate PERT
Chart, Generate Gantt Chart, Options'' The first three choices are for
generating the \LaTeX\ file format output of the respective information
for your project.  The ``Options'' choice on the popup menu for the
``Export'' button will create another popup window labeled ``Export
Options'' in which you may specify the file name and directory of the
\LaTeX\ file you are saving your projects PERT/Gantt charts and task
information to.
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%<<<<<< INSERT THE OPTION MENU HERE option-menu.ps >>>>>>>>>>>
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In general, the left most button automatically executes the first
choice on a graphical user interface (GUI) control button.  While
selecting the right most mouse button brings up the popup window for
that control button.  In that popup window for the control button, you
use the leftmost mouse button to select the option of your choice in
the popup menu.  Generally, all popup windows have a switch at the top
left of them. The left most mouse button may be used to flip that
switch to dismiss a popup window when it is no longer necessary for
you.  To fully quit execution of the xplan software, you use the close
window function of X Windows.  Note, if you destroy the main window
labeled ``xplan'' while you are in a work session, your project
information will be lost!  In general, xplan provides double check
popup windows to confirm that you want to delete data.
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interface (GUI). The user will use the three button mouse to control
the GUI and keyboard for entering text information to xplan.  Also,
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