**As a** project manager
**I want to** automatically move a set of work packages to the earliest date possible
**So that** I don't have to do this manually.

#### Acceptance criteria

##### General

* There are only two scheduling modes.

* **Manual**: The user can freely set the start and finish dates, but relations are ignored.

* **Automatic:** Automatically sets the start date based on a predecessor. The user can only set duration.

* This mode is also used for parents, where the duration field is also inactive.

* Any time a user wants to manually choose dates for a work package, they select manual scheduling.

* By default, all new work packages will be manually scheduled.

* A new manually-scheduled work package will either have no dates, or take the current date (depending on existing settings).

* Every newly created work package will have no predecessor; they have to be added later.

* If it's a new child work package, it will continue behaving as it does today and by default take the parent's start date.

* For automatic scheduling, a predecessor is required. If there are no predecessors and automatic mode is selected in the date picker:

* the top banner will show an error informing the user that a predecessor is required

* save action and all fields will be disabled (non-working days, dates...)

* If a work package was previously manually scheduled, but is then added as a successor. Or if a predecessor is added to a manually scheduled work package:

* the scheduling mode of the successor will always change to automatic.


**Parent/children relations**

* Parents will continue to behave as it does today, except they will now be in Automatic mode.

* They "cover" the date ranges of the two children and children can have an indirect link to relationships of the parents.

* Their dates will not be editable.

* They can be switched to manual mode.

* Adding a child to a manually-scheduled work package will automatically move the parent to automatic mode.

* If the parent previously had dates, those will be overwritten by those of the children.

* If the child does not yet have dates, neither will the parent. Previous dates (before being a parent) are lost, as is the case today.

* Removing the last child of a parent will switch the now non-parent work package mode to manual, whilst preserving dates before the removal of the last child.

* If neither the child nor the parent had dates, it will simply be switched to manual mode without any dates.

* A dialog will be added in feature #59542 to give more options.


##### Gantt view

* You can freely move manually scheduled work packages.

* It's impossible to move an automatically scheduled successor

* A dialog will be added in feature #59541 to give more options.

* For work packages without any predecessors, it will not be possible to select Automatic mode.

* Clicking on "Automatic" will show a blankslate with no actions possible.

* If the dates of a predecessor Begin of the deletion of an automatically scheduled work packageEnd of the deletion are Begin of the insertionremoved or if a predecessor is deleted, andEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion removed,End of the deletion the successor Begin of the insertionisEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion will go into manual mode. But we need to ask the user for confirmation:

* "This work package has at least oneEnd of the deletion automatically scheduled Begin of the insertionand would then lose its dates, then itEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion successor. Removing the dates hereEnd of the deletion will switch Begin of the deletion the successorEnd of the deletion to manual Begin of the insertionmodeEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion schedulingEnd of the deletion to preserve its Begin of the insertiondates.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion dates."

* TODO: move this to a new chunk 5

* If all predecessors of an automatically scheduled work package are deleted:End of the deletion

* Begin of the insertionA dialogEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion The "successor" goes into manual mode. WeEnd of the deletion will Begin of the insertionbe added in feature #59731 toEnd of the insertion ask Begin of the deletion forEnd of the deletion user Begin of the insertionconfirmation.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion confirmation:

* "This work package has at least one automatically scheduled successor. Deleting this work package will switch the successor to manual scheduling to preserve its dates."

* TODO: move this to a new chunk 5

* The relation is deletedEnd of the deletion


##### **Migration from an earlier version**

* Dates will **NOT** change automatically. All existing dates are preserved.

* For work packages with no predecessors (or with no relations at all), they will be switched to manual scheduling.

* These work packages are switched to manual scheduling regardless of having dates or not.

* When relations exist,

* If Begin of the insertionthe relationship is parent-child,End of the insertion there Begin of the insertionare no changes to dates; the parent remainsEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion was a gapEnd of the deletion in Begin of the insertionautomatic mode (as isEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion a predecessor/successor relationship,End of the deletion the Begin of the insertioncase now) andEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion successor will be set to “Automatic" with a lag set forEnd of the deletion the Begin of the insertionchildren followEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion relation withEnd of the deletion the Begin of the insertionrules above.End of the insertion Begin of the deletion closest predecessor (the one that finishes latest).End of the deletion

* Begin of the insertionIfEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion In a multi-relationship situation, earlier predecessors that do not affectEnd of the deletion the Begin of the deletion date of theEnd of the deletion successor Begin of the insertionhas no dates

End of the insertion Begin of the deletion do not have lag added.

End of the deletion * Begin of the insertionThe successor is switched to automatic mode and continues to haveEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion If the relation exists but there areEnd of the deletion no dates, Begin of the insertionregardless of having predecessor with dates or not.

* The successorEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion theyEnd of the deletion will be Begin of the insertionrescheduled automatically as soon as one of the predecessor has its dates updated.

* If the successor has dates and none of the predecessors have any dates

* The successor isEnd of the insertion switched to manual Begin of the insertionmode to preserve its dates and duration

End of the insertion Begin of the deletion scheduling mode.

End of the deletion * If the Begin of the insertionsuccessor has dates and some predecessors have dates too

* The successorEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion relationshipEnd of the deletion is Begin of the insertionswitchedEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion parent-child, there are no changesEnd of the deletion to Begin of the deletion dates; the parent remains inEnd of the deletion automatic mode Begin of the insertion

* A lagEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion (asEnd of the deletion is Begin of the insertionset onEnd of the insertion the Begin of the insertionclosest relation to preserve dates

* The closest relation is the one with the least distance between all predecessorsEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion case now)End of the deletion and the Begin of the insertionsuccessor, and withEnd of the insertion Begin of the deletion children followEnd of the deletion the Begin of the insertionoldest predecessor

* The gap is the number of working days between closest predecessor and successor

* predecessor date is due date, or start date if due date is unset

* successor date is start date, or due date if start date is unset

* Other relations are not modified

* TODO: what if the successor was manually scheduled and a lag exist on multiple relations that would push it to the future? Should we adjust lags of multiple relations in this case?

End of the insertion Begin of the deletion rules above.

End of the deletion * Manually scheduled work packages remain so.


##### **Date picker**

* The date picker will be Primerised.

* There is a new segmented control with label "Scheduling mode"

* There is a help icon next to the label. On hover, it displays a tooltip with this text: "‘Manual’ lets you pick fixed dates freely but ignores all predecessors. ‘Automatic’ selects the earliest possible start date for this work package, which cannot be modified."

* Options: "Manual" and "Automatic"

* The "Working days only" toggle becomes a checkbox aligned to the far right edge of the same line as the segmented control.

* In **Manual** mode:

* The dates are freely selectable, without restrictions.

* Relations don't affect the start and finish dates.

* A manually scheduled work package can push and pull successors that are automatically scheduled

* A manual work package can start before any of their predecessors

* A manually scheduled work package will not push a predecessor to the past when it's moved to the past

* In **Automatic** mode:

* The _Start date_ and _Finish date_ fields are read-only

* The "Today" links under the date fields are disabled (but not removed so that elements in the date picker don't move when changing modes)

* Duration remains editable (unless it's a parent)

* The mini calendar goes into read-only mode


##### **Date picker banners:**

**Manual scheduling:**

* Colour: Warning orange

* Action: Show relations

* Case 1: Relations exist but no predecessors.

* **Manually scheduled. Dates not affected by relations.**

Click on “Show relations” for Gantt overview

* Case 2: There are predecessors but a gap of over two days with the finish date of the latest predecessor.

* **Manually scheduled. Dates not affected by relations.**

There is a gap between this and all predecessors.

* Case 3: There are predecessors and the current work package overlaps with at least one of them.

* **Manually scheduled. Dates not affected by relations.**

Overlaps with at least one predecessor.

* Case 4: Work package has children.

* **Manually scheduled. Dates not affected by relations.**

This has child work package but their start dates are ignored.


**Automatic:**

* Colour: Info blue

* Action: Show relations

* Case 1: There is a predecessor.

* **The start date is set by a predecessor.**

Click on “Show relations” for Gantt overview.

* Case 4: The work package is a parent.

* **The dates are determined by child work packages.**

Click on “Show relations” for Gantt overview.

* If a work package is both a parent and has predecessors, this "parent" message will be displayed.


#### Visuals

_**Note:** Please check_ [_Figma_](https://www.figma.com/design/HrWVktq0SsGI2dqqIKQ11M/Scheduling---Lag-and-Modes?node-id=175-3641) _for the most recent mockups._

**Manual scheduling (but predecessors overlap):**

<img class="image_resized op-uc-image op-uc-image_inline" style="width:540px;" src="/api/v3/attachments/226779/content">

**As soon as possible (start date set by predecessors):**

<img class="image_resized op-uc-image op-uc-image_inline" style="width:540px;" src="/api/v3/attachments/226780/content">

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