Set Comment Requirements for Tasks

By default, comments are not required when finishing a task, even if the task is finished after the planned finish date. A user finishes a task by clicking the Next Action button on the Work List for a task with a status of In Progress.

Refer to Task Status for more information.

dspTrack™ can be configured to require a user to enter a comment when finishing a task on, before, or after the planned finish date.

Comment requirements can be set at the following levels:

Parameters

Configurations set at the parameter level can be inherited by all plans (and their assigned tags and tasks), but can be overwritten at the plan, tag or task level.

To set the comment requirement at the parameter level:

  1. Select Configuration > Parameters from Navigation pane.

  2. Click the Validations tab.

  3. Click Edit.

    View the field descriptions for the Validations tab on the Parameters page

  4. Select an option in Require Late Comment list box, if applicable.

    NOTE: Values include:

    • Yes – All of the tasks in dspTrack™ will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task with a status of In Progress on the Work List after the planned finish date.
    • No – None of the tasks in dspTrack™ will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task with a status of In Progress after the planned finish date.

  5. Select an option in Require Comment list box, if applicable.

    NOTE: Values include:

    • Yes – All of the tasks in dspTrack™ will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task in In Progress status on or before the planned finish date.
    • No – None of the tasks in dspTrack™ will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task in In Progress status on or before the planned finish date.

Plan

Configurations set at the plan level can be inherited by all tags and tasks, but can be overwritten at the tag or task level.

To set the comment requirement at the plan level:

  1. Select Project from Navigation pane.

  2. Click Plans for a project.

  3. Click Vertical View for a plan.

  4. Click Edit.

    View the field descriptions for the General tab of the Plan Task page’s Vertical View

  5. Select an option in Require Late Comment list box, if applicable.

  6. Select an option in Require Comment list box, if applicable.

    NOTE: Values include:

    • Inherit - The Require Comment setting is inherited from the most granular level in the hierarchy. If the Require Comment setting is set to[None], Inherit is used by default. The requirement hierarchy’s most granular level is task, followed by tag, plan and parameter.
      Require Comment settings set at the task level override those set at any other level. If a task’s Require Comment setting is set to[None]or Inherit, the task’s Require Comment setting is inherited from the tag level (provided the tag level does not also have a Require Comment setting of[None]or Inherit). If the tag level has a Require Comment setting of Inherit or[None], Require Comment settings are then inherited at the plan level (provided the plan level does not also have a Require Comment setting of[None]or Inherit), and so on.
      For example, the Require Comment list box has been set to[None]at the parameter level. At the plan level, it has been set to Inherit. At the tag level, the Require Comment list box is set to Yes. At the task level, Task A in the Plan has a Require Comment setting of Inherit. Task B in the plan has a Require Comment setting of No. In this scenario, Task A would have a Require Comment setting of Yes. Task B would have a Require Comment setting of No.
    • Yes – All of the tasks in the plan will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task in In Progress status on or before the planned finish date.
    • No – None of the tasks in the plan will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task in In Progress status on or before the planned finish date.

Tag

Configurations set at the tag level can be inherited by all tasks that are assigned to that tag, but can be overwritten at the task level.

NOTE: In a case where different tags assigned to the same task have different requirements settings, if a configuration setting exists at the plan level, this will be the setting selected for the task. If no requirement setting exists at the plan level, the setting at the parameters level will be applied to the task.
For example, a plan requires comments for all tasks. The plan has two tags. The Comment tag requires comments must be entered when finishing a task. The tag No Comment does not require comments for a task. The Generate Audit Report task has both the Comment and No Comment tags assigned. Because these tags are in conflict, the task will use the comment requirement setting from the plan level, and will require comments when a user finishes the task.

To set the comment requirement at the tag level:

  1. Select Configuration > Tag Type from Navigation pane.

  2. Select a Tag Type.

  3. Click Vertical View for a tag.

  4. Click Edit.

    View the field descriptions for the Tag page’s Vertical View

  5. Select an option in Require Late Comment list box, if applicable.

    NOTE: Values include:

    • Inherit - The Require Late Comment setting is inherited from the most granular level in the hierarchy. If the Require Late Comment setting is set to[None], Inherit is used by default. The requirement hierarchy’s most granular level is task, followed by tag, plan and parameter.
      Require Late Comment settings set at the task level override those set at any other level. If a task’s Require Late Comment setting is set to[None]or Inherit, the task’s Require Late Comment setting is inherited from the tag level (provided the tag level does not also have a Require Late Comment setting of[None]or Inherit). If the tag level has a Require Late Comment setting of Inherit or[None], Require Late Comment settings are then inherited at the plan level (provided the plan level does not also have a Require Late Comment setting of[None]or Inherit), and so on.
      For example, the Require Late Comment list box has been set to[None]at the parameter level. At the plan level, it has been set to Inherit. At the tag level, the Require Late Comment list box is set to Yes. At the task level, Task A in the Plan has a Require Late Comment setting of Inherit. Task B in the plan has a Require Late Comment setting of No. In this scenario, Task A would have a Require Late Comment setting of Yes. Task B would have a Require Late Comment setting of No.
    • Yes – All of the tasks with the tag will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task with a status of In Progress status after the planned finish date.
    • No – None of the tasks with the tag will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task with a status of In Progress after the planned finish date.

  6. Select an option in Require Comment list box, if applicable.

    NOTE: Values include:

    • Inherit - The Require Comment setting is inherited from the most granular level in the hierarchy. If the Require Comment setting is set to[None], Inherit is used by default. The requirement hierarchy’s most granular level is task, followed by tag, plan and parameter.
      Require Comment settings set at the task level override those set at any other level. If a task’s Require Comment setting is set to[None]or Inherit, the task’s Require Comment setting is inherited from the tag level (provided the tag level does not also have a Require Comment setting of[None]or Inherit). If the tag level has a Require Comment setting of Inherit or[None], Require Comment settings are then inherited at the plan level (provided the plan level does not also have a Require Comment setting of[None]or Inherit), and so on.
      For example, the Require Comment list box has been set to[None]at the parameter level. At the plan level, it has been set to Inherit. At the tag level, the Require Comment list box is set to Yes. At the task level, Task A in the Plan has a Require Comment setting of Inherit. Task B in the plan has a Require Comment setting of No. In this scenario, Task A would have a Require Comment setting of Yes. Task B would have a Require Comment setting of No. 
    • Yes – All of the tasks with the label will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task in In Progress status on or before the planned finish date.
    • No – None of the tasks with the label will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task in In Progress status on or before the planned finish date.

Task

To set the comment requirement at the task level:

  1. Select Project from Navigation pane.

  2. Click Plans for a project.

  3. Click Tasks for a plan.

  4. Click Vertical View for a task.

  5. Click Edit.

    View the field descriptions for the General tab of the Plan Task page’s Vertical View

  6. Select an option in Require Late Comment list box, if applicable.

    NOTE: Values include:

    • Inherit - The Require Late Comment setting is inherited from the most granular level in the hierarchy. If the Require Late Comment setting is set to[None], Inherit is used by default. The requirement hierarchy’s most granular level is task, followed by tag, plan and parameter.
      Require Late Comment settings set at the task level override those set at any other level. If a task’s Require Late Comment setting is set to[None]or Inherit, the task’s Require Late Comment setting is inherited from the tag level (provided the tag level does not also have a Require Late Comment setting of[None]or Inherit). If the tag level has a Require Late Comment setting of Inherit or[None], Require Late Comment settings are then inherited at the plan level (provided the plan level does not also have a Require Late Comment setting of[None]or Inherit), and so on.
      For example, the Require Late Comment list box has been set to[None]at the parameter level. At the plan level, it has been set to Inherit. At the tag level, the Require Late Comment list box is set to Yes. At the task level, Task A in the Plan has a Require Late Comment setting of Inherit. Task B in the plan has a Require Late Comment setting of No. In this scenario, Task A would have a Require Late Comment setting of Yes. Task B would have a Require Late Comment setting of No.
    • Yes – This task will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task with a status of In Progress after the planned finish date.
    • No – This task will not require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task with a status of In Progress after the planned finish date.

  7. Select an option in Require Comment list box, if applicable.

    NOTE: Values include:

    • Inherit - The Require Comment setting is inherited from the most granular level in the hierarchy. If the Require Comment setting is set to[None], Inherit is used by default. The requirement hierarchy’s most granular level is task, followed by tag, plan and parameter.
      Require Comment settings set at the task level override those set at any other level. If a task’s Require Comment setting is set to[None]or Inherit, the task’s Require Comment setting is inherited from the tag level (provided the tag level does not also have a Require Comment setting of[None]or Inherit). If the tag level has a Require Comment setting of Inherit or[None], Require Comment settings are then inherited at the plan level (provided the plan level does not also have a Require Comment setting of[None]or Inherit), and so on.
      For example, the Require Comment list box has been set to[None]at the parameter level. At the plan level, it has been set to Inherit. At the tag level, the Require Comment list box is set to Yes. At the task level, Task A in the Plan has a Require Comment setting of Inherit. Task B in the plan has a Require Comment setting of No. In this scenario, Task A would have a Require Comment setting of Yes. Task B would have a Require Comment setting of No.
    • Yes – This task will require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task in In Progress status on or before the planned finish date.
    • No – This task will not require a comment when the user clicks Next Action for a task in In Progress status on or before the planned finish date.