Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that maps project tasks against a calendar timeline. Each bar represents a single task: its left edge marks the start date, its right edge marks the finish date, and the length of the bar reflects the duration. Dependency arrows connect bars to show which tasks must complete before others can begin. The result is a visual model of the entire project schedule — who is doing what, and in what order — at a single glance.

What a Gantt Chart Shows

A well-constructed Gantt chart communicates several things simultaneously:

• Task bars — each task's start date, finish date, and duration
• Dependency arrows — the sequence relationships between tasks
• Critical path — tasks with zero float, typically highlighted in a distinct color
• Milestones — zero-duration events shown as diamond shapes
• Baseline ghost bars — the original planned dates shown behind the current bars
• Today line — a vertical line marking the current date
• Resource assignments — which people or equipment are assigned to each task

Reading a Gantt Chart

The horizontal axis is time — days, weeks, or months depending on the project length. The vertical axis lists tasks in schedule order. A bar that starts at the left of the chart and ends before the middle represents a task in the first half of the project. Two bars connected by an arrow are linked — the second cannot start until the first finishes (in a Finish-to-Start dependency).

Red or differently colored bars typically mark the critical path — the chain of tasks that determines the project's earliest possible finish date. Non-critical tasks appear in a contrasting color, and their float is visible as white space between the bar end and the latest point at which the task could finish without affecting the end date.

Gantt Charts in Maverick

Maverick builds and maintains the Gantt chart automatically from your task data. The chart updates in real time as you change dates, add dependencies, assign resources, or log actual progress. Critical path tasks are highlighted immediately when the schedule changes. Baseline ghost bars appear as soon as you set a project baseline, making schedule drift visible without any manual comparison.

For a deep dive into the Gantt chart features in Maverick — including hover highlighting, wheel zoom, weekend shading, and navigation controls — see the full guide: Project Management Gantt Charts.

Related Terms

Critical Path  ·  Milestone  ·  Task Dependency  ·  Project Baseline  ·  Float