Things You Should Know About the Major Update 7.0 of DHTMLX JavaScript Gantt

We’ve been looking forward to this major release and it’s finally here — DHTMLX Gantt 7.0. Our development team has been working hard to make our Gantt chart js component an even more robust and powerful addition to any project management application.

In this article, we will take a closer look not only at several significant client-side updates such as setting work time in minutes, merging several calendars, moving Grid columns by drag-n-drop, but also highlight a brand new server-side Gantt module for Node.js. This add-on is a major asset allowing developers to get access to the complex logic of DHTMLX Gantt and do a lot of useful things on the server-side.

Without further ado, let us proceed with a more detailed overview of the Gantt 7.0 novelties.

Server-side Add-on to DHTMLX Gantt Library

What’s so special about utilizing DHTMLX Gantt with Node.js on the server and why it’s a killer feature of our release? Let’s clear it up.

Node.js is a JavaScript run-time environment that helps in the execution of JavaScript code server-side. In our case, the Node. js module makes it possible to utilize advanced algorithms of our Gantt — such as auto-scheduling, critical path, and working time calculations — on the server. As a result, developers will be able to carry out scheduling analysis, get real-time updates caused by user activities from different sources, and synchronize the Gantt schedule accordingly.

Designed as a separate component, the Gantt module for Node.js can be purchased and easily integrated with the DHTMLX Gantt chart operating under any commercial license. If you want to estimate the module functionality before buying, there is also a trial version available.

Merging Multiple Working Calendars

The use of DHTMLX Gantt chart commonly ensures precise assessing of workload and time frame parameters of any project, but what if employees involved in the project work on flexible schedules or on a shift basis? No worries, the new version of our Gantt chart offers the capability to merge working calendars of several employees into one. To be more exact, when you assign several employees with different work schedules to a particular project task, the new feature will help to determine the precise time allotted to this task on the basis of their common working time. It should be noted that calendars can be merged either automatically or manually.

In the image above, we can see that the working calendars of John and Anna have been merged, as both employees work on Task #1. As specified in the column effort, this task can be done in five days, but John and Ann will need 15 days to complete this task because their individual working schedules are not the same.

Working Time in Minutes

There is another helpful feature related to the project timing in Gantt that comes with version 7.0. Now you can specify the working time not only in hours but also in minutes using the setWorkTime property. Thereby, the new feature facilitates the establishment of more flexible and precise time frames (working schedules, task durations, etc.) for any project.

New Configuration Options for Grid Columns

Our team has also added 2 new options to enhance your configuration capabilities when working with Grid columns in Gantt.

Now you can easily rearrange the order of columns in the Grid with the help of drag-n-drop and fine-tune the look and feel of columns being reordered.

V7.0 also makes it possible to adjust the column width in the Grid by shrinking or stretching. In case if columns’ minimum width is not enough to show their content properly, then you will be able to use the horizontal scroll to avoid this inconvenience.

On top of that, the new Gantt version allows you to utilize the text-overflow: ellipsis property for more accurate displaying of the clipped content of columns.

Content Security Policy Update

Security is another important aspect that we keep in mind when working on DHTMLX products. Our developers ensure that our security solutions not only provide reliable protection from any threats but also facilitate enhanced usability, functionality and performance characteristics of our products. Thus, our new Gantt version comes with the new config.csp configuration option.

Compared to the previously used Content Security Policy (CSP) extension, where the use of secure CSP-compatible methods frequently led to performance regressions, the new config option, running in auto mode by default, allows Gantt to preferably utilize high-performance code, and enable CSP compatible code only when necessary. Thus, the new feature provides a perfect balance between security and performance for our Gantt component.

In addition to security and performance benefits, the new update ensures more convenient work with our Gantt chart component, particularly for those developers using Gantt with Salesforce Lightning.

All in all, we can say that the new version of our JavaScript Gantt chart library offers a lot of new capabilities on the client-side as well as on the server-side, allowing you to deal with any project management challenges more promptly and efficiently.

If after reading this review you still have doubts about whether our new DHTMLX Gantt 7.0 is a tool that you need, then make use of our free 30-day trial version and you will see for yourself that DHTMLX Gantt 7.0 is a worthy investment.

Check the release article on our blog for more info.