A dependency says that one issue must finish before another one can start (Redmine relation Precedes and its reverse Follows). To create, remove or see dependencies you need Edit planner draft and, to apply them, Manage issue relations.
Show the arrows
Arrows are drawn when Related issues is set to Display in Options. Without it there are no arrows and no link handles.
| Arrow | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Blue | Precedes: the predecessor must end before the successor starts. |
| Grey, dashed | Blocks. Shown, but cannot be edited in Planner. |
| Dashed | A dependency proposed in the Draft (not yet applied). |
| Red | A violation, see below. |
| Thick red | The dependency is on the critical path, see Critical path. |
The arrow goes from the end of the predecessor to the start of the successor. Arrows of hidden bars (collapsed subtrees, issues without bars) are not drawn.
Create a dependency
- Hover the bar of an issue. Two small circles appear: one outside the right edge, one outside the left edge.
- Drag from the right circle to another bar: "this issue precedes the target".
- Or drag from the left circle: "the target precedes this issue".
- Release over the target bar. A dashed arrow appears. Releasing outside a bar does nothing.
The circles appear on summary bars too. The delay of a dependency created in Planner is always 0 working days. Relations that already exist in Redmine keep their delay, and the arrows and the critical path respect it.
If Redmine rejects the pair (for example it would create a cycle) a message is shown above the chart and nothing is stored.
Remove a dependency
- Click the arrow.
- Select Remove dependency.
A real relation gets a proposed removal and the arrow disappears; a dependency that was only proposed is cancelled. The relation is deleted from Redmine at Apply.
Violations
A dependency is violated when the successor starts earlier than Redmine allows:
successor start is earlier than predecessor due date + 1 working day + delay
The arrow turns red. Violations may come from the Draft (you moved a bar too far) or from real data (the relation was created before the dates were set, or the delay was changed). Planner never moves anything automatically. When you apply the predecessor, Redmine itself reschedules the successors and the Review table warns you with "Redmine will also move: ...".
Example: the predecessor ends on Friday, November 6. The successor may start on Monday, November 9 at the earliest, because the weekend is skipped; see Working days. A successor starting on Friday is a violation.