Creating a New Task

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Tasks follow a structured input format. Depending on your needs and circumstance, you may need to create a single task, edit an existing task, or create many in bulk. The methods you should follow differ.

Create Single Task

1. Begin from an existing Activity Page. If you do not already have a proper activity to embed your task, you should follow these directions on how to create a new activity
2. Click the 'Enter new Task' link at the message box to upper right
3. That will take you to the new Task entry form:
   • Give the new task a name consistent with other tasks
   • Click 'Create or edit', which will take you to the actual input form
4. Enter all applicable information as completely as possible. The first form entries are Mandatory:
   • Phase (pick from dropdown)
   • Activity (enter the parent activity name exactly or lookup):
   • Sort Order (which should be the same order as you wish the task to appear on its Activity Page)
   • Page Status
   • Include Task?
   • Task Status
   • Description
   • Objective
5. Save the form; your new Task page has been completed.

Once completed, include your new task on the governing Activity Page.

1. Edit the governing Activity Page
2. Find the sequence position you want on the page and enter a new Task header with sequence number (the same as the Sort Order) (e.g., === Task XX: New Task Name ===)
3. Immediately below that header, transclude your new Task page by entering the following code (of course, using your 'Specific Task Name' for the 'New Task Name' placeholders below):
   <span class="boxBlueDotted" style="margin-left: 0px;">'''[ [[Special:FormEdit/Task/New Task Name|Edit Task]] ]'''</span>{{:New Task Name}}
   • Please pay careful attention to the colons and use exact spelling and capitalization!
   • By the way, the Special:FormEdit above enables the task to later be edited directly from the Activity Page (see next section)
4. Save the page
5. You may have to alter the SortOrders of existing tasks by editing them (see next) to accommodate an inserted task.

If you later want to change task orders, simply move its position on the Activity Page and make sure to change its Sort Order.

Edit Single Task

1. Begin from an existing Activity Page. Scroll down to the specific task you wish to edit
2. Click the [ Edit Task ] link at the upper left underneath the specific task heading
3. That will take you to the Task entry form for that specific task:
   • Make all updates as needed
4. Save the form; your new edits will have been entered.

Create Multiple Tasks

Multiple, or bulk, task entry is a bit more complicated. If you follow certain steps, it can be made much more efficient.

Organize Your Tasks

1. Make sure that all of your requisite Activity Pages have already been created
2. Using a spreadsheet or text file, list out and name all of the activities and tasks. This helps organize stuff, but more importantly gives you text that you can copy-and-paste during the next steps that prevents spelling and capitalization errors from creeping in
3. If you later make updates, you may want to update these reference files as well.

Sequential Task Creation

1. Begin with your reference spreadsheet or text file open from which you will copy task names
2. Go to the standard task entry form Form:Task and copy-and-paste the new task name into the edit field
3. Click the 'Create or edit' button
4. Enter all applicable information as completely as possible. The first form entries are Mandatory:
   • Phase (pick from dropdown)
   • Activity (enter new name or lookup):
   • Sort Order
   • Page Status
   • Include Task?
   • Task Status
   • Description
   • Objective
5. Save the form; your new Task page has been completed
6. Repeat until done with all new task entries.

Sequential Task Inclusion

1. Begin with your reference spreadsheet or text file open from which you will copy task names
2. Edit the governing Activity Page for which the current task will be included (since you are doing this in bulk, there are likely more than one per activity)
3. Find the sequence position you want on the page and enter a new Task header with sequence number (the same as the Sort Order) (e.g., === Task XX: New Task Name ===)
4. Immediately below that header, transclude this code as well:
   <span class="boxBlueDotted" style="margin-left: 0px;">'''[ [[Special:FormEdit/Task/New Task Name|Edit Task]] ]'''</span>{{:New Task Name}}
5. Using your spreadsheet or text file, search-and-replace all instances of 'New Task Name' with the 'Current Spreadsheet Task Name'
6. Update the Task XX number with your current task increment
7. Repeat for each next task
8. Save the page
9. Proceed to your next Activity Page
10. Repeat until done.