This is an example of how you can use GNU plot to visualize some of your tracking effort in interesting ways using OrgExtended.
This is shamelessly stolen from here: Gantt Charts In Org
A wonderful example of using Emacs Org Mode to build this exact demo. We add our own twists.
To begin with we will setup a column view description:
#+COLUMNS: %ITEM(Task) %Effort(Effort) %START(Start) %END(End) %RESPONSIBLE(Responsible) %SPENT(Spent) %PROGRESS(Progress) %PROJECTED(Projected) %OVERUNDER(Over_Under)
We have a number of extra columns here that we are not saving any data for. These extra columns we will use in a bit! Now, lets estimate how long we are going to take:
* Task 1
:PROPERTIES:
:Effort: 1d
:END:
* Task 2
:PROPERTIES:
:Effort: 3d
:END:
* Task 3
:PROPERTIES:
:Effort: 4d
:END:
Normally we we use column view for this in emacs. Sadly, we do not have that mode… YET! Eventually we will try to build that in sublime. We can keep the source of the data as properties going forward, it’s up to you as to what makes the most sense for your process. For now we are going to generate the table and edit it manually:
Okay, now we have a table, we could have pulled our data from the properties, here I am just going to fill in the table myself. I am setting up the End value using a formula + estimated effort. I am tracking the number of days spent in the Spent column and, from the engineer in question I am tracking their best guess as to how far done they are. With the two of those we can compute their projected estimate and how much over / under we are.
Notice I have put the TBLFM outside of the columnview block. OrgExtended allows for this as long as the TBLFM if right up against the END fence.
#+NAME: gantt-table #+BEGIN: columnview :exclude-tags (Skip) | Task | Effort | Start | End | Responsible | Spent | Progress | Projected | Over_Under | |--------+--------+------------------+------------------+-------------+-------+----------+-----------+------------| | Task 1 | 1d | <2021-03-13 Sat> | <2021-03-14 Sun> | Ian | 1 | 40% | 2.50 | 1d 12h | | Task 2 | 3d | <2021-03-15 Mon> | <2021-03-18 Thu> | Joe | 2 | 10% | 20.00 | 17d | | Task 3 | 4d | <2021-03-18 Thu> | <2021-03-22 Mon> | Sam | 1 | 50% | 2.00 | 2d | | Task 4 | 7d | <2021-03-18 Thu> | <2021-03-25 Thu> | Sam | 1 | 50% | 2.00 | 5d | | Task 5 | 1d | <2021-03-18 Thu> | <2021-03-19 Fri> | Sam | 1 | 50% | 2.00 | 1d | | Task 6 | 2d | <2021-03-18 Thu> | <2021-03-20 Sat> | Sam | 1 | 35% | 2.86 | 20h 38mins | #+END: #+TBLFM:$4=date($-1)+duration($-2) if "$-1"!="" else ""::$8=$-2/$-1 if $-1 > 0 else "";%.2f::$9=duration($2) - $-1 if $-1>0 else ""
Finally we can connect some gnu plot script to our table data. I use a var pointing at the table and then insert that variable in my code and the table is available in my GNU Plot! Here I set my time format, the title of my chart, switch to a set of boxes and finally build my chart from our data. This is traditional org babel stuff. When you execute this source block it generates a png.
OneMonth = strptime("%m","2")
timeformat = "%Y-%m-%d"
T(N) = timecolumn(N,timeformat)
set xdata time
set format x "%b\n'%y"
set xtics OneMonth nomirror
set xtics scale 2, 0.5
set mxtics 4
skiptorow=3
set yrange [(skiptorow-2):] reverse
set ytics nomirror
unset key
set title "{/=15 GANTT Chart Example}"
set grid x y
set border 3
set style arrow 1 nohead filled size screen 0.02, 15 fixed lt 3 lw 8
plot "$DATA" using (T(3)) : ($0) : (T(4)-T(3)) : (0.0) : yticlabel(1) with vector as 1, \
"$DATA" using (T(3)) : ($0) : 5 with labels right offset -2 