# COOL things I appreciate about GanttProject **URL:** \ **Category:** GanttProject Desktop Support\ **Created:** [April 7, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728 "2018-04-07T17:46:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/wpong3)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/1 "2018-04-07T17:46:24Z")
Not sure I’ve seen a thread like this before, but I want to say “thank you!” to the developer for a few things about GanttProject that (in my opinion) make it so much better than others. I recognize that these sorts of things are opinion, but at the same time, why not call out some of the things that I appreciate? (I mean, I/we gripe about as many issues that are opinion, so…) In no particular order, here are some things that I really like about GanttProject. A bit of a preface: my preferences reflect that I’m more keyboard- than mouse-oriented as I find the keyboard most efficient when no-nonsense cranking out text-related information is needed – learned to edit on ‘vi’; still use excel hotkeys that date back pre 2000’s and are no longer documented and are slowly being phased out; not fond of ‘ribbons’ that are so prevalent these days… Here are some of them: 1. Alt+enter to quickly edit task properties 2. Ctrl+enter to save/exit of task properties 3. Alt+up and Alt+down to move a task up and down in list 4. Cursor keys to select a given field in a task, and F2 to edit that field. 5. Mouse-wheel over the task-list to move up and down through the tasks (you say Duh! Simple I know, but silly that it’s absent in other gantt software!) 6. Tab to indent a task 7. Ability to grab and pan the gantt bars to quickly see an area Okay, just a starter-list. I’ll probably update as I discover/recall more. But it’s amazing how much just these make for efficient data entry and visualization. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/wpong3)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/2 "2018-04-07T17:48:40Z")
1. Shift+cursor to highlight blocks of task (precursor to ctrl+c / ctrl+v to then copy and paste that block of tasks) ---
**Author:** ![wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/wpong3)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/3 "2018-04-07T18:49:58Z")
1. Alt+rt/left indents/outdents task ---
**Author:** ![DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/user_avatar/help.ganttproject.biz/dmitrybarashev/32/406_2.png) [@DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/DmitryBarashev)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/4 "2018-04-07T23:43:42Z")
You are really The Lord of the Keyboard 🙂 Glad that you like the shortcuts. Here are some more: - `Insert` inserts a new task or resource depending on the active chart - `Ctrl+Mouse Drag` moves tasks on the chart - `Ctrl+End` expands the whole subtree, `Ctrl+Home` collapses (unfortunately shortcuts which expand/collapse a single level seems to be broken now) ---
**Author:** ![wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/wpong3)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/5 "2018-04-08T00:49:09Z")
Okay – Dmitry all three of those are _very_ cool! Time to start training the muscle memory on those immediately!! ---
**Author:** ![wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wpong3](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/wpong3)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/6 "2018-04-08T01:15:55Z")
(#10-#13 on the list – Dmitry’s above) 1. ctrl+pgdn/pgup to switch tabs within the Task-Properties dialogue ---
**Author:** ![cj9of12](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@cj9of12](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/cj9of12)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/7 "2018-04-11T14:43:46Z")
I agree with wpong3. I just started using GP and find it very intuitive and this thread has pointed out some very useful shortcuts. Another feature that I didn’t find in other packages was the status bar or % complete. A co-worker was using a different package and wanted that feature but it didn’t exist. I kind of stumbled onto it in GP. So simple, just hover over the beginning of the task bar and drag it out to where you need it. Thanks for a great product. ---
**Author:** ![DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/user_avatar/help.ganttproject.biz/dmitrybarashev/32/406_2.png) [@DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/DmitryBarashev)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/8 "2018-04-18T18:36:43Z")
And finally, with the new GanttProject 2.8.7, `Ctrl+Space` to toggle expanded/collapsed task node in the table, mouse wheel to scroll the chart, `Shift`+mouse wheel to scroll the chart horizontally and `Ctrl`+mouse wheel to change zooming. ---
**Author:** ![Arnaud\_Fournaise](https://help.ganttproject.biz/user_avatar/help.ganttproject.biz/arnaud_fournaise/32/616_2.png) [@Arnaud\_Fournaise](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/Arnaud_Fournaise)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 5:00pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/9 "2020-05-16T17:00:54Z")
hello, Thank a lot for those keyboard shortcuts. Do you know if there is a **keyboard short cut to switch from one tab to an other** (general/predecessors/ressources), inside the “task property window” in the 2.8.11 realease? And Also if it does exist : - create dependance between tasks ? - remove dependance betweens tasks ? Thank in advance ! ---
**Author:** ![DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/user_avatar/help.ganttproject.biz/dmitrybarashev/32/406_2.png) [@DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/DmitryBarashev)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/10 "2020-05-17T17:10:23Z")
`Ctrl + PgUp/PgDown ` switches between tab (this is already [written above](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/6)) ---
**Author:** ![Arnaud\_Fournaise](https://help.ganttproject.biz/user_avatar/help.ganttproject.biz/arnaud_fournaise/32/616_2.png) [@Arnaud\_Fournaise](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/Arnaud_Fournaise)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/11 "2020-05-17T20:16:46Z")
Thanks a lot. Sorry for have’nt seen what was written above Can I find somewere an exaustive list of all keyboard shortcuts and navigations tips ? ---
**Author:** ![yuyushiku](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/y/c68b51/32.png) [@yuyushiku](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/yuyushiku)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2023, 3:16pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/12 "2023-01-13T15:16:34Z")
Maybe “F10 for ribbon tab access” can make an addition to the list. I have been using “xls export” alot, as a basis for numerical reports. Since there was no apparent shortcut for the function, I had to click away to get there for quite the being. Finally stumbled upon F10 for ribbon access. (Phew, that saves me quite a lot of clicks!) Perhaps it was obvious enough for some? Well, it took a long time for myself to notice, so here goes for the best of the rest! ---
**Author:** ![amey](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@amey](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/amey)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 10:11am UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/13 "2023-01-20T10:11:46Z")
Just beginning to get familiar with GP. I tried the shortcut “insert” - result in a start date of “58. February”. Never seen such a date ! ![image](https://help.ganttproject.biz/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e127d02ae697555a9a610c50d4586ba5f1257e2a.png) GP Version 3.2.3247 ---
**Author:** ![DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/user_avatar/help.ganttproject.biz/dmitrybarashev/32/406_2.png) [@DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/DmitryBarashev)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 11:08am UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/14 "2023-01-20T11:08:34Z")
You may want to check your date format settings. ---
**Author:** ![amey](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@amey](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/amey)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/15 "2023-01-20T12:30:35Z")
… thank you for the reply. I have the following settings, with the locally used data format, used also in some of my excel sheets. Is there anything wrong with it? “Custom short data format: DD.MMM.yyyy” PS: I just tried to toggle several times with “dd.MMM.yyyy” - it works fine now. The result is 27. Feb. 2023 ---
**Author:** ![malcaraz](https://help.ganttproject.biz/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@malcaraz](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/malcaraz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 12:10pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/16 "2024-02-16T12:10:59Z")
> [@DmitryBarashev](#): > > (unfortunately shortcuts which expand/collapse a single level seems to be broken now) ¿Any update on this? I would love to have a quick improvement on expanding a certain level with wheel mouse, same way as Excel does with levels in pivot tables. What do you think? Shift + Mouse wheel down = expand all levels from current task selected, and sibling tasks also. Shift + Mouse wheel up = inverse from above, collapses all tasks to the current selected indented level. ---
**Author:** ![DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/user_avatar/help.ganttproject.biz/dmitrybarashev/32/406_2.png) [@DmitryBarashev](https://help.ganttproject.biz/u/DmitryBarashev)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://help.ganttproject.biz/t/cool-things-i-appreciate-about-ganttproject/728/17 "2024-02-27T15:02:49Z")
> [@malcaraz](#): > > ¿Any update on this? Thanks for reminding, expand/collapse actions will be working in the next 3.3 update.