---
title: "Task dates"
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/BGdc/3525280162/Task%20dates"
format: markdown
---
To start working in BigGantt, you need to create a box and add tasks to this box.

It is not required for tasks to have the start and end dates defined:

- Tasks have dates if the **Start Date** and **End Date** fields are set in Jira and the field mapping is configured. For more information, refer to the [Start/end date fields](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BGdc/pages/3525902708) article.
- Tasks without dates (the **Start Date** and **End Date** fields are not set in Jira) can also be added to a box in BigGantt (from the 8.19 version of BigGantt).

## Add dates to tasks without dates

There are multiple ways to add dates to tasks without dates. You can add both dates (start date and end date) or only one. A task with one date is semi-transparent, as presented below:

- No start date:
- No end date:

### Gantt module

To add dates to a task in the Gantt module:

1. Hover the mouse cursor over a task on the timeline.
2. Click the **+** icon.
3. Edit the **Start Date** and **End Date **fields (make sure that these columns are added to the current [column view](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BGdc/pages/3525705766)).

## Delete task dates

You can delete dates from tasks. As a result, such tasks (without dates) disappear from:

- Gantt timeline
- Resources module
- Calendar module

## Edit task dates

Apart from modifying the **Start Date** and **End Date **fields of a task in Jira, you can change dates by the following actions in BigGantt:

- Edit dates:
  - in the column view
- Move a task:
  - on the Gantt timeline
- Inline edit dates:
  - in the Gantt module

## Changes in dates caused by other mechanisms 

### Scheduling

- Tasks without dates and tasks where dates have been deleted **are excluded** from the scheduling mechanism (are considered locked tasks). Refer to the [Scheduling mode](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BGdc/pages/3525607860) article.
- Tasks with one date (start date or end date) are included in the scheduling mechanism.

#### **Auto bottom-up mode**

- A task without dates in the scheduling mode set to **auto bottom-up **can get dates when dates for children tasks are added.
- A task with dates in the scheduling mode set to **auto bottom-up **can lose dates when dates for children tasks are deleted.

Refer to the [Scheduling mode](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BGdc/pages/3525607860) article. 

#### Start date or end date set to estimate

If dates are calculated based on an estimate:

- Setting a task's start or end date results in calculating the other date automatically.
- Deleting a task's start or end date results in deleting the other date automatically.

Refer to the [One-way sync of Start/End date](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BGdc/pages/3525050691) article. 

#### **Auto top-down and Locked modes**

- Tasks in the scheduling mode set to **auto top-down or locked **can modify the dates of their children.

#### Task period alignment

- When the task period alignment of a sub-scope is set to **precise alignment**, after adding a task to such a sub-box, the dates of a sub-box are assigned to a task automatically.

Refer to the [Task period alignment](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BGdc/pages/3525312555) article. 

### Conversion to milestones

Find out more on the [https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BGdc/pages/3525542087](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BGdc/pages/3525542087) page. 

## Constraints

### Overdue tasks

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### Critical path

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### Dependencies

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### Period warnings

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### Baselines

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