Featured gadget: Gantt charts in spreadsheets

Recently, the Google Docs team started working with Viewpath, a company dedicated to providing project management solutions. In keeping with this commitment, they recently added a Gantt chart gadget to the spreadsheets platform. Here on the Docs team, we're thrilled to have this top-notch external developer contributing their expertise, and adding value to Google Docs. To introduce this gadget, we're happy to have Dean Carlson here as guest blogger. Dean is CEO of Viewpath, and helped in the development of Docs' Gantt chart gadget.

One of the great things about Google Docs is the opportunity it offers developers to create and integrate their own products into the spreadsheets application as gadgets.

Here at Viewpath, we took this opportunity to create a Gantt chart gadget. For those of you not familiar, a Gantt chart is a bar chart that illustrates a project schedule, and can be invaluable in managing large initiatives.

Our Gantt chart gadget displays timelines based on data entered in your spreadsheet. You can enter a few numbers, representing the progress in different areas of a project. Quickly and easily, our gadget displays it graphically in an easy-to-read chart that refreshes automatically whenever you change the data on your spreadsheet.

One of the clear advantages of hosting this chart in a Google spreadsheet, instead of in a separate document, is that you no longer need to elect one person to keep track of and update the chart. Instead, everyone working on the team can access the spreadsheet, enter progress as it happens, and have that progress displayed instantly for all to see. They can even add tasks, being confident that everyone on the team will see the most recent plan.

At Viewpath, one of our goals is to make project management as seamless as possible. In keeping with this goal, we're thrilled to be able to create practical project management resources for Google Docs users.

To get a sample project plan spreadsheet with an embedded Gantt chart, click .

For instructions on creating your own Gantt chart, check out the short video we created.