There are times that you may want a visual representation of your tables to update others or track your progress according to time and dependencies. A great way to visualize data in a Coda table is by turning it into a timeline chart (also sometimes referred to as a Gantt chart depending on the implementation).
Step 1: Create your tables
Below, we've built a simple task list for launching a product. We have five phases. Each phase has tasks that must be completed within that period, and each task has a start and end date.
Step 2: Turn your table into a timeline chart
To see this table as a timeline chart, hover over the table, select Options in the top right of the table, choose the ... (next to the Calendar display option), then select Timeline.
Step 3. Give a project overview with your chart Show who is leading each task.
This looks good, but maybe we want to easily see who is leading each task easily. There are two ways to display this:
Show avatars of the task owners in line with the name of the task. In the timeline display settings, navigate to the people display column dropdown to choose the name of the column that contains the person associated with each task. This will show the corresponding avatars in line with the name of each task. If no options appear in the dropdown under people display column, add a people column to your table.
2. Use grouping to display tasks by person on the table side panel. First, we'll group the owner column to the left. Now, when we select timeline chart, we have the option to collapse each phase and see a roll-up of our tasks by owner.
Step 4. Add further customization
You can customize your timeline view even further by clicking the Chart Options menu:
Some of our favorite customization options are hiding/showing the table title, and adjusting the time axis based on the duration of your tasks. If your tasks have owners, use the people display column option to easily display their avatar in line with the task.
FAQ
Why is my timeline producing an error message?
Timeline charts are all about time. So, in order for your timeline to work properly, you must either select START and END columns, with date formats, or START and DURATION columns. If using duration, make sure you specify days with "days" in the text string.
How can I add color to my timeline?
You can use Table conditional formatting. Hover over your table or timeline view to select Options (in the upper right of the table). Select Conditional format, and then select Add Rule.
Choose the column for which the rule applies - each column in the Table will appear as an option so you can fully customize. You can then change what value the data must be to receive formatting. You can also choose the color that you wish to be shown.
Why can’t I show the person associated with each task?
Check that your table contains a people column type that is populated correctly. You can then choose one of the two options listed under Step 3, above.