Tags, Comments & Blockers

DPlan's task collaboration layer adds three tightly linked features: Tags for categorising tasks with free-form labels, Comments for threaded discussion with @mentions right inside the task, and Blockers — a one-click flag that escalates a comment to a visible red indicator on the Gantt bar and task row. Together they replace the need to keep a separate Slack thread or sticky note alongside your plan.

Task Tags

Tags are short freeform labels attached to a task. They are project-specific, searchable, and filterable. A task can have any number of tags.

Adding Tags

1. Double-click a task row (or press Enter) to open the Task Editor.
2. Scroll to the Tags field.
3. Type a tag name in the input and press Enter or , (comma). The tag appears as a coloured chip.
4. Repeat to add more tags. Each tag gets a consistent colour derived from its name (so the same tag always appears the same colour across every task).
5. Click Save Task.

Removing Tags

In the Task Editor, click the × button inside the tag chip to remove it. Press Backspace in the tag input when the input is empty to remove the last tag.

Tag Display on Task Rows

Tags appear as small coloured pills directly after the task name in the task table. Each pill uses the tag's consistent colour. Clicking a tag pill in the task table immediately applies a tag filter — the task list and Gantt update to show only tasks with that tag.

Tag Filter

The filter bar (HOME → Filter) includes a Tag text input. Type any part of a tag name to filter. The filter matches any task whose tags contain the typed string (partial match, case-insensitive). For example, typing spr matches tasks tagged sprint-3, sprint-4, and sprint-review.

Tag filter combines with all other filters using AND logic — you can simultaneously filter by Status = "In Progress" and Tag = "backend" to see only in-progress backend tasks.

Common Tag Strategies

Task Comments

Each task has its own comment thread — a chronological list of short messages with author name, date, and support for @mentions. Comments are stored in the .dplan file and visible to anyone who opens the file.

Adding a Comment

1. Open the Task Editor (double-click the task row or bar).
2. Scroll to the Comments section at the bottom of the editor.
3. Enter your name in the Author field (remembered for the session).
4. Type your comment in the text field. Press Enter or click Send.

The comment appears in the thread immediately, showing author, date, and message. The thread scrolls to the latest comment automatically.

@Mentions

Type @name anywhere in your comment text. The @mention is highlighted in the thread view, making it easy to scan who is being referenced. For example: @alice please review the design mockups before Thursday.

Mentions are display-only — DPlan does not send notifications. Use @mentions as a visual convention to indicate action items or references within a thread.

Deleting a Comment

Click the × button in the top-right corner of a comment card to delete it. The deletion is immediate and is included in the undo history.

Blocker Flag

Any comment can be flagged as a Blocker. A blocker indicates that the task cannot proceed until the issue raised in the comment is resolved.

Flagging a Comment as a Blocker

1. Before clicking Send, check the 🔴 checkbox next to the message input.
2. Send the comment. It appears in the thread with a red left border and a 🔴 Blocker label.

Blocker Visual Indicators

When a task has at least one comment flagged as a blocker, two visible indicators appear:

• Task row badge — A pulsing 🔴 icon appears in the task name column next to the task name. Clicking it opens the Task Editor directly.
• Gantt bar dot — A small red circle with an exclamation mark appears in the top-left corner of the task's Gantt bar. Visible at all zoom levels.

These indicators persist until the blocker comment is deleted. They are intentionally eye-catching — the pulsing animation on the row badge ensures blockers cannot be overlooked during a plan review.

Resolving a Blocker

There is no separate "resolve" action. To resolve a blocker:

1. Open the Task Editor for the blocked task.
2. Review the blocker comment to confirm the issue is resolved.
3. Delete the blocker comment (×) or add a follow-up comment noting the resolution, then delete the original blocker.

Once all blocker-flagged comments are deleted, the 🔴 indicators disappear from the task row and Gantt bar immediately.

What's Blocking Me Today Panel

The Today button in the HOME ribbon opens a slide-in panel on the right side of the screen: What's Blocking Me Today. This is a real-time triage view that aggregates the most urgent tasks from the active project into four groups:

Each card shows: WBS number, task name, status, assigned resources, and due date information. Clicking any card opens that task's Task Editor directly.

If all four groups are empty, the panel shows a green ✅ "All clear!" message — a satisfying confirmation that nothing is blocking the project today.

Opening and Closing

• Open: HOME ribbon → Today button (warning icon).
• Close: Click the × in the panel header, or press Escape.

The panel refreshes each time it is opened — it always reflects the current state of the project.

Due-Date Countdown Badges

Independently from the Today panel, every task row in the task table shows a small countdown badge when the task is near its due date or overdue:

Badges are hidden for completed and cancelled tasks, summary phases, milestones, and tasks more than 30 days in the future or 180 days overdue — keeping the view uncluttered. Together with the Today panel, these badges ensure overdue work is always visible without requiring the filter bar to be open.

See also: Tasks, Filters, Gantt View.