7

I have been using GitHub to coordinate development of scientific computing software. The developers I work with are awesome and can manage servers, code in anything, etc (e.g. we host Redmine, developed web-apps, run supercomputers) but I am looking for something that is easier than using two tools in parallel.

I have a new project manager who requested two features that GitHub does not natively provide: a Gantt chart view and the ability to create issue dependencies. The PM currently uses and has licenses for Smartsheet and and Microsoft Project, but all we need is the Gantt Chart and issue dependencies.

Requirements

  1. Gantt chart view
  2. Issue dependencies, e.g. identifying an issue as blocking or being blocked by another
  3. Works in Windows
  4. Doesn't require us to pay a lot for features we don't use

Desired

  1. Web-based application (or self-hosted)
  2. Works in Linux and OSX
  3. read + write permissions on GitHub issues & milestones
  4. Ability to embed 'live' gantt chart in a public wiki or website,
  5. Free for open source projects (public repositories, min one user, but public viewing)

What I've found:

I've searched google for search terms such as 'github gantt integration' or 'github smartsheet integration' and come up with a handful of integrated apps. A year ago I looked for a scrum-board integration with GitHub and found Hubboard, Waffle.io, and a few others. These are great, but don't add the above features. Moving away from GitHub is not an option.

I've seen tools that couple existing applications, such as IFTTT (If This Then That), but I don't know where to start.

I've also seen some scripts for visualizing a Gantt Chart in R, JavaScript, and Python. However, these are plots, not visualizations.

For issue inter-dependency, GitHub has a hierarchy of milestones that contain issues that can optionally contain tasks. This works for me, but does not provide the requested ability to mark an issue as blocking or being blocked by (or preceeds / follows).

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
5

I've recommended Trac a couple of times here for project management. It's an open-source project management tool for self-hosting written in Python, supported by tons of plugins – a.o. all you named in your question:

Plus all it's "elements" are connected: you can refer to a commit from wiki/issue and vice versa, even embed code-pieces (taken from the repo "live"), charts etc. in wiki pages. Or have it draw a "ticket dependency tree", visualize your code repository ("commit tree"), and more. Many of its graphical processing (e.g. dependency visualization) is done using Graphviz.

To give you a better idea of what to expect, matching your listed requirements:

ticket dependencies Gantt chart
Ticket dependencies (source: Trac-hacks) and Gantt charts (source: Trac-hacks; click images for larger variants)

Improve this answer
2
  • the link you provided to GitHub integration only says it supports git, not GitHub issues etc, and that is a critical feature since we are already using GitHub
    – David LeBauer
    Commented Apr 27, 2019 at 17:04
  • That you say now, 4 years later where I don't remember all the context… I had been running a Trac instance myself when I switched from SVN to Git, hence I had checked for integration then. I dropped that instance years ago, so unfortunately I can no longer check, sorry. I just remember vaguely you could integrate Github issues somehow – but I never did that.
    – Izzy
    Commented Apr 27, 2019 at 18:24

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.