Introduction

SimpleGanttChart is a Python GUI tool built to automate creation of beautiful Gantt Chart Slides in PowerPoint using PowerPoint Autoshapes. SimpleGanttChart was created to automate a boring task I used to do in my first job. I hope you can automate your boring tasks by using SimpleGanttChart.

Using SimpleGanttChart

Gantt Charts are excellent for project management. A wide range of project management tools is available in the market, but these tools lack the visual appeal in business presentations. Create great slides by following these three simple steps:

1. Download the data from these tools as an excel file.
2. Prepare the data with simple and repeatable steps (even automate it using Power Query!)
3. Choose your shape and font properties.

And that’s it!

How to install the application?

Windows users can directly download the latest .exe file by using this link

For users using other operating systems. The setup file is on the way. In the meantime you can follow next few sections instructions to get SimpleGanttChart running.

Requirements and Installations

SimpleGanttChart is built using Python, hence you need to install python to run the tool. Installing Python is a one-time process. Head over to python website to download and install python. Make sure to check “Add to Path” when installing python.

SimpleGanttChart primarily uses pandas to import and process excel data and automates Gantt Chart preparation in PowerPoint using python-pptx. In additon to pandas and python-pptx, SimpleGanttChart uses openpyxl to read Excel/csv data. Installing these dependencies is also open-time process

To install these dependencies. Open terminal and paste the following lines.

1. Install pandas

    pip install pandas
   

2. Install python-pptx

    pip install python-pptx
   

3. Install openpyxl

    pip install openpyxl
   

   Get started with SimpleGanttChart

To run SimpleGanttChart tool first you need to download it from SimpleGanttChart Repository. Follow these steps to download code as .zip file.

1. Visit SimpleGanttChart Repository and click on Code.
2. Download the code as .zip file
3. Extract the .zip file to desired location

Running SimpleGanttChart is as simple double clicking the main.py file in the SimpleGanttChart folder.

Alternatively, you can follow these two steps to run the application

• Open terminal in the SimpleGanttChart folder (make sure you can see main.py in this folder). On Windows, hold SHIFT key and RIGHT MOUSE CLICK. A window will pop up, click on Open PowerShell window here
• Run the following command on terminal python main.py