Stop (task field)

Data Type    Date

Entry Type    Calculated or entered

Description    The Stop field shows the date that represents the end of the actual portion of a task. Typically, Project calculates the stop date. However, you can edit this date as well.

How Calculated    The Stop field contains "NA" until you enter actual work or a percent complete. Based on this information, Project calculates the actual and remaining portions of a task. The stop date represents the end of the actual duration of the task. The resume date represents the beginning of the remaining duration of the task. The stop date is typically followed immediately by the resume date. If you allow tasks in progress to be split, the resume date could be scheduled for a later date as well.

Best Uses    Add the Stop field to a task view when you want to view, filter, or edit the end date of the completed portion of a task. You can also adjust the date when work on a task stopped. If you edit the stop date, however, the percent complete is recalculated.

Example    Today is February 4, and you have just entered 50 percent complete for the "Conduct client meetings" task. The stop date becomes February 4, and 50 percent of the remaining duration is scheduled for the next morning.

Remarks    You can also drag the Gantt bar in the Gantt Chart view to adjust the stop date. However, adjusting the date recalculates the task's percent complete.

When you enter percent complete or total actual work, Project might set the stop date to the status date. If you prefer, you can leave tracking fields in the project as originally scheduled, even if completed work is shown in the future or remaining work is shown in the past. You can do this in the Project Options dialog box.

You can set the status date to a date other than today's date in the Project Information dialog box.