utf8proj Syntax Reference

Project Declaration

Every project file must have exactly one project declaration.

project "Project Name" {
    start: 2026-01-15
    end: 2026-12-31          # optional
    currency: EUR              # optional, default: USD
    calendar: standard         # optional, reference to calendar
    status_date: 2026-03-01   # optional, for progress tracking
}

Attribute	Required	Description
`start`	Yes	Project start date (YYYY-MM-DD)
`end`	No	Project end date constraint
`currency`	No	Currency code for cost calculations
`calendar`	No	Reference to default working calendar
`status_date`	No	As-of date for progress reporting

Calendar Declaration

Define working days, hours, and holidays.

calendar "standard" {
    working_days: mon-fri
    working_hours: 09:00-18:00
    holiday "Christmas" 2026-12-25
    holiday "New Year" 2026-12-31..2027-01-01
}

Attribute	Description
`working_days`	Days of the week: `mon-fri`, `mon-sat`, etc.
`working_hours`	Daily working hours: `HH:MM-HH:MM`
`holiday`	Single date or date range

Resource Declaration

Define team members with rates and capacity.

resource dev "Senior Developer" {
    rate: 500/day
    capacity: 0.8             # 80% availability
    efficiency: 1.2           # productivity factor
    email: "dev@company.com"
    role: "Backend Developer"
    leave: 2026-08-01..2026-08-15
}

Attribute	Required	Description
`rate`	No	Cost per day or hour: `500/day`, `60/hour`
`capacity`	No	Availability factor (0.0-1.0), default: 1.0
`efficiency`	No	Productivity multiplier, default: 1.0
`email`	No	Contact email
`role`	No	Job title or role description
`leave`	No	Vacation/leave date range
`calendar`	No	Custom working calendar

Task Declaration

Tasks can be nested to create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

task impl "Implementation Phase" {
    duration: 10d              # fixed calendar duration
    effort: 40d               # person-days of work
    assign: dev, qa           # resource assignments
    depends: design           # dependencies
    priority: 800             # higher = scheduled first
    complete: 50%             # progress tracking
    remaining: 3d             # explicit remaining work
    regime: work              # temporal regime (work/event/deadline)
    summary: "Impl"           # short display name
    note: "Detailed notes"
    tag: backend, critical
    cost: 5000                # fixed cost
    payment: 25000            # milestone payment

    # Nested child task
    task api "API Development" {
        effort: 20d
        assign: dev
    }
}

Duration vs Effort

Duration = calendar time (how many days the task spans)
Effort = person-time (total work required)

PMI Formula: Duration = Effort / Total_Resource_Units

Assignment Syntax

assign: dev                    # 100% allocation
assign: dev@50%                # 50% allocation
assign: dev, qa@75%           # multiple resources
assign: developer * 2         # 2 instances of profile

Dependencies

Four dependency types with optional lag/lead time.

depends: task_a               # Finish-to-Start (default)
depends: task_a SS             # Start-to-Start
depends: task_a FF             # Finish-to-Finish
depends: task_a SF             # Start-to-Finish
depends: task_a +5d            # FS with 5-day lag
depends: task_a SS +2d        # SS with 2-day lag
depends: task_a -1d            # FS with 1-day lead
depends: task_a, task_b        # multiple dependencies
depends: parent.child          # hierarchical reference

Type	Syntax	Meaning
Finish-to-Start	`FS` (default)	B starts when A finishes
Start-to-Start	`SS`	B starts when A starts
Finish-to-Finish	`FF`	B finishes when A finishes
Start-to-Finish	`SF`	B finishes when A starts

Milestone Declaration

Zero-duration markers for key dates.

milestone go_live "Go-Live Date" {
    depends: testing, documentation
    regime: event                      # can be scheduled on any day
    start_no_earlier_than: 2026-06-01  # date constraint
    payment: 50000
    note: "Production deployment"
}

Alternatively, set milestone: true on any task.

Attribute	Description
`depends`	Dependencies on tasks or milestones
`regime`	Temporal regime: `work`, `event`, or `deadline`
`start_no_earlier_than`	Earliest date the milestone can occur
`finish_no_later_than`	Latest date the milestone can occur
`payment`	Payment amount triggered by milestone
`note`	Description or notes

Task Constraints

Constrain when tasks can be scheduled.

task deploy "Deployment" {
    effort: 2d
    start_no_earlier_than: 2026-03-01
    finish_no_later_than: 2026-03-15
}

Constraint	Meaning
`must_start_on`	Task must start on exact date
`must_finish_on`	Task must finish on exact date
`start_no_earlier_than`	Task cannot start before date
`start_no_later_than`	Task must start by date
`finish_no_earlier_than`	Task cannot finish before date
`finish_no_later_than`	Task must finish by date

Temporal Regimes

Control how tasks interact with calendars (RFC-0012).

# Effort-bearing task: respects working days
task develop "Development" {
    regime: work
    effort: 10d
    assign: dev
}

# Event: can occur on any calendar day (including weekends)
milestone release "Product Release" {
    regime: event
    depends: develop
    start_no_earlier_than: 2026-06-15
}

# Deadline: contractual/regulatory date
milestone compliance "Compliance Deadline" {
    regime: deadline
    finish_no_later_than: 2026-06-30
}

Regime	Calendar Behavior	Use Case
`work`	Respects working days	Effort-bearing tasks (default)
`event`	Any calendar day	Releases, launches, go-lives
`deadline`	Exact date required	Contractual, regulatory dates

Default: All tasks and milestones use regime: work unless specified.
Event regime allows scheduling on weekends/holidays when constraints require it.

Duration & Date Formats

Duration Units

5d     # 5 days
2w     # 2 weeks (10 working days)
8h     # 8 hours (1 day)
1m     # 1 month (~20 working days)

Date Format

2026-01-15    # ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)

Date Ranges

2026-01-01..2026-01-15    # inclusive range