#### Basic facts about tasks

Tasks represent assignments that you as requestor want to have carried out by one or more other users, called contractors. The subject of the task is indicated by its name and description. Additionally, tasks may be associated with one or more tags (keywords) that can be used for context-based search (tag search) within the project. Further components of a task are

o duration and deadline,

o input and output data

o the way in which the responsibles (requestor and contractors) are informed about task execution, and possibly

o subtasks.

The input and output data of a task are specified by you as requestor, before you start the task. The input data are preconditions for the execution of a task and are provided by the requestor, output data are the results of the task and are supplied by the contractors. Simple tasks may do without input and output data. A task is also a folder containing any kind of attachments, which may be added after task creation.

In our sample project, tasks serve the purpose of further breaking down the work within the project phases. Apart from that, tasks, especially simple tasks, may also exist stand-alone without a project context.