Schedule Build Mode

Schedule build mode turns the Schedule list into a keyboard-first surface for laying down and structuring a project plan. It is opt-in, gated behind the schedule_build_mode_v1 feature flag, and is a desktop-only experience — mobile continues to use the existing Add Task modal.

The goal is to collapse the round-trip cost of structuring a plan from “open modal → fill form → save → repeat” to “type, Tab, type, Enter.”

Enabling the flag

Build mode is off by default in production builds. Three ways to turn it on:

How	Where	Notes
URL parameter	Append `?ff=schedule_build_mode_v1` to any TruePPM URL once.	The flag is stored in `localStorage` and persists across navigations and page reloads. The `ff` query string is stripped from the URL after it’s applied.
Browser devtools	`localStorage.setItem('trueppm.featureFlags', JSON.stringify({schedule_build_mode_v1: true}))`	Same persistence as the URL form.
Build-time default	Set `VITE_FEATURE_FLAGS='{"schedule_build_mode_v1":true}'` in `packages/web/.env` (or `.env.development`) before `npm run build` / `npm run dev`.	Useful for self-hosters who want to enable build mode for all users by default. Per-user `localStorage` overrides win over the build-time default.

To turn it off in your browser, run localStorage.setItem('trueppm.featureFlags', JSON.stringify({schedule_build_mode_v1: false})) or clear the trueppm.featureFlags key entirely.

What changes when build mode is on

Two visible signals appear on the Schedule view:

A ⌨ Build mode pill in the toolbar (left side, next to the +Task button). Clicking it opens the keyboard cheatsheet.
A bottom hint strip that always shows the three most relevant hotkeys for what you’re currently focused on. Pressing ? opens the full cheatsheet from anywhere on the page.

The Schedule list rows also gain new keyboard behavior — see below.

Keyboard reference

The Schedule list is in one of three focus states at any time. The same keys do different things in each — the hint strip and cheatsheet always show what’s active.

When nothing is selected (NoSelection)

Key	Action
↑ ↓	Move focus into the list
Click a row	Select that row
?	Show / hide the cheatsheet

When a row is focused (RowFocused)

Key	Action
Enter / F2	Edit the focused cell (defaults to the Task name)
Letter key	Start typing — opens the Task name cell
Tab	Indent under the previous sibling row (forms an emergent phase)
Shift + Tab	Outdent one level
↑ ↓	Move focus to the next / previous row
Right-click	Open the row context menu (Edit / Indent / Outdent / Convert to milestone / Delete)
Delete / Backspace	Delete the row (no confirm — undo via re-adding)
Esc	Clear selection

Schedule-wide shortcuts (always on)

Key	Action
⌘ M / Ctrl + M	Insert a new milestone at today’s date
?	Open the keyboard shortcut cheatsheet (build mode only)

When a cell is being edited (CellEdit)

Key	Action
Enter	Save and return focus to the row
Esc	Discard your edit and return focus to the row
Tab	Save and move to the next editable cell in the same row
Shift + Tab	Save and move to the previous editable cell

The editable cells in v1 are Task name, Duration, and % complete. Start and Finish are computed from CPM and remain read-only — change a Planned Start to override.

Indenting and emergent phases

When you indent a row under a leaf row (one with no children), the parent automatically becomes a summary task — its name goes bold, computed dates roll up from its children, and the chevron lets you collapse / expand. There is no “convert this to a phase” step; phases form as a side effect of structuring.

The reverse holds when you outdent: if a summary task loses all its children, it becomes a leaf again on the next refresh.

What’s not in v1

No mobile signal. Build mode is desktop-only. On mobile, use the Add Task button as before.
Insert below in the right-click menu is disabled — the underlying API does not yet support positioned insertion. Use Tab to indent the next-created row instead, or open the Add Task modal.
No optimistic indent. Indent / outdent waits ~50ms for the server to confirm before the row position updates.
No multi-row select / fill-down / paste-from-Excel. Single-row keyboard editing only.
No Sprint backlog parity yet. The same inline-edit / Tab pattern will extend to the Sprint backlog table in a future release.