# Determine the Best Sequence for Your Tasks

Before you link tasks, you need to determine the sequence of tasks. In particular, you need to decide how the start or finish of one task depends on the start or finish of another task. To figure out the task sequence, answer these questions for each task:

- Does the start or finish date of this task depend on the start or finish date of another task? Not every task depends on another task. For example, the gallery windows can be cleaned any time before the clock exhibit opens to the public(without waiting for any other task to begin or end. If a task doesn’t depend on another task, don’t link it. Just specify a start or finish date.
  For more information about specifying an exact start or finish date for a task, see Chapter 6, "Tying Tasks to Specific Dates."
- Which tasks does this task depend on? One of the most common dependencies between tasks is that one task must finish before another task can begin. For example, the task of painting the gallery walls depends on when the walls will be built.
- Which tasks depend on this task? Which other tasks must wait for this task to be started or finished before they can begin? The start time for hanging the clocks depends on when the walls are finished being painted.

A task that must start or finish before another task can begin is called a predecessor task. Painting the walls is the predecessor task for hanging the clocks. Building the walls would not be a predecessor task for hanging the clocks, but would be a predecessor task for painting the walls. A task that depends on the start or finish of a preceding task is called a successor task. Hanging the clocks is the successor task to painting the walls.

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