How to use activeCollab

The core object in activeCollab is a project. Each project has a list of people who are working on it. (It may also have a list of clients who are allowed to view the project but not to make changes in it.) Within each project, there can be the following items:

• Messages: notes posted by participants. Messages can have comments attached, and can be used as forums for discussions.
  
• Tasks: to-do lists, with items that can be checked off as they are completed.
  
• Milestones: goals to be achieved on particular dates.
• Files: files uploaded as part of the project. When files are updated, the old versions are archived and retained by the server.
  
• Tags: can be attached to tasks, messages, files, or other items to make them easy to find later.
  
• Forms: an optional feature that can be used to streamline some of the other operations.

Working on a project involves some or all of the following activities:

• Creating tasks, optionally assigning them to particular people, and checking them off as they are completed.
  
• Leaving messages, or commenting on messages left by others.
  
• Posting files.
• Creating milestones, and checking them off as they are completed

One of the best features of the software from the perspective of collaboration is that email notifications can be sent whenever the project is updated. For example, the dialog used to create a message has a list of check boxes at the bottom for all users who should be notified when the message is posted.