Hierarchies, maps and symbol libraries
Work breakdown structure
The project as a deliverable tree: each level decomposes its parent into 100% of the work, no more.
wbs.tree@1New DDN source
Why use it?
Estimation and assignment both start from the same tree — the 100% rule is what keeps scope honest.
When it helps
Project initiation, before any schedule network (see the PERT chapter for the dependency view).
How to read it
- Each box is a work package or a grouping; children sum to their parent.
- The leaves are what gets estimated and assigned — groupings are never "worked".
What you need
- The deliverables
- The decomposition rule (by outcome, not by department)
Things to check
- Do not decompose by org chart — the WBS is deliverables, not headcount.
- A child that overflows its parent's scope breaks the 100% rule.
Scope of this diagram
Declared decomposition; effort and dates belong to the schedule artefacts, not this tree.
Work with the converted example
- Open the viewer and select
wbs. Inspect the rendered view and its source. - Open the designer. Keep the selected profile and inspect its legal palette and property controls.
- Change one displayed title or an appropriate data value. Apply the edit and check the resulting diagram.
- Run the verifier and review its diagnostics before moving complete content into review.
- Download your edited DDN source to retain the change.
The example uses the indentation-based ddn-next-1 dialect. The language guide explains reusable definitions, dotted data rows and explicit property blocks.