2 Questions - New to Project

[Dave C.]

Hi All,

I am a Application Trainer and have just started to get familiar with
Project in regards to teaching it. I had a student send me an email with 2
questions, and I'm not yet familiar enough with the software to be able to
tackle these for him. I am about to start poking around and see if I can
figure it out, but I figured I'd post here and at least see if you all could
point me in the right direction, or offer some advice solutions. I'll post
his email below, and thanks in advance for anything you can provide!

--
Situation#1 Can I copy Resource Usage view Text fields into Task Usage Text
fields? Text is text, right !!!! ???
I am using an external software program called MPM (Micro-frame Program
Management software). It is a software program that will pull data from MS
Project via a field mapping process. It will pull data from the Task Usage
view/fields as well from the Resource Usage view/fields. However, the fields
I am seeking to pull from MS Project are not aligned with the fields of the
MPM software.

Populating our MS Project file has placed data in both the Task Usage view
and also the Resource Usage view(via Resource Table). Due to the way the
scheduler populated the WBS field in the Task Usage field ( the information
is incomplete) vs. the way he populated the WBS info in the Resource Usage
view, it is necessary that I copy Resource Usage view Text fields into the
Task Usage view Text fields in order to have my external software be able to
pull data from our project file.

Furthermore, the detail level of the WBS (Parent WBS ID, WBS ID, Control
Acct labeling, etc) in the Resource Usage is acceptable and I want to use it.
This data does not appear in the Task Usage view and must be copied into the
Task Usage view Text fields in order for the data to be mapped into MPM.

I believe this can be done. I see things in MS Project that say “import
field†and what about copy paste. Can’t I just copy paste the data ???
Do you know the process to be able to do such a feat?
Do the Text field numbers in the Task Usage view and the Resource Usage view
have to be same in order for the data to be copied into the other view?

Situation#2 Renaming of Resource Usage view Text field names
I am trying to change the name of Text Field #5 that has already been renamed.
Text 5 has been renamed using Tools Custom Field commands. The dialogue box
pops up and then you type in the name that you wish to appear in the title
box of the field/column in your project file. The scheduler customized Text
5 from Text 5 to WP or PP Id as it appears in the project file. It appears
as WP or PP Id(Text 5) in the Custom Fields dialogue window. I want the Text
5 field to appear as Resource WP or PP Id in the project file.

I went to the Custom Field dialogue window and changed the Text 5 to appear
as Resource WP or PP Id; however, it only appears WP or PP Id in the project
file but does appear as Resource WP or PP Id(Text 5) in the Custom Field
dialogue window.

Are there a maximum number of characters allowed for each Text Field title?
How do I achieve the renaming goal I am seeking?

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

Question 1: No. You can always copy text around, but by the time you organized
the Resource Usage data in any way that you would want to copy it to Task
Usage, you would have spent more time than just recreating the data in the
Task Usage view. There is a specific function for WBS codes, and that can
be found by exposing the WBS field, and by using Project > Define WBS Code
dialog box. You also need to make sure that your student is aware he's talking
about assignment data, not task data and make sure he knows the difference.

Question 2: Not sure I understand what you want. I can expose a custom field
in the Resource Usage. Double Click on the title, and change the title,
and it shows up in that view just fine.

-A

 

[CB]

Hello Dave,
Question 1 answer is yes. You are correct with the statement "Text is Text",
however in MS Proj the data is distributed differently from Gantt views to
Resource/Assignment views. Think of is as 2 separate databases with some
commonality. Therefore you will need to use VBA to copy from one side to the
other. The following code should work if you are running 2003 or earlier:

Dim t As Task
Dim ts As Tasks
Dim A As Assignment
Set ts = ActiveProject.Tasks
For Each t In ts
If Not t Is Nothing Then
For Each A In t.Assignments
A.Text2 = t.Text2
Next A
End If
Next t
End Sub

Change the number 2 to the text field number of choice. To insert the code
go to tools-Macro-Macros
Type a name for the macro without spaces example is CopyText2-select create
and paste the code in-Select the green arrow head at the top and the macro
should run.

As for Question 2, It sounds like the field was given a title. Hide the
column and reinsert it. I have 2007 and it reverts back to the named field.
Never give inserted custom fields a title always use the customize fields and
rename the field.

HTH
CB

 

[JulieS]

Hello Dave C.

For details on task fields, resource fields, and assignment fields,
please see FAQs 51 & 37 at:
http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project