Circular task relationship

[Lone]

When I try linking two tasks together, I get following msg:

"You cannot create a link between these tasks because it
would create a circular task relationship with other
tasks. You are trying to link a task to another task that
has a series of task links back to the first task"

Is there any way, I can get MS project to show me the
tasks that are involved in that circel of links, as it
would be quite difficult to track the path down myself, as
the programme involves 7 projects with several external
links?

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Lone,

Welcome to the Microsoft Project newsgroup

First, check that you do have any links attached to Summary Tasks. Then you
could try running the Trace Macro on Jack Dahlgren's web site at
http://masamiki.com/project/macros.htm.

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: <http://www.mvps.org/project/>

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[Juergen Stock]

Hi Lone,

there is no way MSP would show you the potential circular
loop.
The only way to find out is to save your project as an
Access database and to construct there queries showing the
predecessors and successors (and their predecessors and
successors and ... and so on ...) of the two tasks you
want to link. We did so in a large multi-project (where
MSP under specific circumstances cannot prevent creating a
circular loop) and in 99% of the cases we found the loop.

If you are not familiar with the MSP database stucture or
MS Access send an e-mail to me.

Hope this helps!

Juergen

 

[Lone]

I do have a lot of links attached to summary tasks, but
could that be why I get the circular relationship msg?

I tried looking at the trace macro, but it doesn't work
with consolidated projects, and that is what I'm working
with.

The problem also is that I am not the one who have written
the projects, it is our suppliers, but I have to link them
together in our master programme. This means that I don't
fully know the tasks because the two projects I am trying
to link have 900 and 300 tasks.

I tried to find the path myself, but I get lost so
quickly...

 

[Gérard DUCOURET]

Hi Lone,
You could try, and may be adapt it, the following VBA procedure which looks at all the external
predecessors of a task and lists those which have a negative slack. It display also the name of the
project manager.
Hope this help,

Gérard Ducouret

 

[Mike Glen]

Well, if the tasks you're trying to link have summary tasks that are also
linked, you could well be trying to create a circular relationship. I'm
afraid you'll have to be patient and search through each one to see where
the trouble lies - good luck!!


Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[Ed Kilner]

Hi, I was looking for the VBA code; did not see it, but sure do want to!

Could you send it to me?

--
Ed Kilner, P.Eng., PMP

(e-mail address removed) (416) 822-4835

Project Solutions Unlimited www.psu.ca

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Ed,

There is a Trace macro on Jack Dahlgren's site that night help:
http://masamiki.com/project/macros.htm.


Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

 

[Gérard DUCOURET]

Hello,
I'm sorry, the attached file disappeared.

The VBA procedure is the following :

Sub QuiEstCeQuiBloqueA()
Dim oPred As Object, Chaine As String, Chaine1 As String, Chaine2 As String, Chaine3 As String
Dim i As Integer, N As Long, CheminFichier As String, Chef As String

N = ActiveCell.Task.ID
With ActiveProject.Tasks(N)
If ActiveProject.Tasks(N).TotalSlack < 0 Then 'Teste si tâche sélectionnée a Marge
négative
For Each oPred In ActiveProject.Tasks(N).TaskDependencies 'Parcourt tous les prédécesseurs
de la tâche active
If oPred.From.Name <> ActiveCell.Task.Name And oPred.From.ID <> N Then
i = i + 1
If .TaskDependencies(i).From.TotalSlack < 0 Then
CheminFichier = ActiveProject.Tasks(N).TaskDependencies(i).From.Project
Chaine1 = ActiveProject.Tasks(N).TaskDependencies(i).From.Name & " dans : " &
CheminFichier & ", "
Chaine2 = "Marge négative : " &
ActiveProject.Tasks(N).TaskDependencies(i).From.TotalSlack / 480 & " j, "
Chef = ManagerSeul(CheminFichier)
Chaine3 = "Manager : " & Chef & Chr(13)
Chaine = Chaine1 & Chaine2 & Chaine3
MsgBox Chaine, , "Prédécesseurs bloqués sur " & ActiveCell.Task.Name



End If
End If
Next oPred
End If
End With

End Sub

 

[Ed Hanna]

Lone,

Anything that MS Project tells you is worthless as long as the network logic is screwed up. First, you've got to get those dependency links off of the summary tasks. Then you've got to clean-up the network logic.

Go to pulldown menu "View/MoreViews/Relationship Diagram". This view shows each task and its predecessors and its successors. Use the horizontal scroll at the bottom of the view to scroll through your tasks.

You don't need VBA programs or any other technical elegance. Just get the network logic cleaned up and things will go much better. If you don't know what I mean by "clean-up the network logic" or you don't know how to do this, you need to get some consulting help, get some training on scheduling network theory, or both.

Ed