Customizing Columns in Project

[smck]

Hello there, my question is two-fold.

(1) Is there a way to delete a column in Project? I know it can be hidden
however I am looking for deleting instead of hiding.

(2) If you create a custom column and hide it, how do you unhide it? I seems
as if when I try to use this feature upon hiding this custom column, it
disappears completely.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi smck,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

No, you cannot delete a column as they are all hard-coded fields in Project.
Hiding the column is just as effective.
You might like to see FAQ Item: 11. Hidden Column.

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

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

Mike Glen
Project MVP

 

[smck]

Hi Mike,
Thank you so much for your quick response which answered my question as well
as pointing me to the FAQ's. There is a wealth of useful and relevant
information.

I have another question regarding customization. I have a list of tasks that
I use on a regular basis for various projects. I have customized the Task
Name Field using Tools, Customize, Fields, Value List and this works great
for me however, I would also like to indent these tasks as sub-task however
it does not appear to work. Is there anyway around this?
Thanks again.

 

[Mike Glen]

You're welcome, smck

Surely it's just a matter of clicking the indent button? I think you'll
need some vba code to do this automatically. If so, try posting on the
developer newsgroup. Please see FAQ Item: 24. Project Newsgroups. FAQs,
companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at this
web address: http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for Project Tutorials

 

[JulieS]

Hi smck,

Pardon me for jumping in, but unless you have found some feature I have
never discovered, you cannot customize the Name field in Project with a
value list. Is it possible that you have customized a text field with a
value list and named it "Task Name"? If you place your mouse over the
column heading does it say
Task Name (TextX)
Help on TextX?

If you have created a text field, the indent button only works on the
Name field (normally titled Task Name) to create the summary and sub
tasks.

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

 

[smck]

Thanks Mike and JulieS. Both your suggestions have answered my questions to
a point of which I am thankful.

I have been working with the Custom Outline Codes in the Customize Fields
dialog box and have been able to create a Lookup list and apply a Level 1
outline (I am having problems with the level 2). When I insert the column in
the Gantt, I can choose from that lookup list but the Outline Numbers will
not display. However when you choose the indent or outdent, the summary task
is bolded.

I think I really need some VBA coding as Mike suggested at this point. Any
more suggestion is greatly appreciated.

 

[JulieS]

Hi smck,

Sorry for the delay in replying. I think some of the confusion and
difficulty you may be seeing is in the difference in some of the fields
you are using and what you are expecting Project to do.

You note you have worked with the Custom Outline Codes and have created
a Lookup list (I assume through a code mask and lookup table.) The
custom outline codes in Project are not related to the the Outline
Number field nor the Outline Level field.

The Outline Number field is *calculated* by Project and shows the task's
relationship to other tasks in the work break down structure.

From help on Outline Number (Task Field):
--------------------------------------------------------------------Project
assigns the Outline Number according to the task's sequence and outline
level in the project outline hierarchy. The first task has an outline
number of 1. The subtask that appears directly under that first summary
task has an outline number of 1.1. Another subtask on the same level has
an outline number of 1.2. The first subtask of that subtask has an
outline number of 1.2.1. A task with an outline number of 7.2 indicates
that it's the second subtask under the seventh top-level task.
----------------------------------------------------------
The Outline Numbers you are showing in your project will only change if
you indent and outdent tasks to create summary tasks and subtasks.

Perhaps if you told us more about what you wish to show versus how you
have attempted to show the data, we can suggest some other options.

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

 

[ellitech]

Can you create a template of the view you have created once the columns that
you do not require have been hidden?