Dynamically linked fields

[DavidC]

Hi,

I have a master project file with 11 inserted project files. I need a an
overview of the project. An overview task is often derived from stat dates
and finish dates in one or more of the inserted projects. Hence the overview
task may show the time from tendering one of the project functions through to
completing the construction. Hence the start date would be from the start of
tendering, and the finish date would be the end of construction. Thing is
though that the tasks where those dates can be found are not sequenced in the
particular project file, that allows a simple summary task to be used.

What I have done is to set a start task and finish task in the overview
file, then link those up to the relevant project file's task start or finish
date. Then to get a task showing the whole duration from start to finish, I
link the date fields using the paste special command. Using predecessor
successor does not give the desired result. Using the link function the task
will then calculate the duration overall and effectively give me the summary
task for the overview. This is working reasonably well, EXCEPT, I now notice
that the links formed using Paste special have disappeared meaning that I no
longer have a nice dynamically linked overview.

With the project in a major state of flux, having the dates dynamic is
imperative to ensure that the general trend for the project is being
monitored.

Is this a known issue of the links disappearing when used in a master
project file? or is there something missing in the set up?

Regards

DavidC

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi David,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

You might find a hammock will fit your needs. Please see FAQ Item: 19.
Hammock Tasks.

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

 

[DavidC]

Thanks Mike,

That is how I have set up the tasks. what is happening though is that the
links do not show after they have been created. They work once, then after I
save, close down and open up the next day the links no longer exist. It
seems as though when in a master project environment the links are not
retained. It is baffling, since the system works fine on a single file
project.

Regards

DavidC

 

[John]

Thanks Mike,

That is how I have set up the tasks. what is happening though is that the
links do not show after they have been created. They work once, then after I
save, close down and open up the next day the links no longer exist. It
seems as though when in a master project environment the links are not
retained. It is baffling, since the system works fine on a single file
project.

Regards

DavidC

DavidC,
Pardon my jumping in but I may have some useful insight. As you note a
hammock task makes use of paste links. In a single file paste links can
work reasonably well but care is still required to prevent corruption
(paste links are very fragile and can get corrupted easily). The fact
that you are using paste links between subprojects and a master makes me
think that the delicate setup and maintenance of those paste links is
getting corrupted.

I have used paste links between files and it will work given a whole lot
of discipline. However I have never used paste links in a dynamically
consolidated master - it may or may not work.

In your case I would recommend against using paste links between
subprojects and the master. What might work is the following. Set up
start and finish milestones in the master that are linked via external
predecessors to the relevant tasks in the subprojects. Then set up a
hammock task in the master with paste links to the milestones. That way,
the paste links are all within the master and you just might get lucky.

John
Project MVP

 

[DavidC]

Hi John,

Thanks for jumping in.

The links I set up were within the one file. I did exactly as you suggested
setting a raft of milestones to set the start and end dates for the overview
task I needed for the report. I then 'linked' these dates to a single task
so that I then got a task with duration. I set these up in a singloe file
embedded within the master file, and noticed that they had disappeared.

If I follow your suggestion that one step further and put all the tasks into
the master file and not one of the single files it sounds as though you might
be suggesting that this would be a more robust process.

Would be nice if Microsoft have added this as a more robust facility in
2007, or does 'hope spring eternal'?

Regards

DavidC

 

[John]

Hi John,

Thanks for jumping in.

The links I set up were within the one file. I did exactly as you suggested
setting a raft of milestones to set the start and end dates for the overview
task I needed for the report. I then 'linked' these dates to a single task
so that I then got a task with duration. I set these up in a singloe file
embedded within the master file, and noticed that they had disappeared.

If I follow your suggestion that one step further and put all the tasks into
the master file and not one of the single files it sounds as though you might
be suggesting that this would be a more robust process.

Would be nice if Microsoft have added this as a more robust facility in
2007, or does 'hope spring eternal'?

Regards

DavidC

DavidC,
You may have the paste links within one file but it sounds like that
file is still a subproject of the master. That's not what I suggested.
The milestones and hammock tasks need to be IN the master itself and to
preserve them you need to save the master each time there is an update,
and I recommend always using Save As to the same filename. It helps
eliminate file bloat and guards against corruption.

As far as "it would be nice", I haven't played with Project 12 (i.e.
2007) so I don't know if it has a new feature that acts like a hammock
task, but I haven't heard it mentioned in the newsgroup or by other MVPs
who have used Project 2007. Microsoft generally adds features to new
releases that are either requested by a significant number or users or
will increase Project's value in the business market. Although many
people use hammock tasks, it doesn't seem to be a big swinger. But who
knows, hope may indeed spring eternal.

John
Project MVP

 

[DavidC]

Many thanks John.

Regards

DavidC

DavidC,
You may have the paste links within one file but it sounds like that
file is still a subproject of the master. That's not what I suggested.
The milestones and hammock tasks need to be IN the master itself and to
preserve them you need to save the master each time there is an update,
and I recommend always using Save As to the same filename. It helps
eliminate file bloat and guards against corruption.

As far as "it would be nice", I haven't played with Project 12 (i.e.
2007) so I don't know if it has a new feature that acts like a hammock
task, but I haven't heard it mentioned in the newsgroup or by other MVPs
who have used Project 2007. Microsoft generally adds features to new
releases that are either requested by a significant number or users or
will increase Project's value in the business market. Although many
people use hammock tasks, it doesn't seem to be a big swinger. But who
knows, hope may indeed spring eternal.

John
Project MVP

 

[John]

Many thanks John.

Regards

DavidC

DavidC,
You're welcome.
John