Filter not creating a drop down selection box - MSP2000

[SimmoH]

I am trying to create a version of the "Using Resource" filter that excludes
completed tasks. The filter works OK but the "Using Resource" entry box is
not offering a drop down list of the resources. I have to type in the
resource name manually. I am probably missing something really simple but
cannot see anything that appears wrong. Suggestions please. (secondly why
can I not copy the "Using Resource" filter?)

SimmoH

 

[John]

I am trying to create a version of the "Using Resource" filter that excludes
completed tasks. The filter works OK but the "Using Resource" entry box is
not offering a drop down list of the resources. I have to type in the
resource name manually. I am probably missing something really simple but
cannot see anything that appears wrong. Suggestions please. (secondly why
can I not copy the "Using Resource" filter?)

SimmoH

SimmoH,
Interactive filters, which is what the "Using Resources..." filter is,
do not have drop down lists. You may be confusing it with an Autofilter
which does have a drop down list.

I don't know why the "Using Resources..." filter can't be copied but the
same limitation also applies to the 'All Resources" and "All Tasks"
filters. However, you can copy the "Using Resource in Date Range..."
filter which has as its first criteria the same criteria as the "Using
Resources..." filter. Just delete the part about the dates.

John
Project MVP

 

[Jim Spiller]

Filters can't have drop down lists to pick a criteria. The Using Resource...
filter is a special one that Microsoft built into the program that does have
a drop down list but it can't be copied or modified.

 

[SimmoH]

SimmoH,
Interactive filters, which is what the "Using Resources..." filter is,
do not have drop down lists. You may be confusing it with an Autofilter
which does have a drop down list.

I don't know why the "Using Resources..." filter can't be copied but the
same limitation also applies to the 'All Resources" and "All Tasks"
filters. However, you can copy the "Using Resource in Date Range..."
filter which has as its first criteria the same criteria as the "Using
Resources..." filter. Just delete the part about the dates.

John
Project MVP

Hi John,
If I select the "Using Resource" filter I am presented with a window that
allows me to 'pull down' a list of all resources and select whichever one I
want. If I select the "Using Resource in Date Range..." filter I do not get
the 'pull down' list, I must type the data in manually. What I am trying to
replicate in my new filter is the 'pull down' list.

 

[SimmoH]

Hi Jim,
I think the technical response is "£$*&^%". Oh well, at least I know that I
will have to just enter the data manually. Do you happen to know if the drop
down list will be an option in future versions?

 

[Jim Spiller]

It's not there in Project 2002 or 2003. Don't know about after that...

 

[John]

SimmoH,
Interactive filters, which is what the "Using Resources..." filter is,
do not have drop down lists. You may be confusing it with an Autofilter
which does have a drop down list.

I don't know why the "Using Resources..." filter can't be copied but the
same limitation also applies to the 'All Resources" and "All Tasks"
filters. However, you can copy the "Using Resource in Date Range..."
filter which has as its first criteria the same criteria as the "Using
Resources..." filter. Just delete the part about the dates.

John
Project MVP

Hi John,
If I select the "Using Resource" filter I am presented with a window that
allows me to 'pull down' a list of all resources and select whichever one I
want. If I select the "Using Resource in Date Range..." filter I do not get
the 'pull down' list, I must type the data in manually. What I am trying to
replicate in my new filter is the 'pull down' list.[/QUOTE]

SimmoH,
Sorry, I was wrong. I don't use that filter and forgot that it had pull
down functionality (egg dripping from my face ;-). That explains why it
can't be copied, because it is not a normal filter - it has some code
behind it. Kind of a value list combined with a userform. The
functionality could be replicated with VBA.

On the other hand, the "Using Resource in Date Range..." IS a normal
filter (the way the "Using Resource..." filter used to work - pre
Project 2000).

Sorry for the misinformation.
John
Project MVP

 

[SimmoH]

SimmoH,
Sorry, I was wrong. I don't use that filter and forgot that it had pull
down functionality (egg dripping from my face ;-). That explains why it
can't be copied, because it is not a normal filter - it has some code
behind it. Kind of a value list combined with a userform. The
functionality could be replicated with VBA.

On the other hand, the "Using Resource in Date Range..." IS a normal
filter (the way the "Using Resource..." filter used to work - pre
Project 2000).

Sorry for the misinformation.
John
Project MVP

John,
[SimmoH handing over tissue to help remove egg]
Not a problem, must have been my poor explanation that caused the problem.
Jim seems to have hit the nail on the head so unless I can learn VBA very
quickly (or someone can write the code and send it to me ) I will just
have to continue entering the data manually.

SimmoH

 

[JulieS]

Hi SimmoH,

Project 2003 does have the drop-down list feature for the Resource Name
field used in a custom filter interactive filter, very similar to what you
see with the Using Resource.... filter. However, it doesn't appear to have
that availability for any other field.

I hope this helps. Perhaps holds out some greater hope for the future <g>

Julie

 

[John]

John,
[SimmoH handing over tissue to help remove egg]
Not a problem, must have been my poor explanation that caused the problem.
Jim seems to have hit the nail on the head so unless I can learn VBA very
quickly (or someone can write the code and send it to me ) I will just
have to continue entering the data manually.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
Actually the code may not be too complex. What exactly are you trying to
do (i.e. what is your end goal)?

John

 

[SimmoH]

John,
End goal is to have a filter that shows all uncompleted (less than 100%)
tasks for a selected resource, with a drop down selection for the resource.

SimmoH

John,
[SimmoH handing over tissue to help remove egg]
Not a problem, must have been my poor explanation that caused the problem.
Jim seems to have hit the nail on the head so unless I can learn VBA very
quickly (or someone can write the code and send it to me ) I will just
have to continue entering the data manually.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
Actually the code may not be too complex. What exactly are you trying to
do (i.e. what is your end goal)?

John

 

[John]

John,
End goal is to have a filter that shows all uncompleted (less than 100%)
tasks for a selected resource, with a drop down selection for the resource.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
OK, let's try this again. There are often many ways to get to an end
goal. Some methods are better than others. What you have described is
one potential way of getting to an answer, but it is not the actual end
goal. For example, are you trying to create a report for each of several
resources that shows what open tasks they have? Maybe you need to create
a report for management review. Does the output need to be electronic or
is the desired result to have hardcopy?

Now, it may seem that I am beating around the bush. And yes, VBA code
could be written to implement the method you describe but that is NOT
necessarily the quickest or best method to meet your end goal. Make
sense?

Describe you end goal and we will come up with a workable solution. And
by the way, are there multiple resources assigned to your tasks or is it
one resource per task?

John
Project MVP

John,
[SimmoH handing over tissue to help remove egg]
Not a problem, must have been my poor explanation that caused the
problem.
Jim seems to have hit the nail on the head so unless I can learn VBA very
quickly (or someone can write the code and send it to me ) I will just
have to continue entering the data manually.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
Actually the code may not be too complex. What exactly are you trying to
do (i.e. what is your end goal)?

John

 

[SimmoH]

John,
Thanks for a great response. You are correct, what I descibed was just one
option for getting to the true end goal. The end goal is this: "A report or
printable view that shows the Task ID, Task, & Finish Date for all or
selected resource, to be used as a work to list, not including any completed
tasks". I have been using a modified Gantt view and filtering for selected
resource and printing that. I currently have only 12 resources so it is not
too difficult but resources are likely to grow so an easier method would
help. The reason for only showing finish date is that 'management' do not
want to tell the team when to start or how long a task will take, only when
it is due to be completed. If there was a way to send a softcopy of the data
to the team that would be a big bonus.

SimmoH

John,
End goal is to have a filter that shows all uncompleted (less than 100%)
tasks for a selected resource, with a drop down selection for the resource.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
OK, let's try this again. There are often many ways to get to an end
goal. Some methods are better than others. What you have described is
one potential way of getting to an answer, but it is not the actual end
goal. For example, are you trying to create a report for each of several
resources that shows what open tasks they have? Maybe you need to create
a report for management review. Does the output need to be electronic or
is the desired result to have hardcopy?

Now, it may seem that I am beating around the bush. And yes, VBA code
could be written to implement the method you describe but that is NOT
necessarily the quickest or best method to meet your end goal. Make
sense?

Describe you end goal and we will come up with a workable solution. And
by the way, are there multiple resources assigned to your tasks or is it
one resource per task?

John
Project MVP

John,
[SimmoH handing over tissue to help remove egg]
Not a problem, must have been my poor explanation that caused the
problem.
Jim seems to have hit the nail on the head so unless I can learn VBA very
quickly (or someone can write the code and send it to me ) I will just
have to continue entering the data manually.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
Actually the code may not be too complex. What exactly are you trying to
do (i.e. what is your end goal)?

John

 

[John]

John,
Thanks for a great response. You are correct, what I descibed was just one
option for getting to the true end goal. The end goal is this: "A report or
printable view that shows the Task ID, Task, & Finish Date for all or
selected resource, to be used as a work to list, not including any completed
tasks". I have been using a modified Gantt view and filtering for selected
resource and printing that. I currently have only 12 resources so it is not
too difficult but resources are likely to grow so an easier method would
help. The reason for only showing finish date is that 'management' do not
want to tell the team when to start or how long a task will take, only when
it is due to be completed. If there was a way to send a softcopy of the data
to the team that would be a big bonus.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
Thanks for the info, now I have a better idea for potential options.
Unfortunately, as I look at the various options, the slickest one
actually is the VBA approach. The part that clinches it is the ability
to easily select one or more resources. However to do a VBA approach we
will have to take it offline. If you want you can contact me directly at
the address below.

I did come up with a method for using multiple filters and/or in
combination with grouping to get the type of report you want but to be
honest, there are several steps involved in either approach and in my
estimation it would be no better than simply applying one of the
existing resource filters multiple times.

Sorry I don't have a better answer.
John
Project MVP
jensenj6atatcomcastdotdotnet
remove obvious redundancies

John,
End goal is to have a filter that shows all uncompleted (less than 100%)
tasks for a selected resource, with a drop down selection for the
resource.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
OK, let's try this again. There are often many ways to get to an end
goal. Some methods are better than others. What you have described is
one potential way of getting to an answer, but it is not the actual end
goal. For example, are you trying to create a report for each of several
resources that shows what open tasks they have? Maybe you need to create
a report for management review. Does the output need to be electronic or
is the desired result to have hardcopy?

Now, it may seem that I am beating around the bush. And yes, VBA code
could be written to implement the method you describe but that is NOT
necessarily the quickest or best method to meet your end goal. Make
sense?

Describe you end goal and we will come up with a workable solution. And
by the way, are there multiple resources assigned to your tasks or is it
one resource per task?

John
Project MVP

:



John,
[SimmoH handing over tissue to help remove egg]
Not a problem, must have been my poor explanation that caused the
problem.
Jim seems to have hit the nail on the head so unless I can learn VBA
very
quickly (or someone can write the code and send it to me ) I will
just
have to continue entering the data manually.

SimmoH

SimmoH,
Actually the code may not be too complex. What exactly are you trying
to
do (i.e. what is your end goal)?

John