Import Wizard - Merge data - used under what conditions

[TroyS]

I'm importing from a Project Excel Template. In the wizard there are 3
options:
1) as a new project (which is clear)
2) Append the data to the active project (which adds tasks at the end)
3) Merge the data into the active project (question on when/how used?)

I'm not sure what the merge would actually do or should do?
Would you use the merge option in the situation where:
1) you essentially have the same set of tasks, but perhaps you've added a
few new ones sprinkled throughout and don't want to go thru a manual insert?
2) if you have the same task names, but your work, duration, start/finish
may have changed and you want to replace that information with new info from
excel
3) what else?

I've selected the option, but i'm not 'seeing' what it is really
doing.....or should do and i can't find in Help.

thanks in advance

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

Merging lets you update the existing tasks with new data. Make sure you
include a unique field for the merge to work successfully. Unique ID is the
most commonly used for this as plain old ID can change with re-ordering or
addition/deletion of tasks.

A simple example would be importing new estimates of duration for tasks. You
wouldn't want to import them new as there wouldn't be any dependencies, but
you could just send out a spreadsheet to people, have them update the
duration and perhaps remaining duration, then import/merge the data in to
your existing schedule model.

You can use it to import data from previous versions of your schedule too.
Think a bit more and you can probably think of more uses.

-Jack Dahlgren

 

[TroyS]

Thanks for the explanation and tip on the Unique ID...i had forgotten about
that