Importing data to Project 2003

[Travis]

Hi,

I am having trouble importing data into Microsoft Project 2003 from an
Access 97 table. The particular problem is with the import of the start and
finish dates on a task. In some cases the date (usually start date) will not
be updated after the import is complete.

I have confirmed that all the data in the Access table is correct. It
appears to be a problem with Project 2003 import process or some sort of
hidden relationship between start and finsh dates of a task.

Thanks.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Travis,

Start and finish dates in Project are linked by duration.
Project is not meant (not by import nor by manual introduction) to accept
both start and finish dates of a task, they generate contradictory
constraints..
Did you import work or duration?
Ae some tasks to be scheduled before the project start date?
There may be other reasons..

 

[Travis]

Ok to be more specific the task is a fixed unit effort driven task that is
100% complete. The data that is being imported is purely task information
(task name, start, finish dates). Following is an example of what occurs:

Say I have a task (lets call it TASK_A) in a project with start date
25/04/2006 & finish date 25/04/2006. The task is 100% complete (fixed units).
Say I change the start date to 18/04/2006; this will automatically change the
finish date to 18/04/2006.

Now I run the Access import using the merge data option (the data in the
Access table for TASK_A still contains 25/04/2006 for both start and finish).
This will result in the task finish date getting updated to 25/04/2006, which
is correct, but the start date remains as 18/04/2006, which is incorrect.

At this point I have identified two work-arounds. First work around is to
import the table twice. Ie First import updates the finish date correctly,
the second import will update the start date correctly. (strange) Second work
around is when I change the start date for TASK_A to 18/04/2006; I also
re-select the finish date manually to 18/04/2006. When the import is run both
dates are updated correctly (more strange).

Hope this helps in understanding what I am trying to do.

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,

Yes I understand but it only tells me I'm right when in teaching courses I
tell people NEVER to enter anything in the Finish field since the results
are hard to explain (and I don't even try)
Couldn't you import start and duration instead?
HTH