Link project to master

[Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm]

Hello Dear,
I have created a template file. project managers pick up the template and
rename it to a project and work on it. I insert each file into the master
file.
Each time when I insert a project, it creates a subtask (a plus sign next to
it) called "master draft" in the master.
I end up to have many "master draft" and within each of them there is one
project.
My question is how to insert a project without it
I hope I was clear
Thanks in advance

 

[John]

Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm

Hello Dear,
I have created a template file. project managers pick up the template and
rename it to a project and work on it. I insert each file into the master
file.
Each time when I insert a project, it creates a subtask (a plus sign next to
it) called "master draft" in the master.
I end up to have many "master draft" and within each of them there is one
project.
My question is how to insert a project without it
I hope I was clear
Thanks in advance

Majid,
This is probably what is happening. When you create the template it's
Title (File/Properties/Summary tab) is called "master draft". Even
though each manager edits and does a Save As to a new name, the title is
still "master draft". When each of those files is inserted as a
subproject into your master, they are inserted with the title at the
insertion point summary line. The easiest way to "fix" this is to have
each manager change the Title when they create their own file from the
template.

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP

 

[sekweles]

Select the cell were you want to insert your project, go to insert Project,
and select the project you want to insert, and click on insert, if you want
it as read only, click the drop arrow next to insert and choose read only.
your project will be inserted as an embedded object.
hope it helps.

 

[Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm]

Hello John,
Thank you for your advice.
Could that be possible to set by default the "title" be the "project name"?
I tried it but not successful.
Majid

 

[John]

Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm

Hello John,
Thank you for your advice.
Could that be possible to set by default the "title" be the "project name"?
I tried it but not successful.
Majid

Majid,
It's not clear what you tried and its been a while since I delved into
this subject, however there have been discussions on this very issue in
this newsgroup perhaps a year ago. You might want to try a search.

As I recall, this is how it works, and the process is a little different
depending on which version of Project you are using. This applies to
Project 2003. When a new Project file is created, Project will set the
Title to be the same as the filename. However if that file is edited and
saved under a different name, the Title will remain (i.e. NOT change to
the new filename). However, the Title can be changed manually by the
user. This is basically what happens when you use a template file. But
here is the interesting part. Even if you change the Title of the
subproject and save the file, when you open your master, it will still
have the old Title at the insertion point summary line. In order to get
the new Title to show on the insertion point summary line, you will need
to build a new master. How about that for "strangeness"?

I suggest the following. When your managers take the template and create
their own file, have them change the Title to the new filename. Then
after all the subproject files are created, build your consolidated
master. Or, you could also manually change the Task Name at the
insertion point summary line in an already existing master - after all,
it's just a name. Neither approach is particularly convenient, but life
with Project isn't always easy.

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP

 

[Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm]

Hello John,
Sorry for getting back to late.
I solved the problem of title and project name. I am adding it manually
Let me give you an example so that you can see my issue easily. I have
inserted 10 projects, now each project is hidden under its own subtask( +
sign next to it). So, now I have 10 subtask and when I open it you can see
the names are duplicated. How can I consolidate all the inserted projects
under one directory?
The problem is that, there are many customized columns and Managers are
already adding info into the columns on the very first line then save it.
Now, in the master schedule, the first line in the template becomes the
second line.
I hope I explained well.
Please advise
Majid

 

[John]

Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm

Hello John,
Sorry for getting back to late.
I solved the problem of title and project name. I am adding it manually
Let me give you an example so that you can see my issue easily. I have
inserted 10 projects, now each project is hidden under its own subtask( +
sign next to it). So, now I have 10 subtask and when I open it you can see
the names are duplicated. How can I consolidate all the inserted projects
under one directory?
The problem is that, there are many customized columns and Managers are
already adding info into the columns on the very first line then save it.
Now, in the master schedule, the first line in the template becomes the
second line.
I hope I explained well.
Please advise
Majid

Majid,
Wow, I sure didn't remember this thread. I had to read it again to
remember what was said.

Well I think I understand but the terminology is still a little
confused. Basically what you have is a dynamically consolidated master.
The 10 subprojects are not physically part of the master however a
summary line is created in the master that holds a pointer to the actual
subproject. The contents of the subproject (all task rows under the
insertion point summary line) are indented under the summary line in the
master. Even though the sumbproject task lines are at outline level "2"
they cannot be outdented to outline level "1" in the master because they
are not part of the master. I know that probably sounds confusing but
that's the way it works.

The only way to get the subpprojects under one "directory" as you call
it (actually "directory" is a file attribute not a task attribute), is
to convert the dynamically consolidated master to a statically
consolidated master by unlinking the subproject from the master. Then
tasks, (the subprojects cease to be subprojects in a static master), can
be moved anywhere you like (e.g. indent/outdent).

I'm not sure what the customized fields has to do with anything but as I
stated above, tasks at outline level "1" in the subprojects will be at
outline level "2" in a dynamic master.

Now, I hope I explained it adequately.

John
Project MVP

 

[Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm]

Hello John,
Thank you for the detailed information.
The problem is that unlinking the subprojects from master is a big
disadvantage for us becasue managers are constantly updating the single
project files not the master and that is due to security reason.
Let me explain the purpose of the master is to have all the projects
inforamtion consolidated into one file and we use the master to print the
report. Speaking about the report, one of the reprots is a summary that is
updatd along the first line of each project horizetally through custo,ized
columns and the problem is that in the master the first line is embeded under
the directory that it becomes the second line and in the master I need to
open it up in order to see the line. this will also kill more trees as well
becasue every first line of the table is empty.
maybe I should send you a sample file?
Please advise

 

[John]

Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm

Hello John,
Thank you for the detailed information.
The problem is that unlinking the subprojects from master is a big
disadvantage for us becasue managers are constantly updating the single
project files not the master and that is due to security reason.
Let me explain the purpose of the master is to have all the projects
inforamtion consolidated into one file and we use the master to print the
report. Speaking about the report, one of the reprots is a summary that is
updatd along the first line of each project horizetally through custo,ized
columns and the problem is that in the master the first line is embeded under
the directory that it becomes the second line and in the master I need to
open it up in order to see the line. this will also kill more trees as well
becasue every first line of the table is empty.
maybe I should send you a sample file?
Please advise

Majid,
Please explain to me why trees are dying because of this.

Well, just of the top of my head, why not apply a filter to the master
so only the summary lines of interest (i.e. those at outline level 2)
appear. That way your report will not have any "empty" lines. Life will
be good and you and your managers can continue doing what you are doing.

If you have further questions, yes a sample of your file might be
helpful.

John
Project MVP
jensenj6atatcomcastdotdotnet
(remove obvious redundancies)

 

[Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm]

John,
I am not sure at this point why trees are dying. It is somthing that I need
to figure it out. Sorry!
Coming back to your latest advice, I have created a filter by using the
"flag" ("yes" or "No" but still the summary lines of interest are appearing
along with the directory!

I have an idea, maybe there is a way I be able to customize one of the
report templates in such that I can print the values of my cutomized text
columns?
I have tried to build the report format to deliver one table that is consist
of few customized texts and $ columns and I didn't have a good luck on it.
any ideat why I can't?
Thank you for your advise

 

[John]

Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm

John,
I am not sure at this point why trees are dying. It is somthing that I need
to figure it out. Sorry!
Coming back to your latest advice, I have created a filter by using the
"flag" ("yes" or "No" but still the summary lines of interest are appearing
along with the directory!

I have an idea, maybe there is a way I be able to customize one of the
report templates in such that I can print the values of my cutomized text
columns?
I have tried to build the report format to deliver one table that is consist
of few customized texts and $ columns and I didn't have a good luck on it.
any ideat why I can't?
Thank you for your advise

Majid,
Well, forget Project and get busy on saving those trees.....

You keep using the term "directory" which doesn't apply to Project file
structure. Project has summary lines at various outline levels and tasks
at various outline levels. That structure is called the hierarchy. It
just makes it a little confusing to understand what you mean. Anyway,
the filter approach I had in mind was not to use a spare flag field,
(although that certainly will work), but rather to use the Outline Level
field in the filter. From what I could understand about your file
structure it seems like filtering for outline level "2" would display
what you want. And don't forget to uncheck the option to "show related
summary lines" in the Filter Definition window - that is probably why
you still see the extra summary lines.

With regard to your idea of customizing a built-in report, it depends on
which report you want to customize and what custom fields you are using
- they are not necessarily compatible. I'm not a big fan of the built-in
reports since in my mind they have some serious limitations. Instead, I
either customize a view or if that is not possible, I use VBA.

John

 

[Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm]

John,
Thank you for being patinet.
I have called "outline level" filed. As per your assumption, yes outline
level 2 is the line that I am interested, however, when I filter it by
outline level 2, the outline level 1 is also appears because the level 2 is
indented under level i which is outdented.
please advise a remedy to this.
With regards to the reporting I 100% agree with you there is a limitation
and I have tried to cusomize the view for printing and it is working well.
Majid

 

[John]

Majid Sheikhan - ratiopharm

John,
Thank you for being patinet.
I have called "outline level" filed. As per your assumption, yes outline
level 2 is the line that I am interested, however, when I filter it by
outline level 2, the outline level 1 is also appears because the level 2 is
indented under level i which is outdented.
please advise a remedy to this.
With regards to the reporting I 100% agree with you there is a limitation
and I have tried to cusomize the view for printing and it is working well.
Majid

Majid,
OK, I guess I don't understand the problem. Outline level "2" is
indented under outline level "1" - that's why they are at those outline
levels. That means that outline level "1" is a summary task and as long
as your filter only looks for task lines at outline level "2" AND you
have unchecked the "show related summary lines", then you should only
see task rows at outline level "2", nothing else. If it still isn't
making sense to you then maybe you should send me your file so I can
better understand, but I may not get a chance to look at it until this
weekend.

I almost hesitate to ask. What customized view are you trying to create
for your report? There is always a way to get there, it may or may not
require VBA.

John