Merge Fields in Excel Import

[eljosuave]

I have been having a problem with importing data from Excel into a
reportmaster file in Project with multiple projects. When using this
function with a single project file, i can export into excel, make updates,
and merge back into project just fine. However, when i try to do this with
my reportmaster file, the import doesn't merge the data from excel, it simply
adds new duplicate tasks. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JackD]

If you are using unique ID as the merge key, you should know that in a
master project file, the Unique ID's of tasks in inserted projects get
incremented by a multiple of a large number (4344xxxx or something like
that). The regularly numbered Unique ID's are assigned to the tasks which
are in the master project. So when you import and it can't find UID # 512 it
adds it.

If you export from the master file to excel and reimport to it you should be
OK because then you are using the adjusted UID numbers. An alternative is to
use a text field or number field to use as the merge key. Fill that field
with something that is unique (ProjectName and UID concatenated together for
example) and then you import will work.

--
-Jack ... For project information and macro examples visit
http://masamiki.com/project
or http://zo-d.com/blog/index.html
..

I have been having a problem with importing data from Excel into a
reportmaster file in Project with multiple projects. When using this
function with a single project file, i can export into excel, make updates,
and merge back into project just fine. However, when i try to do this with
my reportmaster file, the import doesn't merge the data from excel, it simply
adds new duplicate tasks. Any help with this would be greatly

appreciated.

 

[eljosuave]

I am both exporting and importing from the report master, so as you said, i
should be ok. I have been using 3 fields combined into a single field as my
merge key. I just tried again using the unique id field as the merge key and
still got the same results. Anything else you can think of?

 

[JackD]

How are you combining the three fields? And more importantly, which field
are you using?
Can you reproduce this with a smaller and simpler file?
Are you CERTAIN that you have that field set as the merge key?
Have you compared the data in the project with the information that gets
exported? How about the information that is imported?

In the worst case, you might need to import the data to the individual
files.
Or, use some visual basic to do this.

 

[eljosuave]

I am combining 3 fields, 2 numbered fields and a task description field. I
did this by going into field options and entering in a formula for one of the
customizeable text fields that adds the 3 together to make the new field. I
have done this on all of my files, the small ones and the more complicated
ones. I am certain that i have this set as the merge key because it works
when i attempt it with one file, it just doesn't work in my reportmaster with
multiple files.

 

[JackD]

What does that field display when you look at the master file? Is it the
same as when you open them individually?