P2k Compare Project Versions run time error

[MW]

Hi,
I'm been running P2000 for ages and have just downloaded & installed the
"Compare Project Versions" utility.

Project fires up with the new toolbar OK, and I load a couple of project
versions (non-trivial - about 400 lines). I go through the wizard and it
starts comparing, then stops with the following error:
"Run time error 424:Object Required".

It produces a new "difference" project (Project1), which contains the
correct number of tasks. However it hasn't completed the comparison fully.

If I hack a load of tasks out, the comparison works OK. I know which task it
crashes on, so it is obviously some characteristic of that task or
combinarion of tasks which is causing the problem.

Anyone have any idea what conditions might cause this particular error?
Running w2k

Thx

Martin

 

[John]

Hi,
I'm been running P2000 for ages and have just downloaded & installed the
"Compare Project Versions" utility.

Project fires up with the new toolbar OK, and I load a couple of project
versions (non-trivial - about 400 lines). I go through the wizard and it
starts comparing, then stops with the following error:
"Run time error 424:Object Required".

It produces a new "difference" project (Project1), which contains the
correct number of tasks. However it hasn't completed the comparison fully.

If I hack a load of tasks out, the comparison works OK. I know which task it
crashes on, so it is obviously some characteristic of that task or
combinarion of tasks which is causing the problem.

Anyone have any idea what conditions might cause this particular error?
Running w2k

Thx

Martin

Martin,
I'm having a little trouble at the moment running the utility on any of
my installed versions of Project but here is something to look at. The
"Object required" error is most often associated with a schedule that
has blank rows. Normally VBA code is written to work around that
condition but I guess it is possible the Compare utility doesn't include
that work around - I've never seen the source code for the utility.

Something else that might be at play here is the possibility that one or
both of your files has a small amount of corruption. You might want to
try going to the MVP website at:
http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm
and taking a look at FAQ 43 - File bloat? Might be corruption.

If neither file has blank lines and you tried clearing possible
corruption and it still fails, would it be possible for you to send me
the files via e-mail? I have my own compare macro and perhaps I could
ferret out the problem. If your files contain sensitive data, I can
provide you a macro that will de-sensitize them or you can get an
equivalent macro at fellow MVP, Jack Dahlgren's website at:
http://masamiki.com/project/macros.htm
Look for his "scrub" macro. If you end up sending me the files via
e-mail, make sure you zip them.

Hope this helps.
John
Project MVP

 

[Martin Wilkinson]

Many thanks for your time - I'll try your suggestions when I get a moment.

martin

 

[Martin Wilkinson]

Tried all your suggestions with no success, however I found the problem.

The schedule I was comparing had external links to a different Project file
(schedule), which was not open at the time the comparison was run. Links to
other schedules appear as “ghost†tasks.
The comparison crashed on the task immediately before the first “ghost†task
from the other schedule.

If I also opened the schedule which was linked to, during the comparison, it
seems to run OK. It still seems a bit flaky, but what seemed to work
consistently was:

* Open the “version 1†and “version 2†of the file to be compared
* Expand all tasks in both versions 1 and 2
* Open the other linked-to schedule and expand all tasks
* Run the comparison.

Martin

 

[John]

Tried all your suggestions with no success, however I found the problem.

The schedule I was comparing had external links to a different Project file
(schedule), which was not open at the time the comparison was run. Links to
other schedules appear as “ghost†tasks.
The comparison crashed on the task immediately before the first “ghost†task
from the other schedule.

If I also opened the schedule which was linked to, during the comparison, it
seems to run OK. It still seems a bit flaky, but what seemed to work
consistently was:

* Open the “version 1†and “version 2†of the file to be compared
* Expand all tasks in both versions 1 and 2
* Open the other linked-to schedule and expand all tasks
* Run the comparison.

Martin

Martin,
I'm glad you found the problem. Based on what you found, here are some
observations.

The utility uses the Unique ID field to index the comparison. Depending
on the implementation of the code it shouldn't matter if both files are
expanded, (my comparison macro requires it because of the way I create
the output), so I'm surprised that made a difference.

I know the utility does not work with consolidated files but I haven't
explored how well it handles files with external links. From your
experience, it appears that the comparison includes the ghost tasks,
otherwise there would be no need to ensure the other linked-to schedule
was open - interesting.

Anyway, problem solved and thanks for your feedback. It helps me
understand the quirks of the utility so the next time someone posts a
question, I can be of more assistance.

John
Project MVP

 

[Martin Wilkinson]

It may be that expanding all tasks did not make any difference but the
sequence I gave seemed to work consistently. I only tried it because I
thought the utility may have problems if tasks were not visible. I didn't
really have the time to exhuastively try all combinations.
Just don't take from my post that non -expanded tasks cause a problem and
waste time chasing a ghost!

Thanks for your time.

PS can this post be marked as answered? I don't seem to have the option.

martin

 

[John]

It may be that expanding all tasks did not make any difference but the
sequence I gave seemed to work consistently. I only tried it because I
thought the utility may have problems if tasks were not visible. I didn't
really have the time to exhuastively try all combinations.
Just don't take from my post that non -expanded tasks cause a problem and
waste time chasing a ghost!

Thanks for your time.

PS can this post be marked as answered? I don't seem to have the option.

martin

Martin,
No problem with chasing ghosts - sometimes it is an important part of
the process.

I don't know if there are any options to mark a post as answered and I
don't think it really matters. Sometimes a previous post will be picked
up at a future date by someone else with a slightly different question.

John