"Status" column acting strangely

[Naomin]

I inserted the status column into a project but oddly enough one of the
summary tasks reports "complete" when one of its subtasks is reported as
"late". Why would this be happening?
Thanks
Naomi

 

[JulieS]

Hello Naomin,

Is the inserted Status Column the "standard" status column or
customized? If you hover your mouse over the column heading does it say
"Help on Status" or something else?

If the column is a custom column, there may be an error in the formula
somewhere. If the status of one of the subtasks is late, the status of
the summary task is also late.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

 

[Naomin]

Hi Julie, thanks for your response. I didn't customize the column; I simply
inserted the status column and don't see any indications it might have been
customized somehow by a mystery person. I'm having related problems as well;
I get two different stoplight colors for one status. I made a formula to
translate the words into stoplights, by inserting the [status] column into
the formula and creating the stoplights as follows: = 0 , dark blue
(complete); = 1, green (on schedule); =2, red (late); = 3, pale blue (future)
(note to self: flag test). These work for the most part, but in one project
I'm getting dark blue balls for the summary and sub-summary tasks, and pale
blue balls for the tasks below; and they are all future tasks, 0% complete,
and so should all be dark blue.

 

[JulieS]

Hi Naomin,

Great, thanks for the additional information. It sounds as though the
unusual behavior you are seeing is most likely do to a small error in
the customized field you are using to show the indicators. Choose Tools

Customize> Fields and in the Customize dialog box, make sure under

"Calculation for task and group summary rows" is set to the option "Use
formula".

That should remove the zeros for the summary tasks and should stop
showing them as "complete" or dark blue.

Your formula in the custom field should just be the reference to the
[Status] column, there is no need to translate the words the status
column shows. Although the Status field shows "On Schedule", "Complete"
etc. the field is actually using the numbers you note:

0 = Complete
1 = On Schedule
2 = Late
3 = Future Task

So your graphic indicators should just need to test for the numbers, not
the text.

You also want to make sure that you have the graphic indicators set for
summary rows the same as the nonsummary rows.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

Hi Julie, thanks for your response. I didn't customize the column; I
simply
inserted the status column and don't see any indications it might have
been
customized somehow by a mystery person. I'm having related problems
as well;
I get two different stoplight colors for one status. I made a formula
to
translate the words into stoplights, by inserting the [status] column
into
the formula and creating the stoplights as follows: = 0 , dark blue
(complete); = 1, green (on schedule); =2, red (late); = 3, pale blue
(future)
(note to self: flag test). These work for the most part, but in one
project
I'm getting dark blue balls for the summary and sub-summary tasks, and
pale
blue balls for the tasks below; and they are all future tasks, 0%
complete,
and so should all be dark blue.

Hello Naomin,

Is the inserted Status Column the "standard" status column or
customized? If you hover your mouse over the column heading does it
say
"Help on Status" or something else?

If the column is a custom column, there may be an error in the
formula
somewhere. If the status of one of the subtasks is late, the status
of
the summary task is also late.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project

 

[Naomin]

Hi Julie, this works like a charm. Thank you. BTW, I didn't put the words
in. I was just summarizing what I got for each number. The whole thing is
working correctly.

I don't quite follow your last bit. In the "indicator criteria for" there
are the 3 radio buttons; one for nonsummary, one for summary (inherits
criteria from nonsummary rows) and one for project (inherits criteria from
summary rows.)
which one should be on?

Hi Naomin,

Great, thanks for the additional information. It sounds as though the
unusual behavior you are seeing is most likely do to a small error in
the customized field you are using to show the indicators. Choose Tools

Customize> Fields and in the Customize dialog box, make sure under

"Calculation for task and group summary rows" is set to the option "Use
formula".

That should remove the zeros for the summary tasks and should stop
showing them as "complete" or dark blue.

Your formula in the custom field should just be the reference to the
[Status] column, there is no need to translate the words the status
column shows. Although the Status field shows "On Schedule", "Complete"
etc. the field is actually using the numbers you note:

0 = Complete
1 = On Schedule
2 = Late
3 = Future Task

So your graphic indicators should just need to test for the numbers, not
the text.

You also want to make sure that you have the graphic indicators set for
summary rows the same as the nonsummary rows.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

Hi Julie, thanks for your response. I didn't customize the column; I
simply
inserted the status column and don't see any indications it might have
been
customized somehow by a mystery person. I'm having related problems
as well;
I get two different stoplight colors for one status. I made a formula
to
translate the words into stoplights, by inserting the [status] column
into
the formula and creating the stoplights as follows: = 0 , dark blue
(complete); = 1, green (on schedule); =2, red (late); = 3, pale blue
(future)
(note to self: flag test). These work for the most part, but in one
project
I'm getting dark blue balls for the summary and sub-summary tasks, and
pale
blue balls for the tasks below; and they are all future tasks, 0%
complete,
and so should all be dark blue.

Hello Naomin,

Is the inserted Status Column the "standard" status column or
customized? If you hover your mouse over the column heading does it
say
"Help on Status" or something else?

If the column is a custom column, there may be an error in the
formula
somewhere. If the status of one of the subtasks is late, the status
of
the summary task is also late.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project


I inserted the status column into a project but oddly enough one of
the
summary tasks reports "complete" when one of its subtasks is
reported
as
"late". Why would this be happening?
Thanks
Naomi

 

[JulieS]

Hi Naomin,

Great! Glad to hear all is working as expected and thanks for the
feedback.

Usually the summary rows and project summary are set to inherit data
from the subtasks, so as long as those are set, you should be grand.
Unless you changed default (unchecked the options) you shouldn't need to
make any changes. It sounds as though setting the summary rows to use
the formula in the Customize Fields dialog box was the trick needed.

Let us know if we can help again in the future.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

Hi Julie, this works like a charm. Thank you. BTW, I didn't put the
words
in. I was just summarizing what I got for each number. The whole
thing is
working correctly.

I don't quite follow your last bit. In the "indicator criteria for"
there
are the 3 radio buttons; one for nonsummary, one for summary (inherits
criteria from nonsummary rows) and one for project (inherits criteria
from
summary rows.)
which one should be on?

Hi Naomin,

Great, thanks for the additional information. It sounds as though
the
unusual behavior you are seeing is most likely do to a small error in
the customized field you are using to show the indicators. Choose
Tools

Customize> Fields and in the Customize dialog box, make sure

under
"Calculation for task and group summary rows" is set to the option
"Use
formula".

That should remove the zeros for the summary tasks and should stop
showing them as "complete" or dark blue.

Your formula in the custom field should just be the reference to the
[Status] column, there is no need to translate the words the status
column shows. Although the Status field shows "On Schedule",
"Complete"
etc. the field is actually using the numbers you note:

0 = Complete
1 = On Schedule
2 = Late
3 = Future Task

So your graphic indicators should just need to test for the numbers,
not
the text.

You also want to make sure that you have the graphic indicators set
for
summary rows the same as the nonsummary rows.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project

Hi Julie, thanks for your response. I didn't customize the column;
I
simply
inserted the status column and don't see any indications it might
have
been
customized somehow by a mystery person. I'm having related
problems
as well;
I get two different stoplight colors for one status. I made a
formula
to
translate the words into stoplights, by inserting the [status]
column
into
the formula and creating the stoplights as follows: = 0 , dark blue
(complete); = 1, green (on schedule); =2, red (late); = 3, pale
blue
(future)
(note to self: flag test). These work for the most part, but in
one
project
I'm getting dark blue balls for the summary and sub-summary tasks,
and
pale
blue balls for the tasks below; and they are all future tasks, 0%
complete,
and so should all be dark blue.

:

Hello Naomin,

Is the inserted Status Column the "standard" status column or
customized? If you hover your mouse over the column heading does
it
say
"Help on Status" or something else?

If the column is a custom column, there may be an error in the
formula
somewhere. If the status of one of the subtasks is late, the
status
of
the summary task is also late.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project


I inserted the status column into a project but oddly enough one
of
the
summary tasks reports "complete" when one of its subtasks is
reported
as
"late". Why would this be happening?
Thanks
Naomi

 

[Naomin]

Very Helpful. Thanks Julie.

Hi Naomin,

Great! Glad to hear all is working as expected and thanks for the
feedback.

Usually the summary rows and project summary are set to inherit data
from the subtasks, so as long as those are set, you should be grand.
Unless you changed default (unchecked the options) you shouldn't need to
make any changes. It sounds as though setting the summary rows to use
the formula in the Customize Fields dialog box was the trick needed.

Let us know if we can help again in the future.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

Hi Julie, this works like a charm. Thank you. BTW, I didn't put the
words
in. I was just summarizing what I got for each number. The whole
thing is
working correctly.

I don't quite follow your last bit. In the "indicator criteria for"
there
are the 3 radio buttons; one for nonsummary, one for summary (inherits
criteria from nonsummary rows) and one for project (inherits criteria
from
summary rows.)
which one should be on?

Hi Naomin,

Great, thanks for the additional information. It sounds as though
the
unusual behavior you are seeing is most likely do to a small error in
the customized field you are using to show the indicators. Choose
Tools
Customize> Fields and in the Customize dialog box, make sure
under
"Calculation for task and group summary rows" is set to the option
"Use
formula".

That should remove the zeros for the summary tasks and should stop
showing them as "complete" or dark blue.

Your formula in the custom field should just be the reference to the
[Status] column, there is no need to translate the words the status
column shows. Although the Status field shows "On Schedule",
"Complete"
etc. the field is actually using the numbers you note:

0 = Complete
1 = On Schedule
2 = Late
3 = Future Task

So your graphic indicators should just need to test for the numbers,
not
the text.

You also want to make sure that you have the graphic indicators set
for
summary rows the same as the nonsummary rows.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project


Hi Julie, thanks for your response. I didn't customize the column;
I
simply
inserted the status column and don't see any indications it might
have
been
customized somehow by a mystery person. I'm having related
problems
as well;
I get two different stoplight colors for one status. I made a
formula
to
translate the words into stoplights, by inserting the [status]
column
into
the formula and creating the stoplights as follows: = 0 , dark blue
(complete); = 1, green (on schedule); =2, red (late); = 3, pale
blue
(future)
(note to self: flag test). These work for the most part, but in
one
project
I'm getting dark blue balls for the summary and sub-summary tasks,
and
pale
blue balls for the tasks below; and they are all future tasks, 0%
complete,
and so should all be dark blue.

:

Hello Naomin,

Is the inserted Status Column the "standard" status column or
customized? If you hover your mouse over the column heading does
it
say
"Help on Status" or something else?

If the column is a custom column, there may be an error in the
formula
somewhere. If the status of one of the subtasks is late, the
status
of
the summary task is also late.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information
about Microsoft Project


I inserted the status column into a project but oddly enough one
of
the
summary tasks reports "complete" when one of its subtasks is
reported
as
"late". Why would this be happening?
Thanks
Naomi

 

[JulieS]

You're welcome and thanks for the feedback.

Julie
Project MVP

Very Helpful. Thanks Julie.

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