Micorsoft Project 2013 EditCopy/Paste command

Question

Hi,

I am evaluating MS Project (MSP) 2013 Standard version using a free trial version. I was checking whether the macros that I used to run on MS Project (MSP) 2003 now run using MSP 2013. The macro itself ran successfully without showing any errors but the outcome within the project plan was different. The original plan after macro run was completely changed with some sections getting overwritten, some moved around etc.

After single step debugging found that the “EditCopy/”EditPaste” command was not copying/pasting a summary project task in MSP 2013 whereas 2003 used to do. In the place of copying a summary task, it just copied the summary task name without children below it in case of MSP 2013. This is same if whether copied from and copied to are in same file or different file.

Investigating further, I found that collapsing a summary task before using “EditCopy” command and then using “EditPaste” pasted the summary task within the same file correctly but not from one file to the other. In the later case, not even the summary task name got copied.

I also used “EditCopy”/“EditPasteSpecial” combination, which also did not do anything different. Whether anybody faced this issue, any suggestions as I have run out of ideas?

regards,

Keshava Moorthy

Answer 1

Hi Keshava,

Since you insist, I did the test with Project 2013 as per the code below and it works fine.

You DO have to select the full row of the summary task, however.

Sub selectwholesummary()

Set p2 = Projects(2)

Set Sumtask = ActiveSelection.Tasks(1)

deep = Sumtask.OutlineChildren.Count

SelectRow rowrelative:=True, Height:=5, Extend:=True

EditCopy

P2.Activate

SelectBeginning

EditPaste

End Sub

Hope that helps,

Answer 2

Hi,

As mentioned above my issue still remained open as it seems to be a bug in MS project 2013 compared to 2003. I expected somebody from Microsoft confirming it OR suggesting any alternate ways in 2013. 

I am disappointed that the existing commands of project 2003 are not working in 2013 and also worried what other unknown issues might be around after sorting the current problem !

In absence of this, I decided to go for copying line by line from one file to other, which is bit complicated due to the need to maintain indents/outdents of child tasks under summary tasks. 

regards,

Keshava Moorthy

Answer 3

Hi Jan De Messemaeker,

Thanks for your response. The approach that you mentioned by adding Height, Extend properties in the SelectRow command still did not help in Project 2013 when coying from one file to the other. Have you used it when copying from one file to other in Project 2013?

It looks a fundamental bug in 2013, which Microsoft has not fixed? I would have expected all project 2003 commands working in 2013 as otherwise, why I would buy 2013 if I need to keep changing my macros that was written for 2003?I was expecting microsoft technical team may respond and clarify but disappointingly, they did not !

If you have any more suggestions, please let me know. If not, the last option is I am writing a new macro that copies line by line maintaining all properties such as indent/outdent etc for the the summary task.

Thanks again for your time, much appreciated.

regards,

Keshava Moorthy

Answer 4

Hello,

To make sure the outlinechildren are copied/pasted along with the summary task, it is better to include them in the selection first. Can be done as follows:

Sub selectwholesummary()

Set Sumtask = ActiveSelection.Tasks(1)

deep = Sumtask.OutlineChildren.Count

SelectRow rowrelative:=True, Height:=deep, Extend:=True

EditCopy

SelectRow row:=20

EditPaste

End Sub

Needs some tuning in terms of where to paste, test whether this is a summary task, etc. but it works.

Greetings,