Project Server 2007 Custom Fields
I got a question about updating of custom fields and outline codes that was very Project Server 2003 centric in the way it was asked. Instead of answering the question let me give a quick tutorial on custom fields in Project Server 2007. This will in essence answer the question, and probably create a bunch more questions J.
Custom Fields are no longer defined through the enterprise global. All customer fields are created, edited, deleted… through the PWA administration screens. You no longer check out the enterprise global to edit a custom field.
Outline codes no longer exist. There is a new entity called a lookup table. Lookup tables can be associated to custom fields giving them the Project Server 2003 outline code functionality.
All major entities in Project Server 2007 are identified by GUIDs, Projects, Resources, etc. Custom Fields are no different. Big deal why is this so important? Today in Project server 2003 if you write software that uses a custom field there is no guarantee that somebody else won’t be already using that field (EnterpriseProjectText10) when you go install the software. Now you need some mapping utility to take that into account. In 2007 when you define the custom field, the ISV defines the GUID for it. At installation time the software installs the custom field using that GUID and now your software can DEPEND that it will find the custom field in that location (i.e. GUID).
There is no numeric limitation on custom fields. Today you have ProjectText1-40, if you need 41 you are out of luck. There is no theoretical limit to the number of custom fields in the system. BUT the product group will limit the number based on performance. It will be a big number though when all the dust settles at RTM.
Your custom fields can be defined with formulas and graphical indicators attached to them just as always. The big change is now they will update server side! No more having to fire up Project Professional to get that one calculation to take in that one field.
Enterprise custom fields have always been a big tool in the integration with and expansion of Project Server. But in Project Server 2007 I think their usefulness has grown exponentially.
BTW all bets are off for local fields, they do not operate like the Project Server fields. They operate the same way they always have.
Comments
Anonymous
August 21, 2006
Hi,
I have a question about Enterprise Custom Fields.
I'm working on an add-in and I have the Application object (that I converted to Microsoft.Office.Interop.MSProject.Application), now i want to write a value to an enterprise custom field. I don't want to use the PSI because I already have the application object.
So, how it can be done in the application object?
Thanks,
OmriAnonymous
August 23, 2006
Look for a post on this.Anonymous
August 30, 2006
Hi,
Do you have a coding sample, which shows how to add items to a Lookup TableAnonymous
September 01, 2006
Look in the Project Server 2007 SDK for the article "Designing Lookup Table Data Structures". It should have everything you are looking for.Anonymous
September 21, 2006
The new custom fields sound like a great improvement. Does each value in the lookup have a GUID? I am wondering what the behaviour is when I go to update my lookup list, will these changes flow through to data that uses the lookup value?Anonymous
February 01, 2007
On 2007 PWA I've added several Enterprise Custom Fields for the Project Entity but I can't view/edit them in my projects when I'm in Project 2007. I can view/edit them in PWA. I've researched the Help files but no luck. I keep looking under Project/Project Information in Project 2007.Anonymous
February 27, 2007
PPS 2007 custom field graphical indicators work and then stop on some if not all the projects they are assigned to. Or they will appear in the project but not in the Project Center, only the the work or number will appear. Furthermore, republishing will fix it for some and not others. Any ideas on what is the cause?Anonymous
March 16, 2007
PWA displays data instead of graphical indicators when the field is updated from within PWA. Why? Is that a bug?Anonymous
August 07, 2007
I am also tasked to create graphical indicator column in my projects. Is there a good tutorial on this for 2007?Anonymous
August 07, 2007
hi, i want to edit data of MPP file custom field through PWA How will i do that,I am using P Professional 2007Anonymous
August 09, 2007
Hi, Can Custom Fields defined at task level be updated from PWA without using Project Professional?Anonymous
August 14, 2007
Is there a step-by-step guide to creating a graphical indicator field for % work Complete. I am new to this product but need to get it up quick for management. TIAAnonymous
August 16, 2007
Larry, I am having trouble find instructions on how to get graphical indicators to show up in PWA. Is there a good resource for this or can you tell me, please. I think I got them working properly in project pro 2007, but it is not publishing them to the PWA. Please help. ScottAnonymous
August 27, 2007
Is there a resource that Will provide tutorials on creating graphical indicators for tasks that roll up to the summary view?Anonymous
August 27, 2007
I've added custom field i PWA successfuly, but I have problem with editing that field - everything is grayed, and I can not edit any of field properties. Do you have some explination or hint??Anonymous
April 03, 2008
I have added 2 custom field in MS Project-Project Plan.I can see the data in MS Project(CLient). When I POublish the same project ?I M not able to see it in Project Server 2007. I have added the CustomFields in Enterprise Custom Fields and created my own view , but still i dont have any luck. Can anybody help me out please . Its really very urgent.Anonymous
April 11, 2008
When using the organizer in Project 2007 to migrate fields between plans, the content of the fields doesn't get added to the global.mpt. We have a number of customized fields that need to be migrated to the global.mpt so that they are available across the board. This has worked since MSP 2000, what is the workaround for MSP 2007.Anonymous
August 04, 2008
Larry, I've had the same problem already reported: "PPS 2007 custom field graphical indicators work and then stop on some if not all the projects they are assigned to. Or they will appear in the project but not in the Project Center, only the the work or number will appear. Furthermore, republishing will fix it for some and not others. Any ideas on what is the cause?" Thanks, Jefferson (jzampronio@iastech.com)Anonymous
August 25, 2008
The comment has been removedAnonymous
August 26, 2008
The 2007 Project Server SDK makes references to Custom Fields on Assignments but there is no way through the PWA to create a custom field for an Assignment. Can you explain if custom fields on Assignments is really possible?Anonymous
September 05, 2008
We have a custom enterprise field called "_MITRE Milestones SR Notes". I have that field in project web access but its also in a view within Microsoft Project Professional. I'm trying to pull the data that is stored in that field into MS Project Profesional. It won't pull right Data. E.g i put the "Something" in the PWA and when we saw that update in the project professional its update the changes and complete all the steps but did not show me the exact data "Something" and show garbage. Would you please help me in this regards how can i the exact data showed in the project professional. I am using Project server 2007, Project Professional 2007 and web access.Anonymous
October 12, 2008
Are Enterprise Custom Fields accessible via VB? When I try to access an Enterprise custom field through the following code: ActiveProject.Tasks..... Don't seem to see the custom field on the drop down list so was wondering how to access them in VB? Thanks! KenAnonymous
November 05, 2008
I've defined several custom fields ( resource - Lookup table, text, two values ), and used as dimensions on a cube for data analysis. For some reason, i can drop them on the row side of the pivot table, but doesn't expand, it only show total. I use the measure cost. If i clik on the calculator for a new field, and use '0' as value, then the pivot table shows the custom field expanded, but nothing in the cell 'cost' asociated. the schema is: TIME (year, month, ...) Porject List | Custom fied + COST
- (can expand) (only total) is any thing wrong? what should i check? Thank's in advance
Anonymous
December 17, 2008
Do you have any information about a limit to create custom fields. I have in this moment created 119 custom fields, and when I try to create the number 120, the custom field show an error. We al ready have a problem with another custom field. This was damaged and block all the custom fields that we have created. Only when we deleted the custom field, the others fiels working again without problem. Do you have any idea about this. Thanks.Anonymous
March 12, 2009
I see a whole lot of questions and no answers. Does anyone actually monitor this site anymore. Several of these questions, I'd like to see responses on. Specifically why my global indicators work and then suddenly just show the text value and not the graphic. Hellllooooooo....is anyone out there?Anonymous
August 06, 2009
In Project Server 2007 we have some custom fields that we want to discontinue using. What is the best way to do this? thanksAnonymous
December 10, 2009
I am working on a huge platform development project. We are dealing with a large amount of requests from various departments. I thought it would be useful to add a custom field named "Department" so that I could sort by this field and have a good view of what is needed by each department. I have gotten the field up and running so I can enter the text. The problem I am dealing with, is whatever I type in the custom text field I have added, is mirrored in the Priority field (in the main section, not in the Gaant Chart view). Clearly this is a huge problem, because the priority column is huge, when dealing with a large interdepartmental project. Thanks for any help you can provide.