User-defined fields

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User-defined fields
User-defined fields enable you to add your own custom fields and values to the project database. For example, you can track additional activity data, such as delivery dates and purchase order numbers, or resource and cost-related data, such as profit, variances, and revised budgets. To create user-defined fields, choose Enterprise, User Defined Fields. In the drop-down list at the top of the dialog box, select the subject area of the product where you want to use the new field, such as Activities, Activity Steps, Activity Resource Assignments, Projects, Resources, WBS, Expenses, Issues, Risks, and Work Products & Documents. Click Add. Enter the user-defined title and data type for the new field. Tips Once you create user-defined fields, you can perform all of the following tasks:

Display user-defined fields in the columns of the Activity Table and then print the layout. You must add columns for user-defined fields in order to enter/select data for that field. Group, sort, filter, and view data summaries when grouped in a layout by user-defined field. Add user-defined fields to reports you create or modify existing reports to include user-defined fields. Use Global Change to assign values to Activity, Activity Resource Assignments, and Expenses user-defined fields. Create bars for user-defined date fields and view them in the Gantt chart. You cannot add user-defined fields to Microsoft Project (MSP)-managed projects.

Define custom user fields

1. Choose Enterprise, User Defined Fields. 2. Select the subject area of the product where you would like to add the new field, such as Activities, Activity Steps, Activity Resource Assignments, Projects, Resources, WBS, Expenses, Issues, Risks, and Work Products & Documents. 3. Click Add. 4. Enter a user-defined title for the new field and select a data type. For example, you could enter Purchase Order Number as the title and select Integer as the data type.

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To assign values to custom user fields 1. Add a column for the custom user field code. 2. In the custom field column you added, type a value. Notes

If the Data Type is an Indicator, in the custom field column you must select a value of red, yellow, green, or blue. You cannot enter any other value. Only users with global security privileges to edit user-defined fields (UDFs) can add, modify, or delete UDFs. Users that do not have access rights to edit UDFs can still view them in the User Defined Fields dialog box. Only users with project security privileges to view project cost data can view UDF values with a Data Type of Cost. You cannot define user-defined fields for Microsoft Project (MSP)-managed projects.

Choosing data types for user-defined fields

A user-defined fields data type determines the kind of data you can enter in the field, such as text, numbers, or dates. The following table summarizes the data types available for user-defined fields.

Data type Text Start Date Finish Date Cost Indicator

Number Integer

Use for Text or combinations of text and numbers Start date Finish date Currency values An indicator field that you can use to enter color-coded values in columns and display them in reports Numeric with two decimal places Numeric data, except money

Indicator user-defined fields

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Indicators are a special type of user-defined field (UDF) that enable you to select color-coded icons as values for display in columns, group and sort, filters, and reports. Indicator UDFs can be used to highlight Activities, Activity Steps, Activity Resource Assignments, Projects, Resources, WBS, Expenses, Issues, Risks, and Work Products & Documents. For example, you could group activities based on priority or status using Indicator UDFs. Like all other UDFs, you can perform the following functions using Indicator UDFs:

Display in columns Group and sort data based on indicators Filter data based on indicators Perform global changes Display timescale bars View indicator data in reports using columns, group and sort, and filters.

To assign values to indicator fields: You must create a column for the UDF, click in the field, and select an icon from the drop-down list. An indicator UDF can have one of four values: red, yellow, green, or blue. You must select one of these values whenever you enter a value for an Indicator UDF, whether in columns, group and sort, filters, reports, global change or bars.

Note: In columns, filters, global change, and group and sort, indicator UDF values appear as icons. In reports, indicator UDF columns show the text value of the icon (i.e., rather than displaying the icon, the value is red, yellow, green, or blue).