Conditional Formatting?

[James.Bovay]

I wanted to use conditional formatting on a new column in my task
sheet, but it seems that is not an option in project??!

I want to find a way in the activity sheet to display a column that
will show the status of each task activity in a solid color. I would
like to have a solid block of color to indicate if the status is red,
green or yellow in the task list itself so when I open it I see it
immediately. Where the cell structure in Project is so similar to
that in Excel I'm sure it can be done...but here's my problem I
downloaded the MS Project trial from Microsoft and in the task sheet I
was able to change the background color but I have no idea how to
apply that color to tie in with a status or change it easily. At
first I simply added three columns before the task field and named
them red, yellow and green then right clicked on the title to change
the back ground color then my question becomes how to automatically
select them for each task...after playing around a bit I found that
once I created the columns I'm unable to delete them, I can only hide
them. This seems odd, I referenced help and it mentioned you would
need admin access to delete columns? At least I know that the
background color can in fact be changed but how can I make it part of
the task where it can be selected in the column. I checked out the
flag field options and it only allows for yes/no text in a drop down
menu. If I had a column with a drop down menu containing three color
options it would be a good start.

Also can anyone recommend any resources, as to what the best way to
learn Project is? I'm using a series of curriculum my company
provides and it's just not cutting it.

Cheers!

-James

 

[tploszaj]

I wanted to use conditional formatting on a new column in my task
sheet, but it seems that is not an option in project??!

I want to find a way in the activity sheet to display a column that
will show the status of each task activity in a solid color. I would
like to have a solid block of color to indicate if the status is red,
green or yellow in the task list itself so when I open it I see it
immediately. Where the cell structure in Project is so similar to
that in Excel I'm sure it can be done...but here's my problem I
downloaded the MS Project trial from Microsoft and in the task sheet I
was able to change the background color but I have no idea how to
apply that color to tie in with a status or change it easily. At
first I simply added three columns before the task field and named
them red, yellow and green then right clicked on the title to change
the back ground color then my question becomes how to automatically
select them for each task...after playing around a bit I found that
once I created the columns I'm unable to delete them, I can only hide
them. This seems odd, I referenced help and it mentioned you would
need admin access to delete columns? At least I know that the
background color can in fact be changed but how can I make it part of
the task where it can be selected in the column. I checked out the
flag field options and it only allows for yes/no text in a drop down
menu. If I had a column with a drop down menu containing three color
options it would be a good start.

Also can anyone recommend any resources, as to what the best way to
learn Project is? I'm using a series of curriculum my company
provides and it's just not cutting it.

Cheers!

-James

James,

It is done by setting flags in Microsoft Project, for example, if you
want to change the colors of the bars on the Gnatt Chart:

Using the Format drop down select Bar Styles

Use the Insert a Row button and insert a line at the bottom, give it
any name that you want and in the Show For...Tasks
type Normal,Flag1. Then set your color for the bar and its other
characteristics.

Then add a custom field, a flag field that references the column that
you wish to use for conditioning, establish a formula. using the
"IIF"

I don't have it in front of me, but it is something like
IIF([Text1]"Blue","Yes",No")
Which tells the flag1 field to do a conditional against the other
column (Text1) and if the condition is true (yes) use the bar color
set by flag1, if it is false
do not use the color attached to flag1.

You will have to repeat this for colors2 and colors3.

Don't try to delete your columns, just hide them by sliding then over.
You can also move columns by highlighting and dragging.

Hope this puts you on the right track!

 

[James.Bovay]

I wanted to use conditional formatting on a new column in my task
sheet, but it seems that is not an option in project??!

I want to find a way in the activity sheet to display a column that
will show the status of each task activity in a solid color. I would
like to have a solid block of color to indicate if the status is red,
green or yellow in the task list itself so when I open it I see it
immediately. Where the cell structure in Project is so similar to
that in Excel I'm sure it can be done...but here's my problem I
downloaded the MS Project trial from Microsoft and in the task sheet I
was able to change the background color but I have no idea how to
apply that color to tie in with a status or change it easily. At
first I simply added three columns before the task field and named
them red, yellow and green then right clicked on the title to change
the back ground color then my question becomes how to automatically
select them for each task...after playing around a bit I found that
once I created the columns I'm unable to delete them, I can only hide
them. This seems odd, I referenced help and it mentioned you would
need admin access to delete columns? At least I know that the
background color can in fact be changed but how can I make it part of
the task where it can be selected in the column. I checked out the
flag field options and it only allows for yes/no text in a drop down
menu. If I had a column with a drop down menu containing three color
options it would be a good start.

Also can anyone recommend any resources, as to what the best way to
learn Project is? I'm using a series of curriculum my company
provides and it's just not cutting it.

-James

James,

It is done by setting flags in Microsoft Project, for example, if you
want to change the colors of the bars on the Gnatt Chart:

Using the Format drop down select Bar Styles

Use the Insert a Row button and insert a line at the bottom, give it
any name that you want and in the Show For...Tasks
type Normal,Flag1. Then set your color for the bar and its other
characteristics.

Then add a custom field, a flag field that references the column that
you wish to use for conditioning, establish a formula. using the
"IIF"

I don't have it in front of me, but it is something like
IIF([Text1]"Blue","Yes",No")
Which tells the flag1 field to do a conditional against the other
column (Text1) and if the condition is true (yes) use the bar color
set by flag1, if it is false
do not use the color attached to flag1.

You will have to repeat this for colors2 and colors3.

Don't try to delete your columns, just hide them by sliding then over.
You can also move columns by highlighting and dragging.

Hope this puts you on the right track!

brilliant, thanks tplos

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi James,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

You might like to have a look at my series on Microsoft Project in the
TechTrax ezine, particularly #14&15 on customizing columns, at this site:
http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc or this:
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMFrame.asp?CMD=ArticleSearch&AUTH=23
(Perhaps you'd care to rate the articles before leaving the site,
Thanks.)

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: <http://www.mvps.org/project/>

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

I wanted to use conditional formatting on a new column in my task
sheet, but it seems that is not an option in project??!

I want to find a way in the activity sheet to display a column that
will show the status of each task activity in a solid color. I would
like to have a solid block of color to indicate if the status is red,
green or yellow in the task list itself so when I open it I see it
immediately. Where the cell structure in Project is so similar to
that in Excel I'm sure it can be done...but here's my problem I
downloaded the MS Project trial from Microsoft and in the task sheet I
was able to change the background color but I have no idea how to
apply that color to tie in with a status or change it easily. At
first I simply added three columns before the task field and named
them red, yellow and green then right clicked on the title to change
the back ground color then my question becomes how to automatically
select them for each task...after playing around a bit I found that
once I created the columns I'm unable to delete them, I can only hide
them. This seems odd, I referenced help and it mentioned you would
need admin access to delete columns? At least I know that the
background color can in fact be changed but how can I make it part of
the task where it can be selected in the column. I checked out the
flag field options and it only allows for yes/no text in a drop down
menu. If I had a column with a drop down menu containing three color
options it would be a good start.

Also can anyone recommend any resources, as to what the best way to
learn Project is? I'm using a series of curriculum my company
provides and it's just not cutting it.

-James

James,

It is done by setting flags in Microsoft Project, for example, if you
want to change the colors of the bars on the Gnatt Chart:

Using the Format drop down select Bar Styles

Use the Insert a Row button and insert a line at the bottom, give it
any name that you want and in the Show For...Tasks
type Normal,Flag1. Then set your color for the bar and its other
characteristics.

Then add a custom field, a flag field that references the column that
you wish to use for conditioning, establish a formula. using the
"IIF"

I don't have it in front of me, but it is something like
IIF([Text1]"Blue","Yes",No")
Which tells the flag1 field to do a conditional against the other
column (Text1) and if the condition is true (yes) use the bar color
set by flag1, if it is false
do not use the color attached to flag1.

You will have to repeat this for colors2 and colors3.

Don't try to delete your columns, just hide them by sliding then over.
You can also move columns by highlighting and dragging.

Hope this puts you on the right track!

brilliant, thanks tplos