Custom Duration and Date Fields

[Ryan]

I want to create a custom duration field that displays duration, but in
years (not days). I've tried a lot of the stock formulas included in
Project but haven't found anything to do this. Also I need to make some
custom date fields that display the date in MM/YY format (versus the
standard DD/MM). Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[JackD]

I don't think that there is any built-in function to display in years, but
it is pretty easy to do this.

([Duration]\(365*480)) & " Years"

Note the direction of the operator (backslash instead of forward)
The 480 is to convert days into minutes which is what duration is measured
in.

As for the custom date field, use a text field instead and the format
function.

format([Start],"mm/yy")

-Jack

 

[Steve House]

"Year" is not a valid duration unit in Project. IF you have a plan with
durations in years you should be worried, very worried. The rule of thumb
for the task breakdown and task durations is that a task should not be
shorter than about 8 hours or longer than about 80 hours - there are
exceptions, of course. If it's shorter than 8 you're trying to micromanage
and you should let the foreman do his job, he probably knows it better than
you. If your tasks are longer than 80 hours you're painting the project
with too broad a brush to use the plan to actually schedule people into
specific tasks on specific workdays (like show up on Tuesday ready to lay 6
feet of pipe from flange A to valve B) and you should continue your task
decomposition further.

 

[Ryan]

Thanks for the help, Jack. For some reason (365*480) as the divisor did not
come up with the right numbers. I had to use 115200. Where Project was
coming up with that number, I do not know, but evidently, there are 115200
duration units in each year.

Ryan

I don't think that there is any built-in function to display in years, but
it is pretty easy to do this.

([Duration]\(365*480)) & " Years"

Note the direction of the operator (backslash instead of forward)
The 480 is to convert days into minutes which is what duration is measured
in.

As for the custom date field, use a text field instead and the format
function.

format([Start],"mm/yy")

-Jack

I want to create a custom duration field that displays duration, but in
years (not days). I've tried a lot of the stock formulas included in
Project but haven't found anything to do this. Also I need to make some
custom date fields that display the date in MM/YY format (versus the
standard DD/MM). Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi,
Check tools, Options, Calendar:
Your month is set to 20 days
A year is 12 mo so 240 days
Your day is set to 8 hours, that is 480 minutes
240 times 480
Project gets the 115200 from YOUR parameters, not out of thin air )
set other parms and you will need an other figure
HTH
--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/index.htm
32-495-300 620

Thanks for the help, Jack. For some reason (365*480) as the divisor did not
come up with the right numbers. I had to use 115200. Where Project was
coming up with that number, I do not know, but evidently, there are 115200
duration units in each year.

Ryan

I don't think that there is any built-in function to display in years, but
it is pretty easy to do this.

([Duration]\(365*480)) & " Years"

Note the direction of the operator (backslash instead of forward)
The 480 is to convert days into minutes which is what duration is measured
in.

As for the custom date field, use a text field instead and the format
function.

format([Start],"mm/yy")

-Jack

I want to create a custom duration field that displays duration, but in
years (not days). I've tried a lot of the stock formulas included in
Project but haven't found anything to do this. Also I need to make some
custom date fields that display the date in MM/YY format (versus the
standard DD/MM). Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Ryan]

Is there any way to set the month so it uses the actual work days available
per month? I doubt there are exactly 20 work days in every month of the
year.

Thanks,
Ryan

Hi,
Check tools, Options, Calendar:
Your month is set to 20 days
A year is 12 mo so 240 days
Your day is set to 8 hours, that is 480 minutes
240 times 480
Project gets the 115200 from YOUR parameters, not out of thin air )
set other parms and you will need an other figure
HTH
--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/index.htm
32-495-300 620

Thanks for the help, Jack. For some reason (365*480) as the divisor did not
come up with the right numbers. I had to use 115200. Where Project was
coming up with that number, I do not know, but evidently, there are 115200
duration units in each year.

Ryan

I don't think that there is any built-in function to display in years, but
it is pretty easy to do this.

([Duration]\(365*480)) & " Years"

Note the direction of the operator (backslash instead of forward)
The 480 is to convert days into minutes which is what duration is measured
in.

As for the custom date field, use a text field instead and the format
function.

format([Start],"mm/yy")

-Jack


I want to create a custom duration field that displays duration, but in
years (not days). I've tried a lot of the stock formulas included in
Project but haven't found anything to do this. Also I need to make some
custom date fields that display the date in MM/YY format (versus the
standard DD/MM). Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Ryan,

Project internally only knows one unit: the MINUTE.
For planning calculation, definitions of day and month (in Tools, Options,
Calendar) are merely conversion factors allowing Project to calculate down
to its favorite unit.

Timescaled views show "real" months, Usage views make sums by "real" months,
but as an input that won't work.

A 21-day task will always be a 21-day task whether in February-March or in
July-August.

HTH




--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/index.htm
32-495-300 620

Is there any way to set the month so it uses the actual work days available
per month? I doubt there are exactly 20 work days in every month of the
year.

Thanks,
Ryan

Hi,
Check tools, Options, Calendar:
Your month is set to 20 days
A year is 12 mo so 240 days
Your day is set to 8 hours, that is 480 minutes
240 times 480
Project gets the 115200 from YOUR parameters, not out of thin air )
set other parms and you will need an other figure
HTH
--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/index.htm
32-495-300 620

Thanks for the help, Jack. For some reason (365*480) as the divisor

did
not

come up with the right numbers. I had to use 115200. Where Project was
coming up with that number, I do not know, but evidently, there are 115200
duration units in each year.

Ryan

I don't think that there is any built-in function to display in

years,
but

it is pretty easy to do this.

([Duration]\(365*480)) & " Years"

Note the direction of the operator (backslash instead of forward)
The 480 is to convert days into minutes which is what duration is measured
in.

As for the custom date field, use a text field instead and the format
function.

format([Start],"mm/yy")

-Jack


I want to create a custom duration field that displays duration,

but
in

years (not days). I've tried a lot of the stock formulas included in
Project but haven't found anything to do this. Also I need to

make
some

custom date fields that display the date in MM/YY format (versus the
standard DD/MM). Anyone know how to do this?

Thanks,
Ryan