Driving MS Project from an Excel spreadsheet?

[Victor Schwartz]

I know that I can IMPORT info from an Excel spreadsheet and map its fields
into corresponding fields in MS Project to create Tasks in Project.

However, is it possible to DRIVE MS Project from an Excel spreadsheet?
I.e., map the fields ONCE, and then have the dynamic data in the spreadsheet
drive what MS Project displays, changing its display as the data in the Excel
spreadsheet changes?

Victor Schwartz
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Rod Gill]

Hi,

Yes, you can do a copy / paste and link the data so it automatically
updates. HOWEVER, this uses DDE technology and it is notoriously flaky. DO
NOT rename, move or over-write the project or excel file otherwise sooner or
later one file or the other will corrupt.

So, my recommendation is not to do this for any really important schedule.
My preferred solution is to create a VBA macro that updates files at the
click of a button.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

NEW!! Project VBA Book, for details visit: http://www.projectvbabook.com

 

[Victor Schwartz]

Rod,

Thanks for your reply, but I'm a bit confused. When you refer to "copy /
paste", are you talking about do a COPY of the fields in the spreadsheet and
a PASTE into Project? If so, that's not what I meant by having "the dynamic
data in the spreadsheet drive what MS Project displays. I was asking if
there was a way to have Project generate its displays from the data actually
in the spreadsheet.

I'm fairly certain the answer is "No, there's no way to do this," but I just
wanted to make certain I'm not overlooking something.

_____________________________________________

 

[Rod Gill]

Copy paste is the only way (without VBA code) to make Project automatically
reflect what is in an Excel Spreadsheet.

--

Rod Gill
Project MVP

NEW!! Project VBA Book, for details visit: http://www.projectvbabook.com