Extracting Project Data to a Table in Word

[KatJ]

Hi,

I'm working on a program, made up of multiple projects. We don't have
project server, so are relying on master and sub projects for much of our
program reporting. That part is ok, but I also need to provide some text
based reporting through our govenance structure. We have a status report
template, completed in word. The template is made up of tables and the
schedule part uses some columns from our project plans (Task Name, Start,
Finish, Actual Start, Estimated Finish).

At the moment, we are populating the table reasonably manually (copying data
in one column only, highlighting the appropriate number of cells in the word
table and then pasting). Again, its ok, but if there is a more efficient way
to extract data from the project file and add it to the word file I'd be
really interested to hear about it.

Is anyone able to help with some ideas?

Thanks for your help.

Kat

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

KatJ --

A number of years ago, I was asked to write some VBA code to automate the
process of collecting project data, and then "pushing" the data from
Microsoft Project into Microsoft Word (into a table), into Microsoft Excel,
and into Microsoft PowerPoint as well. So, I know this all can be done via
automation using Office VBA code. You might want to post your question in
the microsoft.public.project.developer newsgroup and invite our developer
friends to give you some guidance on this issue. Hope this helps.

 

[Rob Schneider]

As Dale said, using VBA is the way to go and advice best gotten from the
developer newsgroup.

From my experience, you might find it easier to write the code if
instead of exporting into a Word DOC file, you export to a HTML file.
Word has it's own methods for automation, which while not complicated,
is yet more you have to learn. I've found that creating HTML files
(which are text files with a prescribed format) is a whole lot easier.
Word can read HTML files and even then if the deliverable must be a DOC
or DOCX file, then have Word re-write the HTML as DOC or DOCX.

The best answer is that you can just use HTML and let your readers use
their browser instead of Word.

--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[Jan De Messemaeker]

Hi Rob,

"Easy" is what you know best...
To me, HTML looks a bit like Chinese, but I export to Word readily..
Greetings,

--
Jan De Messemaeker
Microsoft Project Most Valuable Professional
+32 495 300 620
For availability check:
http://users.online.be/prom-ade/Calendar.pdf

 

[Rob Schneider]

Yea, you are right. We all are a victim of our own experience. I find
HTML tables pretty simple. I'm able to explain/teach that; wheras I've
learned that trying to explain Word macros and object model is difficult.

(full disclosure: if I were to set about doing a full-on programming
project, I'd probably pick Python with Django ... gosh, but that
doesn't' link up with Project ... hence my dilemma).

--rms

www.rmschneider.com