What Type of Field is Unique ID?

[M Colodzin]

What type of field is the Unique ID? I'm trying to sort on Unique ID and it
doesn't put it in numerical order.

I've tried creating a custom text field and a numeric field but none of
those produce the results I'm looking for.

Any suggestions for sorting on Unique ID?

 

[JulieS]

Hello Michelle,

I believe it's a number field. I was able to sort by Unique ID in a
task view. If you are looking at a usage view (Task Usage or
Resource Usage) you are seeing both task and assignment unique IDs
or Resource and assignment unique IDs. Even in a simple task view,
unique IDs will not be sequential -- there will be gaps in the
numbers if you have deleted tasks.

Perhaps if you told us what you were trying to accomplish -- what
results are you looking for -- we can be of more help.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

 

[M Colodzin]

Thanks for your repsone, Julie.

We're trying to match up tasks in two different versions of the same
schedule and print specific information side by side (printing will be done
outside of MS Project). A "compare" won't work for what we're doing.

I'm not sure UID is a number field. I did a test where I created a custom
number field and then copied the UID column into that custom number column.
Most of the tasks (and I'm in a task view, not a task usage view) show the
same value as the UID in the custom number field, except for summary tasks.
The custom number field held a long string of digits that didn't seem to have
any relation to the associated UID. In a few cases, the custom number field
was completely blank.

Also, when I did a sort (using Project -> Sort -> Sort by Unique ID) it
didn't put all of tasks in numerical order by UID. There were "oddballs"
where the sequence was something like 1, 2, 3, 4, 2538, 5,6, etc.

I looked at it more closely and am wondering if it is sorting by summary
task unique id and then by UID under each summary task. If that's the case,
is there a way to tell it not to keep subtasks with their summary tasks, but
to simply sort by UID ignoring all other project information?

--
Michelle Colodzin, PMP

Hello Michelle,

I believe it's a number field. I was able to sort by Unique ID in a
task view. If you are looking at a usage view (Task Usage or
Resource Usage) you are seeing both task and assignment unique IDs
or Resource and assignment unique IDs. Even in a simple task view,
unique IDs will not be sequential -- there will be gaps in the
numbers if you have deleted tasks.

Perhaps if you told us what you were trying to accomplish -- what
results are you looking for -- we can be of more help.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

 

[Dave]

Thanks for your repsone, Julie.

We're trying to match up tasks in two different versions of the same
schedule and print specific information side by side (printing will be done
outside of MS Project). A "compare" won't work for what we're doing.

I'm not sure UID is a number field. I did a test where I created a custom
number field and then copied the UID column into that custom number column.
Most of the tasks (and I'm in a task view, not a task usage view) show the
same value as the UID in the custom number field, except for summary tasks.
The custom number field held a long string of digits that didn't seem to have
any relation to the associated UID. In a few cases, the custom number field
was completely blank.

Also, when I did a sort (using Project -> Sort -> Sort by Unique ID) it
didn't put all of tasks in numerical order by UID. There were "oddballs"
where the sequence was something like 1, 2, 3, 4, 2538, 5,6, etc.

I looked at it more closely and am wondering if it is sorting by summary
task unique id and then by UID under each summary task. If that's the case,
is there a way to tell it not to keep subtasks with their summary tasks, but
to simply sort by UID ignoring all other project information?

In the sort box, can't remember the exact terminology, is an option to
break the outline structure or not break it for the sort.

 

[M Colodzin]

Dave - That did the trick!! Thanks so much. It just saved me an enormous
amount of work.

 

[JulieS]

Hi Michelle,

Hmmm. well that is odd. What version of Project are you using
(including service pack?).

The only time I usually see unique IDs that are long number strings
is if I am working with a consolidated Project. Then the Unique ID
tasks are long numbers but the Project Summary task is line is
usually a low number.

As Dave mentions, if you want to sort by Unique ID in order, in
Project > Sort > Sort By, de-select the option "Keep outline
structure" and see if that works.

I hope this helps.

Julie

Thanks for your repsone, Julie.

We're trying to match up tasks in two different versions of the
same
schedule and print specific information side by side (printing
will be done
outside of MS Project). A "compare" won't work for what we're
doing.

I'm not sure UID is a number field. I did a test where I created
a custom
number field and then copied the UID column into that custom
number column.
Most of the tasks (and I'm in a task view, not a task usage view)
show the
same value as the UID in the custom number field, except for
summary tasks.
The custom number field held a long string of digits that didn't
seem to have
any relation to the associated UID. In a few cases, the custom
number field
was completely blank.

Also, when I did a sort (using Project -> Sort -> Sort by Unique
ID) it
didn't put all of tasks in numerical order by UID. There were
"oddballs"
where the sequence was something like 1, 2, 3, 4, 2538, 5,6, etc.

I looked at it more closely and am wondering if it is sorting by
summary
task unique id and then by UID under each summary task. If
that's the case,
is there a way to tell it not to keep subtasks with their summary
tasks, but
to simply sort by UID ignoring all other project information?

 

[M Colodzin]

We just installed SP 3. I'm less concerned about the long numbers because
I'm not going to do calculations with the UID. I just needed a way to ensure
the two versions of the schedule were sorted in exatly the same order.

Should I worry about the fact that some of my UIDs are long numbers when
they're converted to a numeric value??

 

[JulieS]

Hi Michelle,

No, if everything else is behaving normally, I'd say not.

Julie