Can Custom Field Names in MSP be exported as column names for projects exported from PPM?
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Can Custom Field Names in MSP be exported as column names for projects exported from PPM?

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Article ID: 13234

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Updated On:

Products

Clarity PPM SaaS Clarity PPM On Premise

Issue/Introduction

Can custom field names in Microsoft Project (MSP) be exported as column names for projects exported from PPM?

Environment

This applies to CA PPM 14.x and higher MSP New Driver

Resolution

  1. By Microsoft Project design, certain fields are editable which include Flag fields, Text fields, and some Date fields. Fields that are editable will show up in MSP by going to the Project tab then Custom Fields. (see section 1 below)
  2. However, Custom field names are not able to be exported by default into new projects exported from PPM in the new driver. You can manually can add them to the project and then each time you export the project from PPM, the custom field names will show in the column names. (See section 2 below)

Section 1: Steps to create the custom name in MSP:

1. In MSP, go to the Project Tab and click on the Custom Fields button

2. Click on the field you want to rename and click the Rename button 

  • Tip: You can select a different type of field such as Flag by clicking on the Type drop down

3. Enter the preferred name for the field and click OK

4. Click OK again

5. Go to File->Organizer in MSP

6. Click on the Fields tab

7. Highlight the Renamed field from the project and click Copy to move it to the Global.MPT


Section 2: To add the custom name to a project:

1. Navigate to the Organizer section in MSP 

2. Click on the Fields tab 

3. Move the custom names found in the Global.MPT section to the project section by highlighting all the fields under Global.MPT and clicking the Copy button

4. You'll see the column names update to the custom field names 

5. Save the project back to PPM

When the project is reexported to MSP, the column headers will then retain the custom field names.

Additional Information

- Reference KB 37212 : In the MSP New driver, highlighting of tasks is no longer saved

- Reference KB 32930 : In the new MSP Driver, custom views are not Saved

- Reference KB 6641 : In the MSP New Driver, Tasks/Milestones added to Timeline view are not Preserved