User-defined fields

User-defined fields enable you to add your own custom fields and values to the project database. For example, you can track additional activity data, such as delivery dates and purchase order numbers, or resource and cost-related data, such as profit, variances, and revised budgets.

To create user-defined fields, choose Enterprise, User Defined Fields. Once you create user-defined fields, you can perform all of the following tasks:

• Display user-defined fields in columns of table views, then enter or select data in the columns. For example, if you add a user-defined field in the Activities subject area, you can display that user-defined field as a column in the Activity Table (Activities window).

  Note: You can only create columns for a UDF in the layout of the subject area in which you created the UDF. For example, if you create a UDF called Purchase Order Number in the Project Expenses subject area, the Purchase Order Number UDF can only be viewed in the Expenses layout.

• Group, sort, and filter data by user-defined fields. To group and sort based on UDFs, click View, Group and Sort. To filter data based on a UDF, select View, Filters.
• Add user-defined fields to reports you create or modify existing reports to include user-defined fields.
• Use Global Change to assign values to Activity, Activity Resource Assignments, and Expenses user-defined fields. To assign a global change click Tools, Global Change.

  Note: You must create UDFs in the User Defined Fields dialog before you can assign and populate UDFs using Global Change. There are no pre-existing UDFs available in the database.

• Create bars for user-defined date fields and view them in the Gantt chart. Click View, Bars. In the Bars dialog, click Add. Enter a name in the Name field. In the Timescale field, select User Dates (the User Start Date and User Finish Date fields will become enabled. Select the user-defined start and finish date values in the User Start Date and User Finish Date fields.

  Notes:

  You must create user-defined start date and finish date fields in the User Defined Fields dialog before you can create bars for these fields in the Gantt chart. Also, the User Finish Date and User Start Date columns are only editable when you select User Dates in the Timescale column.

  If you select a User Finish Date that is earlier than the User Start Date, or if there is no value associated with those fields, the bar will not be displayed.