Working With User-Defined Fields

For more information on Indicator-type UDFs, refer to “Working with Indicators” on page 180.

User-defined fields (UDFs) enable you to add an unlimited number of custom fields and values to the project database. Examples of UDFs include purchase order numbers, delivery dates, drawing numbers, profit, variances, and revised budgets.

Subject areas You may customize an unlimited number of UDFs in any of the following subject areas: Activities, Activity Steps, Activity Resource Assignments, Projects, Resources, WBS, Expenses, Issues, Risks, and Work Products & Documents. In each of these subject areas, you can add columns and group, sort, and filter data based on the UDFs applicable to the subject area.

Data types For each custom field you create, you can specify any of the following data types for that field: Cost, Integer, Number, Text, Start Date, Finish Date, and Indicator. The data type you select determines the type of data you can specify in a field. For example, if you select Start Date, when you create a column for the Start Date you can only enter dates in the Start Date column.

The Indicator UDF is a special type of field that enables you to enter color-coded values and display them in columns and reports.

The following table summarizes the data types available and their uses in user-defined fields:

For detailed information on adding columns, refer to “Customizing Layouts” on page 427.

For detailed information on grouping, sorting, and filtering data, refer to “Grouping, Sorting, and Filtering Data” on page 417.

For detailed information on Global Change, refer to “Using Global Change” on page 242.

Like other data fields, you can create columns for UDFs, group, sort, and filter based on UDF data, and view UDF data in reports. Read the following sections to learn more about utilizing these capabilities.

Creating UDF columns You can display UDFs in the columns of the Activity Table, Activity Steps, Activity Resource Assignments, Projects, Resources, WBS, Project Expenses, Issues, Risks, and Work Products and Documents.

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 UDFs When a layout is grouped by user field, you can group, sort, filter, and view summaries. To group and sort based on UDFs, click View, Group and Sort. To filter data based on a UDF, select View, Filters.

Global change using UDFs You can use Global Change to assign values to Activity, Activity Resource Assignments, and Expenses user fields. To assign a global change click Tools, Global Change.

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.

For detailed information on reports, refer to “Customizing Reports” on page 455.

For detailed information on formatting bars, refer to “Formatting Gantt Charts” on page 434.

Viewing UDFs in reports You can view UDFs in reports and display them in columns. In the Report Wizard, you can select any UDF to be included in the report. You can also group, sort, and filter data based on a UDF. After you run the report, any UDFs you selected will appear in columns.

Formatting UDF date bars You can 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.