Using Customised Date Fields in MSP2010

[hadjionm]

I am trying to convert a macro and customised text field from MSP2003 to MSP2010. The macro copies Finish to Date1. The customised text field compares Finish to Date1:

IIf([Date1]<[Finish],"Late",IIf([Date1]>[Finish],"Early","OK"))

When Finish equals Date1 the result should be "OK"

This works fine in MSP2003. In MSP2010 the result is "Late" unless I set the date format to include the time.
That is, if I copy Finish to Date1 when I can only see the day and date, it does not work correctly. If I copy Finish to Date1 when the day, date and time are displayed, it works OK!

Any ideas?

[JulieS]

I've just tested your formula in a text field in Project 2010. It appears to work fine either with dates and times or just dates.

Are you up to date with Service Packs?

[hadjionm]

Hi JulieS,

Here is the version we are using:
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600

If I use, say, a Baseline Finish field in lieue of Date1 it works OK, which leads me to believe there is a difference between the spare Date fields and the spare Start and Finish fields.

[JulieS]

This

Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600

is not from Project 2010. Please check File > Help and click the link for Additional Version and Copyright Information. You should be at SP-2 for Project 2010.

Are you, by chance, using manually scheduled tasks in Project 2010?

[hadjionm]

I can't see any reference to SP-2. Moving to SP-2 is out of my control, unfortunately. Up to our Technology Group.


No, I am not using manual scheduling.
As I mentioned above, DATE1 works OK only if I can see the time in the date fields. If I use, say, BASELINE 10 FINISH instead of DATE1 to copy FINISH date to, it works OK if I can see only the date. This leads me to think that there is something different about the spare DATE fields as against the spare START, FINISH, BASELINE START and BASELINE FINISH dates.

regards hadjionm

[hadjionm]

I checked with another scheduler here. She is on "SP2 MSO 14.0.7106.5003"

so I guess I need to be upgraded as well. Thanks for your help.

[JulieS]

I recommend installing SP-2. Does the formula work as expected in another file or does this occur with the formula in all files?

[hadjionm]

I am now on SP2. This formula still does not work when comparing Date1 with Finish (that is, if I copy Finish to Date1 it does not show them as being the same unless I change the view to show the time of day before I copy the date). If I use Baseline Finish 10 instead of Date 1 it seems to work OK.

I did not have a probelm with MSP 2003. Seems strange.

[JulieS]

Can you reproduce the error on a new file? If all works as expected on a new file, it is possible your original file has some mild corruption. On a copy of the file, save as XML and then import into a new file. If all work as expected in the imported file, it was corruption.

[hadjionm]

Copying and pasting the dates from Finish to Date 1, or even to Baseline Finish 10 did not work consistenly. That is, it would work OK for some tasks, but other tasks would be shown as early or late, even though the dates were the same.
I overcame this issue by using the Set Baseline function to copy Start/Finish to Baseline 10 dates, and comparing these. Works OK doing the copy this way as I guess it will copy the time as well as the date.