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Create or modify project user defined fields

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If you have the required privilege, you can create and modify project user defined fields.

To create or modify a project user defined field

  1. From the Administration Home page, click Project User Defined Fields.
  2. To create a new field, click Create User Defined Field.
    To modify an existing user defined field, click the title of the field.
  3. On the Formula tab, specify the following general information about the field:

    • Title displays the name of the field. This is a required field.
    • Data Type determines the type of data you can enter for the field, such as text, numbers, or dates.
    • Calculation Type indicates whether or not a calculation is defined for the field. Selecting Formula from the menu enables the fields in the Formula section, allowing you to define a formula or define a statement to calculate the value of the field. If no calculation is required for the field, select Manual.

    • Tip: You cannot define a formula or statement for fields with an 'Indicator' data type specified.

  4. To specify additional information about the field, you can do any one of the following:

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To define a formula for the field:

  1. On the Formula tab, in the Formula section, select a field from the Fields drop-down list to use in the calculation. You can select any existing project-related field defined in the project management database, including project codes, or any other user defined field that exists for your organization.
  2. Click Insert Field.
  3. Next, select the operator and parentheses buttons and continue to insert fields to build your formula.
  4. Click Save.
Tip: You can define a formula only if the field has a 'Formula' calculation type. For more information, see Calculated project user defined fields.

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To define a statement for the field:

  1. On the Formula tab, in the Formula section, click Advanced to display the following operators for the statement:
  1. Click IF/THEN/ELSE.

    The following default statement is added to the formula:

    IF (condition) THEN (expression) ELSE (expression

  2. To replace the (condition) and (expression) entries with valid statements, highlight the entry you want to replace, including parentheses. You can only replace one entry at a time.
Tip: Alternatively, you can delete the (condition) and (expression) entries, then place the cursor in the appropriate location in the statement before inserting a field.
  1. Select a field from the Fields drop-down list to use in the calculation. You can select any existing project-related field defined in the project management database, including project codes, or any other user defined field that exists for your organization.
  2. Click Insert Field.
  3. Next, use the operator, relational operator, and expression buttons to build your statement.
Tip: Relational operators (<, >, =, <>) are only valid for the 'IF' condition statement.

For example, assume you want to categorize your proposed projects by calculating a number that corresponds to each project's proposed budget. In this case, assuming you select Number as the Data Type, you could create the following statement:

IF [Proposed Budget]<250000 THEN 3
ELSE IF [Proposed Budget]<500000 THEN 2
ELSE 1

Based on this example, projects with a proposed budget of less than $250,000 have a calculated value of 3; projects with a proposed budget between $250,000 and $500,000 have a calculated value of 2; and projects with a proposed budget above $500,000 have a calculated value of 1.

  1. Click Save.
Tips:

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To identify graphical indicators to display for the field

Note: You can identify graphical indicators only for fields with a 'Cost', 'Integer', or 'Number' data type.
  1. On the Formula tab, in the Graphical Indicators section, select a condition in the Parameter field to use for the criteria statement.
  2. Next, choose value or field. Value lets you type a specific value, for example, a numerical value. Field lets you select an existing, project-related field to use in the criteria statement.

    Tip: If you select a "is within the range of" or "is not in the range of" condition, use the Value field to specify the lower range value and the High Value field to specify the upper range value.

  3. In the Indicator field, click to select an icon to use as the graphical indicator.
  4. Click Save.

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To specify display options for field values, on the Formula tab, in the Display Options section, select one or both of the following checkboxes:

Tip: You can specify display options only if any graphical indicators are identified for the field.

When finished with your selections, click Save.

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To define a calculation and identify graphical indicators to display for summarized field values

  1. Click the Summary tab.
  2. To define a calculation, in the Calculation for summary rows drop-down list, select the calculation type you want to use for the field.
  3. Next, to identify graphical indicators to display for summarized field values, in the Parameter field, select a condition to use for the criteria statement.
  4. Next, choose value or field. Value lets you type a specific value, for example, a numerical value. Field lets you select an existing, project-related field to use in the criteria statement; this enables you to display a graphical indicator when the value of the user defined field equals the value of another existing project field in the project management database.

    Tip: If you selected a "is within the range of" or "is not in the range of" condition, use the Value field to specify the lower range value and the High Value field to specify the upper range value.

  5. In the Indicator field, click to select an icon to use as the graphical indicator.
  6. Click Save.

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