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Microsoft Project import/export

norman
2006-04-05
2012-09-14
  • norman

    norman - 2006-04-05

    Any possibility this tool could import a project from Microsoft project, change it in faces, and then export to Microsoft project?

     
    • Michael Reithinger

      Theoretically it ist not a big deal. But due to
      Microsoft policy it is hard to build a general export
      import solution: There are three ways to implement it:
      1. Using MPX format: A standardized ASCII exchange Format
      for Project. Unfortunatly Project 2000 is not able to write
      this format anymore.
      2. Use text export/import feature: Unfortunatly the export/import
      schemes are localized, i.e. A german MS Project writes out the a file
      with german field names and german currency/date format.
      3. Use MS Access for exchange: This has standard datatypes and
      field names (not documented as I guess). But it can only be used
      on windows.

      If you like to build you specific faces<->project converter, I can give
      you some hints how to do it.

      Michael

       
    • Campbell Cairns

      Campbell Cairns - 2006-04-11

      I had some success translating between MS Project and Excel using win32com in a python scipt. You might be able to massage this method into a stand-alone translator.

       
    • Bhasker

      Bhasker - 2007-03-22

      Hi Norman,

      Did you make any progress on this? If you did I'd really appreciate some help with importing MPX format files (I produce them from a mind mapping application called MindManager and I'd like to import them into Faces).

      I was toying with the idea of writing some Python (or Awk - which I'm having fun with for a different piece of work...) and I even found Microsoft's specification for MPX on their website, but I just haven't had the time.

      Regards, Bhasker

       
    • Svenn Are Bjerkem

      Since GanttProject can read native mpp files and display them even better than microsoft project can, I think it is time to start looking into what the guys over at GP does to solve this problem. I am not a project manager, but I am managed by that Microsoft Project, and I am allergic to not knowing what is going on. So far GP is giving me the info I need, but faces do look a bit more "capable". I will take a look into the source of GP and see what they do.

      Please give me your hints and tips to avoid doing mistakes that has already been investigated ... :-)

      Regards, Svenn

       
    • Bhasker

      Bhasker - 2007-06-13

      Hi Svenn, I've not managed to get very far with this myself due to lack of time.
      The MPX format is described at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/270139; I'm pretty sure a simple processing module could be built to import it into Faces.
      I wonder if GanttProject use Mpxj to http://mpxj.sourceforge.net/ ?
      And that's as far as I managed to get! Apologies!
      - Bhasker

       
      • Svenn Are Bjerkem

        Hi Bhasker,
        GanttProject use mpxj so I injected mpxj into my eclipse development environment to see what it takes to be able to read Microsoft Project files into faces. I came to the conclusion that it is a pity that python cannot use jar files as loads of work would be saved. I don't think it is a very fun project to port the mpxj work to python and I haven't tried to run faces with jython. As a project slave I am basically only interested in read only access to the MPP files. I think this project is too big for me so I would like to step down from the soap-box again. Nevertheless, faces is a very nice project planner.

        Kind regards,
        Svenn

         
        • Bhasker

          Bhasker - 2007-06-18

          Hi Svenn,
          Have you looked at just exporting the output of Faces into the MPX format (which can then be opened by MS Project); MPX is a "simple" flat file format and this could be done with a modified Faces text report and maybe some text processing over the top with Python or Awk.
          - Bhasker

           
          • Svenn Are Bjerkem

            Hi Bhasker,

            I am not interested in exporting from faces, I need to import from microsoft project files to see what my boss wants me to do in what time. I would use faces as a simple viewer. If I happen to be able to create better schedules for our project with faces than my boss with MS-Project, then it would maybe be interesting to go the other way, but at the current stage that is not an option. I think the task of porting the MPP import of mpxj to python is something way over my head....

             
            • Bhasker

              Bhasker - 2007-06-18

              Hi Sven,
              Many apologies - it seems I did not understand what you originally wanted to do. I was looking at the problem as being to export from Faces and import into MS Project. I suspect though that you might be able to achieve MS Project to Faces by parsing the XML that MS Project can export to; though that might be equally as complicated to do.
              - Bhasker

               
              • Svenn Are Bjerkem

                Hi Bhasker,
                no need to be sorry, I am the sorry one who have to give up. Well, not quite. I do use faces to coordinate my own tasks out of that huge MS-Project file. I find it more correct for an engineer to script a project plan than to drag-and-drop :-). When I get more into that xml format of Project, then maybe ....

                Kind regards,
                Svenn

                 

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