#86 Insert Subproject leads to corrupt main & subproject files

[BL_MAI]

When inserting subprojects into a project plan on higher levels and connecting
milestones between these projects, it happens quite often that the files become
corrupt once you close the main project and re-opens it.

Detailed description of bug:
1.Generate
--Project1
--Subproject1
--Subproject2
Each of them gets a starting milestone, two tasks and an ending milestone.
Select all of them, right-click and select "make chain".
Play around with the duration of the tasks, then select autoschedule and save the projects.
2.Insert Subproject1 and Subproject2 as subprojects in the Project1 file. To do this select a task, right-click and select "insert subproject". Insert both
subprojects NOT as read-only.
3.Set dependencies between Project1 and Subproject1 and Subproject2, perform autoschedule and save all projects.
4.Open one or both subprojects and change something in the project plan and save.
5.Open Project1: the bug occurs: only fragments of Project1 are still left.
6.Open Subproject1 and Subproject2: both projects are completely empty.
(Nevertheless the file size is stil the same as it was when the projects were not empty.)

The bug also accurs without performing autoschedule.

Can you help us with this bug? Do you know the root cause and a measure or at least a workaround?

Thanks in advance!

[metamorfix]

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I have experienced the same or similar problem. Initially I thought this was related to re-assigning IDs in Tasks, Activities, Phases and Subprojects but it consistently happens when I do the following:

A subproject is inserted within an Activity (same level as a Task), thus opening up the subproject gives effectively another level as there are only tasks in the subproject.

I can make updates to the project and to the subproject within the project and then save the the project (.rmp) and no problem the file opens with integrity.

I then add another subproject at the Activity level (under a Phase, the same Phase that contains the previous subproject within an Activity). I connect up predessors and successors and delete an Activity and its tasks as this new subproject is replacing that Activity.

[metamorfix]

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To continue from the 2007-01-06 12:33 entry.

I will save the project. When I go to re-open it, the file (.rmp) will appear empty within Open Workbench 1.1.4 but clearly contains the data as it has the same size as an earlier version that still opens. Not only this but the second subproject also appears empty when it is opened on its own.

Phase 1
-> Actvity 1
--> Subproject 1
---> Tasks ...
--> Tasks ...
-> Subproject 2 (Replaces Activity 2)
--> Tasks ...
-> Activity 3
--> Tasks ...

[metamorfix]

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Narrowing the problem down:
It appears the level of where the second subproject is is of no relevance.
I opened a backup that had the fist subproject. I left Activity 2 in place
and entered Subproject 2 within Activity 2 as the first line. I saved closed and re-opened with no problem.

Phase 1
-> Actvity 1
--> Subproject 1
---> Tasks ...
--> Tasks ...
-> Actvity 2
--> Subproject 2 (no predecessors or successors connected)
---> Duplicate tasks contained in Subproject 2
---> Tasks ...
-> Activity 3
--> Tasks ...

Save, close and re-open and the file opens fine.

I then connected up the subproject to the predecessor and successor tasks "in parallel" with the tasks within Activity 2 that Subproject 2 would be replacing. I then deleted the redundant tasks and saved (.rmp) and then re-opened and the file appears empty (no tasks, activities, nor phases).

Phase 1
-> Actvity 1
--> Subproject 1
---> Tasks ...
--> Tasks ...
-> Actvity 2
--> Subproject 2 (predecessors or successors now connected)
---> Tasks ... (duplicate tasks above these have been deleted)
-> Activity 3
--> Tasks ...

Save, close and re-open and the file appears empty!

Note that the IDs in the subproject are different than the deleted tasks.
This clearly makes subprojects unusable.

[BL_MAI]

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Thank you metamorfix for your comments.

Is my conclusion then right: if you insert a subproject and
-do not change (e.g. add or delete something) this inserted subproject within the project plan or
-do not connect the tasks of the subproject to the tasks of the project plan e.g. as predecessor or successor
the bug does NOT occur.
But if you do one of the mentioned things the bug occurs.

What do you think?

[metamorfix]

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bl_mai,

Certainly if I add a second subproject, connect it up and delete some tasks the bug does occur.

If the second project is added and not connected up and no tasks are deleted the bug does not occur.

I have not determined the state with any finer granularity between these two cases. I may, when I have a few cycles and I will then update this bug report.