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Exporting to Excel

20 replies [Last post]
Sun, 2005-12-04 23:48
manulal inasu
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Hi,

I used a P3 exported file (WK1) as a template and opened the exported file in excel. Then populated the file with activities, then imported back to P3. So far so good. But when I tried to export the same file to add some more information it gave an erraneous result. the data was spread in the columns with out any order, some even replacing the column headings. I know that there is a limitation for the maximum number of activities in WK1, ie around 2500. but my file has only 1500 activities.

Could you please help me.
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Replies

Sun, 2006-02-12 15:12
#1
Ronald Winter
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Yes, you need to install the RA environment on your machine first. Good luck!
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Fri, 2006-02-10 04:36
#2
Hazel Stilgoe-McC...
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The first error i get is "could not load an object not available on this machine"

The IT guy just cut and paste the files he did not istall the ra folder could this be the problem?
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Fri, 2006-02-10 04:18
#3
Hannes de Bruyne
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Hello Hazel

my files are in P3win\Ra\samples\excel but I don’t think this is important. But it is important that files like P3engine and ra.dll are in P3win\P3Progs (happens during Installation of P3) What error do you get?


Hannes
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Thu, 2006-02-09 11:46
#4
Hazel Stilgoe-McC...
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I have the two files on my disc is there any specific place they should be saved to or should they be run from the CD?

Our IT guy has saved them into a different drive from the installation of P3 and I get error messages.
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Mon, 2006-01-02 08:04
#5
Hannes de Bruyne
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Hello Devamalya De

I cannot send you those "two files" because of copyright reasons, if you have p3, you will have those files already (activity.xls and project.xls) but I will send you my translation file, based on the knowledge of those files.

Regards Hannes
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Sun, 2006-01-01 06:14
#6
Devamalya De
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Dear Hannes,
Wish u a Happy 2006. I’m intereted in having the two files in my inbox. Plzzz mai me the same at: dev2k5@gmail.com.


Regards,
Devamaya De
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Fri, 2005-12-23 18:29
#7
Gün Göksu
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yes I see your point.

I have the two files.
But I have found them to be slow (connection type wise) and not flexible (format wise).

manually creating a DBF and only writing the data you need still seems to be a better option.

thanks for the input.

Gün. :)
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Fri, 2005-12-23 12:12
#8
Marsha Peterson
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I have used for several years two Excel files found on the P3 3.1 installation disk in a folder called Ra\Samples\Excel.
One is called Activity.xls
One is called Project.xls


If you have access to these they may go a long way to shortcutting your process.
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Wed, 2005-12-21 18:42
#9
Gün Göksu
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you are welcome.

I dont agree with you regarding the difficulty of the export/import utility of P3. DBF is still second best to xls. so we here are trying to do our best with limited options. and a s..t word still escapes from my mouth everytime I forget to apply point 3 and do an import. worst is when you dont notice an unsignificant little piece of data missing till it really messes up the chart or calculation (happens rarely). expecially when time is running out and they are waiting for you at the next meeting.
I dont understand why Primavera didnt yet publish a module to add good xls export/import functionality to their program (if only to remove the need for point 3 to be applied and yes thats a rarely known clue).

A program must be easy to use. the main effort of the user should go into the work itself not into the import/export problem for example.

now that they have the experience and the know how to export/import to/from xls with the P3ec v5.0 they can use it to do a little module for P3 v3.11 too (wishfull thinking).

I still hope they do. even though Primavera probably wants its users to convert to P3 v5.0. a simple module to add a simple import/export of xls tables will in my opinion be very well recieved by the P3 v3.11 users community.

Gün.

/snip/
the common belief that the exporting function of primavera are difficult to handle could have been proved wrong.
/snip/
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Wed, 2005-12-21 12:32
#10
manulal inasu
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Hi Gun Goksu,

Thanks a lot for the information provided. BY exporting to DBF file and importing back as you told i could modify the data as easily as i used to do with MSP data in excel.

I think if every body knew about this, the common belief that the exporting function of primavera are difficult to handle could have been proved wrong.

Manu.
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Wed, 2005-12-21 04:05
#11
Hannes de Bruyne
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Hello Gün,

I first disagreed with your point 0, but after reading point 3, I must say that I’m back to the dbf-format, as this is a very good hint.
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Mon, 2005-12-19 14:27
#12
manulal inasu
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Hi Gun Goksu and all others,

Thank you for your input. I tried the method described by you and it is working. 75% of the problems were solved. I shall revert back with a detailed message regarding the remaining problems.

Manu.
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Mon, 2005-12-19 06:35
#13
David Kelly
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Version 5 has EXCELLENT import export to Excell, Probabably "!better" than the old 16 bit product.
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Mon, 2005-12-19 03:33
#14
Gün Göksu
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Exporting and importing files from P3 is a real mess.
For P3ec it is nonexistent completely. :((( That’s the only reason why I had to revert to P3 v3.11. anyway, back to the subject.

0. Use only DBF export.
1. You will be spared the number of rows restrictions for WK1 files.
2. My experience is DBF files are more robust.
3. Don’t bother to paste inbetween or insert or whatever in Excel. But then fix the file BEFORE saving with Insert/Name/Define/Database(choose up and leftmost cell and down and rightmost cell) (this is a little known clue. had to read the DBF format specs someplace).
4. You can also select ALL of the data in the cell and save the file while all are selected (surprisingly it works but have found no documentation regarding the issue).
5. If format errors then copy/pastespecial/format from line one (or known working file) to the problematic areas (problems most probably are: lengh, date format, text read as number).
6. If problem with text showing as number then use ’ before the value then "enter".
7. to not lose some characters from the TITLE column keep it wide before import. Also choose "Definition length" as 48 before export.

These are the little bits of information that come to my mind on short notice. Will post more when/if I remember them but this short list should be very useful to everyone as is.

=====the following will be a new post=====
by the way,
Has Primavera figured a way to import Excel files (or txt, any file) to P3ec and made it public?
any information will be very much appreciated.
import from access will do too.

I can’t import while using P3ec.
=====end new post=====


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Sun, 2005-12-18 07:32
#15
Norzul Ibrahim
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Hi Manu,

Or perhaps yu can convert to MS Project first (as what yu’ve told me)....then from there yu can do lots of things i.e. once yu are in MS Project, yu can easily copied to MS excel...copy and paste only. That’s the reason I like to use MSP.

Thanks

norzul
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Sat, 2005-12-17 12:00
#16
manulal inasu
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Hi david,

Thanks.

I had tried with dbf format also. But in this case after the modifications when i tried to save it, i could do so only in WK1 or similar formats. I simply pasted the values for modifying and did not use "insert".

May be that is the reason.

Manu
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Fri, 2005-12-16 10:20
#17
David Kelly
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Always use the dbf format. Remember that you cannot "add" rows when using this format, you must "insert" them.
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Tue, 2005-12-13 08:04
#18
manulal inasu
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Hi,

Thank you for the response. I had already tried all these. I couldn’t figure it out.

Manu.
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Mon, 2005-12-05 02:08
#19
Sen Moc
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Hi Manu,

Try to reset/refresh your Export Definition File. Or try to use a different Filename of your exported file. Or you may use file Type other than Wk1.

Regards,
Sen
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Wed, 2005-12-28 11:18
#20
Hannes de Bruyne
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Those two files don’t have anything to do with exporting - but they are excelent! You can read and write all data from P3 (also a resource-list or a WBS-list.) I used the idea for a (quit perfect) translation from MS-Project to P3.

Interested ? send me your email-address
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