VBAProgrammingfor

MicrosoftProject
98through2010
withanIntroductiontoVSTO

Rod Gill
Microsoft Project MVP

VBAProgrammingforMicrosoftProject
98through2010withanIntroductiontoVSTO
Copyright2011RodGill
Publisher:
Author:
Tech Editor:
Copy Editor:
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Chefetz LLC
Rod Gill
Jack Dahlgren
Rodney L. Walker
Emily Baker

ISBN:

978-1-934240-21-2

LCCN:

2011920851

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Contents
AbouttheAuthor....................................................................................................................................................ix
DownloadtheSampleFiles..................................................................................................................................ix
AuthorsIntroduction..............................................................................................................................................x

SECTION1:MicrosoftProjectVBAEssentials.....................................................................1
IntroducingProjectVBA.........................................................................................................................................3
AddingtheDeveloperTabtotheProjectRibbon..............................................................................................3
SampleProjectFiles.................................................................................................................................................4
Module01:DefiningandUsingCustomFields....................................................................7
OverviewofCustomFields....................................................................................................................................9
UsingFormulastoSupportProjectVBAMacros.............................................................................................10
DefiningCustomFields........................................................................................................................................11
UsingaValueListinaCustomField...................................................................................................13
UsingaFormulainaCustomField......................................................................................................17
TestingforanNADateValue..............................................................................................................21
UsingGraphicalIndicatorsinaCustomField.....................................................................................21
DefiningCustomOutlineCodes.........................................................................................................................25
DeletingaCustomFieldorOutlineCode.........................................................................................................30
Module02:UsingObjects,Methods,andProperties.........................................................33
UnderstandingtheMicrosoftProjectObjectModel........................................................................................35
ExplainingObjects,MethodsandProperties....................................................................................................37
UsingApplicationRelatedObjects,Methods,andProperties......................................................................37
UsingProjectRelatedObjects,Methods,andProperties...............................................................................39
UsingProjectObjects...........................................................................................................................39
UsingProjectMethods..........................................................................................................................41
UsingProjectProperties.......................................................................................................................41
UsingTaskRelatedObjects,Methods,andProperties...................................................................................42
UsingResourceRelatedObjects,Methods,andProperties...........................................................................43
UsingAssignmentRelatedObjects,Methods,andProperties......................................................................44
UsingtheObjectBrowser.....................................................................................................................................45
Module03:RecordingMacros................................................................................................49
UnderstandingWhentoRecordaMacro...........................................................................................................51
RecordingaMacro.................................................................................................................................................51
ShortcutforRecordingaMacroinProject2010................................................................................................52
ModifyingaRecordedMacro..............................................................................................................................55
StoringYourVBACode........................................................................................................................................56
ControllingtheSizeofProject.MPPFiles........................................................................................................59
RepairingCorruptedFiles....................................................................................................................................60
Module04:LoopingThroughYourSchedule......................................................................61
LoopingThroughAllTasksinaProject............................................................................................................63

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Contents
ClearingaCustomFieldforNonSummaryTasks..........................................................................................64
UsingLoopstoSetCustomFieldValues...........................................................................................................64

Module05:CreatingNewObjectsinMicrosoftProject....................................................67
SafelyCreatingNewObjects...............................................................................................................................69
CreatingNewViews,Tables,andFilters...........................................................................................................69
CreatingaNewToolbar........................................................................................................................................70
CreatingaNewMenu............................................................................................................................................71
ThenewProject2010ribbonandmenus...........................................................................................................73
Module06:ManagingRunTimeErrors...............................................................................77
ManagingErrors.....................................................................................................................................................79
UsingResumeNextErrorHandling....................................................................................................81
UsingGotoErrorHandling..................................................................................................................81
SelectinganErrorHandlingMethod....................................................................................................82
UsingtheErrObject.............................................................................................................................82
Module07:CreatingandRunningUserForms....................................................................85
UnderstandingUserForms....................................................................................................................................87
CreatingaUserForm..............................................................................................................................................88
AddingCodetoaUserForm.................................................................................................................................89
Module08:ControllingMicrosoftProjectUsingEvents...................................................91
WhatAreEventsandHowCanTheyHelpYou?.............................................................................................93
UnderstandingProjectEvents..............................................................................................................................93
UnderstandingTaskEvents.................................................................................................................................95
Module09:CreatingtheProjectControlCenterMacro.....................................................99
StructuringYourMacros.....................................................................................................................................101
ProjectControlCenterMacroOverview..........................................................................................................102
DesigningtheProjectControlCenter..................................................................................................102
DeliverablesforProjectControlCenter...............................................................................................103
UnderstandingtheProjectControlCenterCode.................................................................................104
Module10:DisplayingDrivingTasks................................................................................111
DesigningtheDrivingTaskMacro..................................................................................................................113
DesigningtheMainProcedure............................................................................................................114
UnderstandingTaskDependencies......................................................................................................115
UnderstandingtheTaskDriverCode..................................................................................................115
AddingaUserFormtoDisplaytheResults.....................................................................................................123
AddingaToolbartoRuntheMacro.................................................................................................................127

Module11:SharingandDistributingYourMacros.........................................................129
SharingandDistributingyourMacros............................................................................................................131
RunningYourMacrosfromAllProjects..........................................................................................................131
UsingtheGlobal.mptFile..................................................................................................................................131
AutomaticallyMoveMacrosintotheGlobal.mpt..........................................................................................132
CopyingModulesandFormstotheGlobal.mpt..................................................................................132

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Contents
AddingtheCopyToGlobalToolbarButton..........................................................................................134
AddingaMacroCommandtotheRibbon............................................................................................134
EditingtheGlobal.mptCodetoCreateaGlobalMacrosToolbar........................................................136

Module12:WorkingwithTimePhasedData....................................................................139
UnderstandingTimePhasedData....................................................................................................................141
ReadingTimePhasedData................................................................................................................................142
ExportingTimePhasedDataintoa.csvfile....................................................................................................144
WritingTimePhasedData.................................................................................................................................146
UpdatingtheProjectControlCenterwithResourceData............................................................................147
DesigningtheGetResourceProcedure............................................................................................................149
Module13:ControllingExcelwithProjectVBA...............................................................153
UsingExcelforProjectReporting.....................................................................................................................155
UnderstandingVBAAutomation......................................................................................................................155
UsingLateBinding..............................................................................................................................155
UsingEarlyBinding............................................................................................................................156
ChangingSecuritytoenableOfficeAutomation...........................................................................................159
UsingVBAtoaddaReferencetoExcel............................................................................................................159
TakingAdvantageofEarlyandLateBinding.................................................................................................160
ConnectingtoanAlreadyOpenCopyofExcel..............................................................................................161
ExportingaListofResourcestoExcel..............................................................................................................162
RunningExcelVBACodeUsingProjectVBA................................................................................................164
ControllingMicrosoftProjectfromExcel........................................................................................................164
CreatingtheSCurvesMacroinExcel..............................................................................................................166
CompletingtheWhoDoesWhatWhenMacro...............................................................................................170
Module14:CreateaCostMarginReport............................................................................177
UnderstandingtheCostMarginReport...........................................................................................................179
Module15:ConsolidatingMultipleProjects.....................................................................185
CreatingConsolidatedProjectReports............................................................................................................187
Module16:ChangingWorkingTime..................................................................................191
WorkingwithCalendars.....................................................................................................................................193
DesigningtheUpdateCalendarsMacro..........................................................................................................193
CreatetheCalendarExceptionsUserForm..........................................................................................194
AddtheTextClasstoStoreCalendarExceptions................................................................................203
ApplyCalendarChangestoAllProjects..............................................................................................205
AddtheMacrototheProjectControlCenterToolbar.........................................................................208
Module17:DisplayPredecessorandSuccessorTasks.....................................................211
WorkingwithTaskDependencies....................................................................................................................213
DesigningtheLinkedTasksMacro...................................................................................................................213
UnderstandingtheTaskDependencyObject..................................................................................................215
UnderstandingtheTaskLinksMacroCode.....................................................................................................215
Module18:MiscellaneousUsefulCode..............................................................................223
IndentingTasksUsingVBA..............................................................................................................................225

Contents
ReorganizingTaskSequences...........................................................................................................................227
CreatingFormulasinCustomFields................................................................................................................228
WorkingwithHyperlinks..................................................................................................................................228
WorkingwithSubprojects..................................................................................................................................230
MakingYourCodeRunFaster...........................................................................................................................231

TimingCodeExecution........................................................................................................................232
UsingtheWindowsAPItoOpenandSaveFiles...........................................................................................233

UsingFileOpen...................................................................................................................................234
UsingFileSaveas................................................................................................................................236
UsingGetFolder..................................................................................................................................236
ApplyingtheclsBrowseClasstoaNewProject..................................................................................237

SECTION2:ReadingandWritingDatawithProjectDatabases...................................239
DevelopingProjectDatabaseCode...................................................................................................................241
DownloadingtheSampleFiles.............................................................................................................241
Module19:ImportingDatafromOtherSources...............................................................243
ImportingDatafromanExcelWorkbook........................................................................................................245
ImportingDatafromanAccessDatabase........................................................................................................253
ImportingDatafromanSQLServerDatabase...............................................................................................255
Module20:ReadingandWritingDatainaProjectDatabase........................................259
UsingthePJDB.HTMFile..................................................................................................................................261
LoopingThroughallProjectsinaDatabase...................................................................................................262
ReadingDatafromaDatabase..........................................................................................................................264
CreatingtheDatabaseView.................................................................................................................264
CreatingtheExcelVBAMacro............................................................................................................265
WritingDatatoaDatabase.................................................................................................................................267
Module21:UsingOLEDB.....................................................................................................273
UnderstandingOLEDB......................................................................................................................................275
UsingtheOLEDBDriverforYourProjectVersion...........................................................................275
OLEDBDriversandProject2007Onwards.......................................................................................276
Connectingtoa.mppFileUsingOLEDB..........................................................................................276
Module22:AccessingProjectServerDatafromExcel.....................................................283
UnderstandingthePJSVRDB.HTMFile..........................................................................................................285
UnderstandingtheProjectServerReportingDatabase.................................................................................286
WeeklyReportingonProjectServerData.......................................................................................................286
LoopingthroughAllProjects...............................................................................................................286
StartingProjectProfessionalandLoggingintoProjectServer..........................................................287
SettinguptheExcelReport..................................................................................................................288
ReadingaListofAllProjectTitles......................................................................................................288
ReadingMilestoneandCurrentTaskData.........................................................................................292
WritingtheVBACodefortheExcelReportMacro.............................................................................293
CreatingaProjectProgramReport....................................................................................................................297

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Contents

Module23:UsingProject2007VBA....................................................................................299
IntroducingProject2007VBA............................................................................................................................301
UsingNamedParameters...................................................................................................................................301
UndoingaMacro..................................................................................................................................................302
ManagingCustomFields....................................................................................................................................303
ControllingVisualReports................................................................................................................................304
ManagingCalendars............................................................................................................................................304
FormattingCellBackgroundColors.................................................................................................................305
ManagingDeliverables.......................................................................................................................................306
ConvertingSQLViewsfrom2003to2007.......................................................................................................306
Module24:UsingProject2010VBA....................................................................................311
IntroducingProject2010VBA............................................................................................................................313
UsingNamedParameters...................................................................................................................................313
Project2010VBACompatibility........................................................................................................................314
ControllingtheTimelineView..........................................................................................................................314
DisplayingtheTimelineView..............................................................................................................314
AddingTaskstotheTimelineView.....................................................................................................315
HandlingUserControlledScheduling................................................................................................316
WorkingwiththeTeamPlanner.......................................................................................................................316
MiscellaneousNewVBAMethods...................................................................................................................316
SECTION3:DevelopingAddinsusingVisualStudioforOffice................................319
WhenandWhytoDevelopAddinsforMicrosoftProject..........................................................................321
AboutProjectandAddins.................................................................................................................................321
DeveloperToolsyouwillneed..........................................................................................................................322
SkillsandKnowledgeyouneedtodevelopaProjectAddin.....................................................................322
Module25:IntroducingVSTOProjectAddins................................................................323
IntroducingVSTOProjectAddins..................................................................................................................325
WhatSkillsandKnowledgeyouneedtoKnow.............................................................................................325
WhatyourDevelopmentPCneeds...................................................................................................................325
MethodologyforDevelopinganAddin.........................................................................................................326
ChoosingyourProgrammingLanguage..........................................................................................................326
FileOpencodeinVB.............................................................................................................................327
FileOpencodeinC#forVisualStudio2008........................................................................................327
FileOpencodeinC#forVisualStudio2010........................................................................................328
DifferencesbetweenVBAandVBorC#.........................................................................................................328
CodeStructureDifferences..................................................................................................................328
CodeLocations.....................................................................................................................................329
DeploymentDifferences.......................................................................................................................329
CheckingyourDevelopmentEnvironmentWorks........................................................................................329
SecurityOptionsforAddins.............................................................................................................................331
DisablingandRemovingAddins....................................................................................................................332

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Contents

Module26:YourFirstAddin...............................................................................................333
ConvertingaSampleMacrointoanAddin...................................................................................................335
TheVBAMacro...................................................................................................................................335
ConvertingVBAtoVB........................................................................................................................338
ConvertingVBAtoC#2010................................................................................................................342
ReplacingtheUserForm.......................................................................................................................345
ErrorHandlinginAddins.................................................................................................................................348
VSTOandProjectEvents....................................................................................................................................350
ToaddaneventinVB:.........................................................................................................................350
ToaddaneventinC#:.........................................................................................................................351
CreatingaButtonontheProject2010Ribbon....................................................................................352
Developing64BitAddins.................................................................................................................................355
Module27:DeployingyourAddin.....................................................................................357
DeploymentChoicesforAddins......................................................................................................................359
ClickOnceDeployment........................................................................................................................359
WindowsInstallerDeployment...........................................................................................................361
Index.......................................................................................................................................................................363

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