Displaying Useful information in Microsoft Project Tables

The principal means of showing data in Microsoft Project is via ordinary tables. There are numerous such tables in the program and it is an easy matter to switch from one to the other.

The default opening table is the one called 'Entry' since it contains the type of fields we generally need for data entry. These include the names of the tasks, the duration estimates, predecessor numbers and resources. Occasionally we modify the other two columns that show, i.e. the start and finish dates.

To switch from one table to another simply select

View - Table
And make your selection.
Experiment with different tables.
You can do precisely the same thing on the resource side. First move to the resource sheet by means of :

View - Resource Sheet
Here too you will probably be seeing the default 'Entry' table which includes some of the essential resource information we need to enter such as resource names, availability (max units) and cost rates.

However, you use the same method as before to switch tables.

Adding columns
Click a column header and use the Insert - Column menu option to add a field. When the column definition form opens, select a field (you are always presented with the 'ID' field as the default) and possibly alter the title in the space provided.

Changing columns
Double click a column header and proceed as above.

Hiding a column
To remove a column, click the column header and use 'Edit -Hide column' or use the 'Delete' key on the keyboard. This will not delete information but simply remove the column from view.

In upcoming articles we will show how you can create your own tables with your own selections of column or field headers.