How to Create Task Dependencies Between Project Files (150757)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Project for Windows 3.0
  • Microsoft Project for Windows 3.0a
  • Microsoft Project for Windows 4.0
  • Microsoft Project for the Macintosh 3.0
  • Microsoft Project for the Macintosh 4.0
This article was previously published under Q150757

SUMMARY

Microsoft Project cannot create standard task relationships (predecessor or successor dependencies) across project files. However, tasks can be linked across project files to emulate a dependency using OLE or DDE links.

MORE INFORMATION

Linking task dates across project files enables you to set up linked task relationships, which may include lead and lag. These linked tasks will not show linked lines in the Gantt Chart view and will not indicate predecessor or successor numbers in corresponding fields.

The menu selection for creating links between tasks varies in Microsoft Project versions. For the following example, the source file represents the file from which data is copied and the target file is the file that the data is copied to. A source task will emulate predecessor behavior and a target task will emulate successor behavior.

Steps to Link Tasks Across Project Files

  1. Create or open two project files. Both files must be open.
  2. In the source file, copy the start or finish date of the source task. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Click in the start or finish date cell for the source task. Click in the start date if you want to emulate a start-to-start(SS) or start-to-finish(SF) relationship. Click in the finish date if you want to emulate a finish-to-finish(FF) or finish-to-start (FS) relationship.
    2. On the Edit menu, click Copy(Cell).
    3. On the Window menu, click the target file.
  3. In the target file, link the copied date to the successor task. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Click in the start or finish date of the target task. Click in the start date if you want to emulate a start-to-start or finish-to-start relationship. Click in the finish date if you want a finish-to-finish or start-to-finish relationship.
    2. On the Edit menu, click Paste Special.
    3. In the Paste Special box, click to select Paste Link, and then click OK.

      The linked date should appear in the selected date field for the target task. If in version 4.0 or later, a small triangle will appear in the bottom-right corner of the date cell indicating the cell contains a link to another location.
To create a link task containing lead or lag, follow these steps:
  1. Create a milestone in the target file.
  2. Link the date from the source task to the milestone date cell.
  3. To include the lead or lag, create a standard dependency between the milestone and the successor task in the target file.
Both files must be saved to maintain the linked task information.

For information about the behavior of Paste Linked dates in a Microsoft Project, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

141733 How to Build a Hammock Task

REFERENCES

Microsoft Project, version 4.1, "User's Guide," page 21

Microsoft Project, version 4.0, "User's Guide," pages 14-15

Microsoft Project, version 3.0, "User's Reference," pages 40-41, 605-611
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/28/2003
Keywords:KB150757
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.