Importing a Task Outline Structure into Project

Summary

When you import files from a different application to Microsoft Project, you can include information that will allow Microsoft Project to generate a project outline structure for the imported file.

More Information

You cannot directly import the Outline Number field from a file saved in a format other than the standard Microsoft Project format. However, it is possible to import a different field that will correctly generate the same outline structure.

Microsoft Project uses a task field called "Outline Level", in conjunction with the order tasks are imported, to determine where tasks fall in a project outline structure. Tasks with Outline Level=1 are at the highest level in the project outline. Tasks with Outline Level=2 are subordinate to level 1 tasks, level 3 tasks are subordinate to level 2 tasks, and so on, for example:

A comma-separated values (CSV) file contains the following text:

1, Summary Task 1

2, Task A

2, Task B

2, Summary Task 2

3, Task C

3, Task D

1, Summary Task 3

2, Task E

2, Task F

If this file is imported into Microsoft Project using a task table with Outline Level and Name as its first two fields, the tasks will be imported with the following outline structure:

Outline Level Name
1 1 Summary Task 1
2 1.1 Task A
2 1.2 Task B
2 1.3 Summary Task 2
3 1.3.1 Task C
3 1.3.2 Task D
1 2 Summary Task 3
2 2.1 Task E
2 2.2 Task F

NOTE The Outline Number and name indentation are shown to clearly illustrate the structure.