Datasheet

You need to enter much more information in addition to general project infor-
mation and tasks in order to build a complete project, as you discover in the
next few chapters. Entering general project information and task information
is your usual starting point, however.
Tell Project about your project
With a blank project open, a logical first step is to enter some general project
information, such as the project start date. To do so, you choose Project
➪
Project Information. The Project Information dialog box appears, as shown in
Figure 1-11.
Here’s what you can do in this dialog box:
 Set the start date for the project. If you’re not sure when the project will
start, set the start date about a month from today. Then, after you build
some tasks and have a better handle on the entire length of your project,
you can come back and set a real start date. Project automatically recal-
culates all dates when you do.
 Set the finish date for the project. Especially if you have a drop-dead
date
(an attention-getting term!) beyond which the project cannot
wander and still reach completion, you can set the finish date. In such a
case, be sure to look at the next setting in this list — and change it
accordingly.
 Schedule from the start or finish of the project. Most projects work for-
ward from the start date. However, if you have an absolute drop-dead
Figure 1-11:
Use the
Project
Information
dialog box
for some
basic
project
settings.
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Part I: Setting the Stage for Project
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