Datasheet
24
Part I: Setting the Stage for Project
Getting Started
As Shakespeare said, “In delay there lies no plenty.” I don’t know about
you, but I need all the plenty I can get, so it’s time to jump in and start using
Project.
You have two choices when starting a new project. You can build a project
from scratch by entering individual task and resource details, or you can use
a project template that already contains data related to your industry or the
type of project you’re doing.
Starting from scratch
When you open Project 2010, you see a blank project file on-screen. You can
start building your new project directly in this blank schedule. Starting to
create a new project usually involves entering some general project informa-
tion and then adding some task information.
You can open a new, blank project schedule at any time by choosing File➪
New, clicking the Blank Project icon under Available Templates, and then
clicking Create. (The File tab is located in the upper-left corner of the Project
screen.)
You need to enter much more information in addition to general project infor-
mation and tasks 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, click the Project tab on
the Ribbon and click Project Information in the Properties group. (You find
out more about the Ribbon in the next chapter.) The Project Information
dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 1-10.
Here’s what you can do in this dialog box:
✓ Set the start date for the project. Good project managers always plan in
advance. 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 recalculates dates for all
tasks with dependencies when you do.
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