Task Summary Name fields

The Task Summary Name field contains the names of the summary tasks associated with each task.

There are several categories of Task Summary Name fields.

Data Type    Text

Task Summary Name (task field) Only available to Project Online subscribers.

Entry Type    Null

Best Uses    Add the Task Summary Name field to the sheet portion of the Task view when you want to see the names of the immediate summary tasks for each task. Because your list of tasks might be long, the Task Summary Name field can be useful to quickly see the larger context of a task assignment. This is especially useful when there are tasks by the same name under different summary tasks. No information appears in the Task Summary Name field next to the top-level summary tasks.

Example    Your project includes the construction of Building E and Building F, both of which have lengthy lists of tasks. In a task sheet, you have designated Building E and Building F each as summary tasks, with a number of identical subtasks, such as "Build floor" and "Build walls" beneath both summary tasks. As you scroll through the task sheet, you find it difficult to remember which building each task is associated to. You add the Task Summary Name field to the view.

Data Type    Text

Task Summary Name (resource field)

Entry Type    Null

Best Uses    Add the Task Summary Name field to the sheet portion of the Resource Usage view when you want to see the names of the immediate summary tasks associated with a resource's individual assignments. This field is available only in the Resource Usage view. Because the Resource Usage view does not show a task's summary task (unless a resource is assigned to a summary task), the Task Summary Name field can be useful to see the larger context of a task assignment. This is especially useful when there are tasks by the same name under different summary tasks. No information appears in the Task Summary Name field next to the resource names. However, the summary tasks for their corresponding assignments appear in the Task Summary Name assignment fields below each resource name.

Example    Your project includes the construction of Building E and Building F. In a task sheet, you have designated Building E and Building F each as summary tasks, with a number of identical subtasks, such as "Build floor" and "Build walls" beneath both summary tasks. You are reviewing assignments for resources on this project in the Resource Usage view. The task names appear in the assignment rows. You want to see the names of the summary tasks associated with the assigned tasks so you can see which building the tasks are associated with. You add the Task Summary Name field to the view.

Task Summary Name (assignment field)

Entry Type    Calculated

How Calculated    When you identify a task as a subtask of another, Microsoft Office Project inserts the name of its immediate summary task into the Task Summary Name field.

Best Uses    Add the Task Summary Name field to the sheet portion of the Resource Usage view when you want to distinguish among tasks with the same name. This field is available only in the Resource Usage view. Because the Resource Usage view does not show a task's summary task (unless a resource is assigned to a summary task), the Task Summary Name field can be useful to see the larger context of a task assignment. This is especially useful when there are tasks by the same name under different summary tasks.

Example    Your project includes the construction of Building E and Building F. In a task sheet, you have designated Building E and Building F each as summary tasks with a number of identical subtasks, such as "Build floor" and "Build walls" beneath both summary tasks. You are reviewing assignments for resources on this project in the Resource Usage view. The task names appear in the assignment rows. You want to see the names of the summary tasks associated with the assigned tasks so you can see which building the tasks are associated with. You add the Task Summary Name field to the view.