Export or import data to another file format

You can export information from Microsoft Project to another format using a wizard. The following is a list of formats you export to or import from.

• Microsoft Excel (as a workbook or PivotTable report)

• text-only (tab delimited)

• comma-separated values (CSV)

• Extensible Markup Language (XML)

By defining or editing the export or import maps of these wizards, you can easily transfer data to and from the task, resource, or assignment fields that you want.

What do you want to do?

Export project information

Import project information

Export project information

1. Click the File tab, and then click Save As.

2. In the Save As type box, select the file format that you want to export data to.

3. In the File name box, type a name for the exported file.

4. Click Save.

5. Follow the instructions in the Export Wizard to export the data that you want into the proper fields of the destination file.

6. When the wizard prompts you to create a new map or use an existing one, do one of the following:

   • Click New map to create a new export map from scratch.

   • Click Use existing map to use a default map or a map that you previously defined and saved.

7. On the Task Mapping, Resource Mapping, or Assignment Mapping page of the Export Wizard, verify or edit the mapping assumptions of Project, or create a new map:

   • To export specific project information, type or select the field that you want in the From column, and then press ENTER.

   • To add all task, resource, or assignment fields in your project to the export map, click Add All.

   • To add all task or resource fields of a specific table to the export map, click Base on Table. Click the table you want to use, and then click OK.

   • To remove all task, resource, or assignment fields from an export map, click Clear All.

   • To insert a new field above another field, click a field in the From column, and then click Insert Row.

   • To insert a new field above another field, click a field in the From column, and then click Insert Row.

   • To delete a field, click it in the From column, and then click Delete Row. To change the name of the field in the destination file, click the field in the To column, and then type a new name.

8. To export certain tasks or resources only, click the filter that you want in the Export filter box.

9. If you want to change the order of the fields in the destination file, click a field in the To column, and then click the Move buttons to move the field to the position that you want.

10. On the last page of the Export Wizard, click Finish to export your data.

Note: 

• You can export only an entire project to XML format. Project maps the data automatically, without the Export Wizard. Also, to minimize the file size, fields that contain null values are not included in the exported XML file.

• On the Task Mapping, Resource Mapping, or Assignment Mapping page of the Export Wizard, under Preview, you can review the layout of the export map.

• You can save a new or edited export map if you want to use it again. On the last page of the Export Wizard, click Save Map, and then type a name in the Map name box. The new map will be added to the list of predefined maps.

• You can use an existing export map from another project if the map is available in the global file. By using the Organizer, you can copy an export map from a project file to the global file.

• When you create an export map to save data to either CSV file format or TXT file format and you set the text delimiter, the delimiter, not the file extension, controls the file type. For example, if you save to a file named Myproject.csv but you specified a tab delimiter in the map, the CSV file will have tabs instead of commas, even though the file extension indicates commas.

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Import project information

You can import information into Project by using any entered field from another product's file format, such as Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Access, Extensible Markup Language (XML), comma-separated values (CSV), or tab delimited text format.

1. Click the File tab, and then click Browse.

2. In the Files of type box, click the file type that you want to import data from.

3. Navigate to the folder that contains the file you want to import, and then select the file in the file list.

4. Click Open.

5. Follow the instructions in the Import Wizard to import the data that you want into the proper Project fields.

6. On the Task Mapping, Resource Mapping, or Assignment Mapping page of the Import Wizard, verify or edit the mapping assumptions of Project:

   • To import the data from a field in the source file to a different Project field, click the field in the To column, select a new field, and then press ENTER.

   • To change the name of a field in the destination file, click the field in the To column, and then type a new name.

   • To delete a field, click it in the From column, and then click Delete Row.

   • To insert a new field above another field, click a field in the From column, and then click Insert Row.

   • To remove all task, resource, or assignment fields from an import map, click Clear All.

   • To add all task, resource, or assignment fields of the destination file to the import map, click Add All.

     Tip: On the Task Mapping, Resource Mapping, or Assignment Mapping page of the Import Wizard, under Preview, you can preview the layout of the import map.

7. To change the order of the fields in the destination file, click a field in the To column, and then click the Move buttons to move the field to the position that you want.

8. On the last page of the Import Wizard, click Finish to import your data.

   Tip: You can save a new or edited import map if you want to use it again. On the last page of the Import Wizard, click Save Map, and then type a name in the Map name box. The new map will be added to the list of predefined maps.

Note: 

• You can use an existing import map from another project if the map is available in the global file. By using the Organizer, you can copy an import map from a project file to the global file.

• When you create an import map to incorporate data from either CSV file format or TXT file format and you set the text delimiter, the delimiter, not the file extension, controls the file type. For example, if you import a file named Myproject.csv but you specified a tab delimiter in the map, the CSV file will have tabs instead of commas, even though the file extension indicates commas.

• Although you can enter values in some calculated fields, Project may recalculate these values, either automatically or when you specify.

• Project can import only XML data that can be validated against its data interchange schema.

• If you are using Microsoft Project Professional, and you want to import information from another file format into an enterprise project that requires you to enter specific information for tasks, you won't be able to save the project until you enter all required information.

• If you are using Microsoft Project Professional, remember that resource cost fields cannot be updated in an enterprise project. You can import resource cost information only in nonenterprise projects or for nonenterprise resources in a project.

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