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FIGURE 1-2: What you see when you open Project.
You can open a blank project, create a new project from an existing project, or create a new project by importing information from Microsoft Excel or SharePoint. You can also take advantage of premade templates for common project types, such as these examples:
Residential construction
Software development
New product launch
Merger or acquisition evaluation
If you don’t see the template you need, you can click More Templates and, as you can see in Figure 1-3, a whole host of options appears. You can also search for online templates by entering keywords in the Search box.
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FIGURE 1-3: Project templates.
For purposes of this discussion, I assume that you’re starting with a new, blank project.
When you open a new project, you see the Quick Access toolbar, a few Ribbon tabs, the Ribbon, the Timeline, a pane with a sheet and a chart, and the status bar, as shown in Figure 1-4.
In Figure 1-4, you see Gantt Chart view. (I discuss views in Chapter 6.) For now, here’s an overview of the major elements in Project (refer to Figure 1-4):
Quick Access toolbar: The Quick Access toolbar, above and to the left of the Ribbon, is onscreen at all times and in all views.
Ribbon tabs: The Ribbon tabs organize commands based on a particular type of activity. For example, if you’re working with resources, you’ll likely find the command or setting you want on the Resource tab.© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.FIGURE 1-4: A blank project.
Ribbon: The Ribbon provides easy access to the most commonly used tools and commands. When you change tabs, the available tools on the Ribbon change.
Group: A group is a set of related commands or choices on the Ribbon. For example, to update the percent complete for a task, first find the formatting information you need in the Schedule group on the Task tab of the Ribbon.
Timeline: The Timeline provides an overview of the entire project — a graphical view of the project from start to finish. You have the option of showing the Timeline or hiding it.
Sheet: Similar to a spreadsheet, the sheet displays the data in the project. The default fields change depending on the Ribbon tab you’re working in. You can customize the columns and fields in the sheet to meet your needs.
Chart: The chart is a graphical depiction of the information on the sheet. Depending on the view or Ribbon tab that’s displayed, you might also see a bar chart depicting the duration of a task or a resource histogram showing resource usage.
Status bar: The status bar, at the bottom of the Project window, has information on views and zoom level on the right, and information on how newly entered tasks are scheduled on the left.
Navigating Ribbon tabs and the Ribbon
Each of the Ribbon tabs in Project shows different options on the Ribbon. In this section, I provide an overview of each Ribbon tab and of the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar. I elaborate on various functions and commands on the Ribbon in later chapters.
Each Ribbon tab has a different group of controls or functions. You can navigate from one tab to another by clicking on the tab name.
The first tab on the left is the File Ribbon tab. After you click this tab, you see the Backstage view with the Navigation pane down the left side, as shown in Figure 1-5.
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FIGURE 1-5: Backstage view with the Navigation pane.
The File tab puts you into Backstage view, where you find choices for working with files and changing options. For example, you can create a new project, open an existing project, save your current project, or print your current project. From Backstage view, you can also share, export, or close your current project. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can click Options and customize the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar.
The Task Ribbon tab is where you spend a lot of your time in Project. As you can see in Figure 1-6, on the far left side of the Task Ribbon tab is the View group. The default view is Gantt Chart view. It shows the task information and the chart that displays a bar chart representing the duration of each task.
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FIGURE 1-6: The Task Ribbon tab.
In addition to Gantt Chart, you can choose these views:
| Calendar | Network Diagram |
| Resource Sheet | Resource Usage |
| Resource Form | Resource Graph |
| Task Usage | Task Board |
| Task Form | Task Sheet |
| Team Planner | Timeline Tracking Gantt |
You may recognize some of the groups of commands on the Task Ribbon tab. For example, the Clipboard and Font groups are standard in many Windows applications. Other groups, such as Schedule and Tasks, are specific to a particular view — in this case, Gantt Chart view. Look for the Gantt Chart Tools above the Format tab when you see the Task Ribbon tab in Gantt Chart view. In other views, you see different tools above the Format tab.
The Resource Ribbon tab, shown in Figure 1-7, helps you organize resources, such as assigning and leveling resources across tasks. In Project, resources include people, equipment, material, locations, and supplies. You can assign costs and calendars to resources. (I talk more about resources in Chapter 7.)
