Importing Microsoft Project into GForge 4.6 (Open Source Version)

With the latest open source version of GForge (4.6), thanks to a new CSV import system and a little bit of work (a custom export map and Perl script) you can now import a Microsoft Project file into GForge!

Step 1: Prepare and Export the Project File

First, you need to prepare and export your data:

  • Resources names need to match the system names of users in GForge
  • Each task can have at most 5 resources and 5 dependencies

Next you need to create a custom export map.  For Project 2003, go to “File/Save as…”, select “CSV” for “Save as Type:” and specify a file name (for our example “project.csv”).  This will start the Export Wizard.  Under map options, select “Tasks” as the type of data, check “Export includes headers”, and select the comma as the text delimiter.  Then for Task Mapping include the following Project Fields in this order:

  • ID,
  • Outline Level (“Outline_Level”),
  • Name,
  • Duration,
  • Work (“Scheduled_Work”),
  • Start (“Start_Date”),
  • Finish (“Finish_Date”),
  • % Complete (“Percent_Complete”),
  • Priority
  • Notes
  • Resource Names (“Resource_Names”),
  • Predecessors

then save the file.

Step 2: Convert to GForge’s Import Format

Assuming you have Perl, Text:CSV, and Date::Parse, please download and save the script MPPToGForge.pl .

Then run the script on your Project export file:

MPPToGForge.pl project.csv > gforge.csv

This will convert your MS Project export file into a GForge import file named “gforge.csv”.  (Feel free to open the result in Excel and compare against GForge’s list of columns for import).

Step 3: Import into GForge

Use the “Import CSV” option in the task manager to import the newly converted CSV file “gforge.csv”.  I strongly suggest you import it into a new “subproject” in the task manager to avoid deleting any existing tasks.

Enjoy!