Using Microsoft Project 2003 As an OLE DB Provider

Like Project 2000/2002, Project 2003 is a read-only OLE DB provider. This means you can read the current project data with another application; however, you cannot modify the Project data with the OLE DB client. For example, you can use Data Access Pages in Access 2002 to build dynamic reports that allow the viewer to drill down into the current project data, such as in Figure 17.46. This link is created entirely within the client application, such as in Microsoft Access.

Figure 17.46. A new Data Access Page is being created in Access 2002, using Project's OLE DB provider.

The Project 2003 OLE DB provider contains additional project details, including the following:

• Calendar data and calendar exceptions

• Cost rates

• Custom fields, with graphical indicators, value lists, and custom outline code fields

• Resource availability

• Timescaled data for resources, tasks , and assignments

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) information

NOTE

For information about creating Data Access Pages, see Chapter 25, "Designing and Deploying Data Access Pages," in Special Edition Using Microsoft Access 2002 by Roger Jennings (published by Que).

NOTE

Significant formatting issues are related to displaying Project data in other applications. For example, duration fields display the duration in minutes multiplied by 10 (for example, an hour will appear as 600) and work fields display the work as minutes multiplied by 1,000 (for example, an hour will appear as 60,000). The data has to be processed in order to provide a meaningful display for users.

A database technology that is similar to Data Access Pages is OLAP Cubes. For information about creating OLAP Cubes, see "Building OLAP Cubes and Updating Resource Tables," p. 994 .