Copy and Move via Drag & Drop

   Information

• Below, you will learn how to

  • copy field contents, column contents, and records

  • move records

  • edit records by using arithmetical operations while copying via Drag & Drop, using PLANTA’s own Drag&Drop mimic.

Drag & Drop Copying of Data

Video Tutorial

Information

• Output and input fields may be used as a source for Drag&Drop operations.

• You cannot copy to output fields.

• The database type of source and target object determines whether you can copy from one object (field/column) to another.

  • You can, e.g., copy from a currency field to a text field, but not vice versa.

  • If copying is not permitted, the Unable to copy message will be displayed after you have released the left mouse button.

Field to Field

Objective

• To copy an entry from one field to another.

Procedure

• Drag the content of the source field to the target data field by pressing CTRL + holding down the left mouse button.

  • As a result, the source field is colored green and the destination field is colored blue.

  • The cursor display is changed and the copying type is graphically displayed.

• As soon as the cursor is on the target field, release the left mouse button.

  • The value of the source field is copied to the target data field.

Note

• The Field to Field copy type is set by default.

  • If you have changed the copy type while copying, you can change to the ­Field to Field­ type again using the Edit → Drag&Drop copy → Field to field menu item or via shortcut CTRL + 1.

• You cannot only copy field content between records within a module but also between two modules.

  • You can copy, e.g., the resource ID from the Resource Structure module to the Resource Data Sheet module.

Field to Column

Definition

• It is distinguished between data logical and layout related columns.

• A data logical column contains the same data field in all records of a data area.

  • In the horizontal layout, a visual column is equivalent to a data logical column.

    • Compare: columns in Microsoft Excel.

  • In the vertical layout, a line is equivalent to a data logic column (the record is a column here).

  • In forms there are no visual lines or columns. A data field in all form records is equal to a data logic column.

• The following examples are explained on the basis of a module with a horizontal layout.

Objective

• To fill the marked fields in a column with a particular value.

Procedure

• Mark target records.

• Define the copy type via the Edit → Drag&Drop copy → Field to column menu item or by using the CTRL + 2 shortcut.

• Drag the content of the source field to the destination column by pressing CTRL and holding the left mouse button.

  • The cursor display will change and the copying type will be displayed graphically.

• Release the left mouse button as soon as the cursor is on the target field.

  • The source data field value is copied to all data fields of the destination column for all marked records.

Notes

• As target column you can use the column from which the source data field stems or another column.

• Drag&Drop copy → Field to column behaves on projection data fields (fields below the time scale) like Drag&Drop copy → Field to field.

Column to Column

Objective

• To copy the contents of the fields from one column to another

Procedure

• Mark target records.

• Define the copy type via the Edit → Drag&Drop copy → Column to column menu item or by using the CTRL + 3 shortcut.

• Drag the content of the source column to the target column by pressing CTRL and holding down the left mouse button.

  • The cursor display will change and the copying type will be displayed graphically.

• Release the left mouse button as soon as the cursor is on the target field.

  • The source column field value is copied to all data fields of the destination column for all marked records.

Note

• Drag&Drop copy → Column to column behaves on projection data fields (fields below the scale) like Drag&Drop copy → Field to field.

Copy Operation

Information

• You can use Drag&Drop with arithmetical operations for all copy types Field to field, Field to column and Column to column.

• The following example describes the Field to column copy type with Addition operation.

• The procedure for other copy types and other copy operators is identical.

Objective

• To copy a value from a source data field to a destination column and change the value at the same time.

Procedure

• Mark target records.

• Define the copy type via the Edit → Drag&Drop copy → Field to column menu item or by using the CTRL + 2 shortcut.

• Select an operator via Edit → Copy operation ( e.g. + (Addition)).

• Drag the content of the source field to the destination column by pressing CTRL and holding the left mouse button.

  • The cursor display will change and the copying type will be displayed graphically.

• Release the left mouse button as soon as the cursor is on the target field.

• The Add: will be displayed. Enter the required figure and confirm the message by clicking on OK.

  • The value calculated on the basis of the selected operator and figure is entered in all field of the target column for all marked records.

Drag & Drop Copying/Moving of Data

Video Tutorial

Information

• The positioning logic is the same for both methods. The only difference is that

  • when copying, a new record will be created and

  • when moving, the very record will be moved to the other position.

• The terms source and target are central in copying/moving.

  • The Source is the record

    • which you want to copy or move.

    • It is visualized in green during copying or moving.

  • The target is the target position (the position to which the source record is to be moved), a position below, above, or on a record.

    • The position below/above the record to which you want to move/copy is visualized by a dark blue line and three black arrows pointing down/up.

    • The position on the target record will be colored in light blue (the entire record will be colored in light blue).

Details

• You can use the Copy/Move function to structure records.

• An illustration of the copying/moving procedure, can be found in the following sections:

  • Structure by moving

  • Move without structuring

  • Structure by copying

  • Copying without Structuring

Notes

• Drag&Drop copying/moving of records between modules is not permitted.

• Structuring records is not allowed for all modules.

  • If structuring is not allowed, records you want to structure will simply be moved or copied.

Procedure

• All following examples are based on the Schedule module.

• To be able to follow the instructions below, insert 8 new tasks in the schedule of an empty project and name them from "Task A" to "Task H”.

• Save and click on the  Generate WBS code button below the project bar in order to automatically generate the IDs for the tasks.

• Result:

Move

Notes

• In the customizing settings, the movement of records can be permitted or prohibited.

  • If moving is not allowed, the following message will be displayed after releasing the left mouse button: Cannot perform move.

• It is not possible to move a parent record to its child record.

• The source record is always copied/moved including all of its child records.

 Moving and Structuring

Subordinate

Tasks 2 and 3 are to be subordinated to task 1.

• Mark tasks 2 and 3 and drag them to task 1 by pressing SHIFT + holding down the left mouse button.

• Release the left mouse button.

• Result: Tasks 2 and 3 are moved below task 1.

Task 4 should also be a child of task 1 and should be positioned under task 3.

• Drag task 4 below task 3 by pressing SHIFT and holding down the left mouse button, so that a dark blue line is displayed below task 3.

• Release the left mouse button.

• Result:

• Save and click on the Calculate schedule button in the toolbar.

• Result: Task 1 is marked in bold and hence visualized as summary task.

• Click on the Generate WBS code button next to the project name.

• Result: The new structure is displayed.

Outdent

Task 1.1 is to be outdented (it is no longer to be a child of task 1).

• You can outdent the task by moving the child record above or below the required parent record. A parent record can be the parent record of the required child record or every other parent record, depending on the position to which the child record is to be moved.

• The task is placed at the position to which it is moved with the mouse.

• By pressing SHIFT and holding the left mouse button, drag task 1.1 above task 3 so that a dark blue line appears above task 3.

• Release the left mouse button.

• Result: Task 1.1 is positioned on the highest level above task 3. Thus, it is no longer a child of task 1.

• Click on the Generate WBS code button next to the project name.

• Result: The new structure is displayed.

Moving without Structuring

Task 1.2 is to be positioned above task 1.1.

• By pressing SHIFT and holding the left mouse button, drag task 1.2 above task 1.1 so that a dark blue line appears above task 1.1.

• Release the left mouse button.

• Result:

Summary task 1 and its children are to be positioned below task 6

• By pressing SHIFT and holding the left mouse button, drag task 1 below task 6 so that a dark blue line appears below task 6.

• Release the left mouse button.

• Result:

• Save and click on the  Generate WBS code button below the project bar.

• Result: The new structure is displayed.

Copy

Notes

• When records are copied, the IDs of the target objects will be newly created.

  • Other IDs in the target object may be adjusted too.

• Values of the output fields are not included when copying.

• Values of the source object input fields, also those of hidden input fields, will not be included when copying.

• Only visible records will be copied. I.e. if you copy a record that has some of its child records hidden in the module via filter criteria, only the visible child records will be included.

Structure by copying

Information

• In order to copy entire records, the following setting must be made:

  • Select Edit → Drag&Drop copy → Record/s in the menu bar or use the CTRL + 4 shortcut.

Copies of tasks 3 and 4 are to be created and to be subordinated to task 1 at the same time

• Mark tasks 3 and 4 and drag them to task 1 by pressing STRG + holding down the left mouse button.

• Release the left mouse button.

• Save and click on the Generate WBS code button.

• Result: Tasks 1.1 and 1.2 have been created automatically with data from tasks 3 and 4 and have been assigned to task 1.

Furthermore a copy of task 5 is to be created and to be subordinated to task 1 as well.

• Drag task 5 below task 1.2 by pressing CTRL and holding down the left mouse button.

• Release the left mouse button.

• Save and click on the  Generate WBS code button.

• Result: Task 1.3 has been created automatically with data from task 5 and has been positioned below task 1.2.

• Save and click on the Calculate schedule button in the toolbar.

• Result: Parent task 5 is displayed in bold.

Copying without Structuring

Information

• In order to copy entire records, the following setting must be made:

  • Select Edit → Drag&Drop copy → Record/s in the menu bar or use the CTRL + 4 shortcut.

A copy of summary task 1 should be created and positioned below task 6 too.

• By pressing CTRL and holding the left mouse button, drag task 1 below task 6 so that a dark blue line appears below task 6.

• Release the left mouse button. If CTRL is released too soon, the record will not be not copied.

• Save and click on the Generate WBS code button.

• Result: Task 7 is created with the data from task 1 and positioned below task 6.

A copy of task 5 should be created and positioned below task 1 as well.

• Drag task 5 above task 1 while pressing CTRL and holding down the left mouse button, so that a dark blue line appears above task 1.

• Release the left mouse button.

• Result: A new task has been created with the data from task 5 and has been positioned above task 1.

• Save and click on the Generate WBS code button.

• Result: Due to its top position, the new task becomes task 1.