Copyright: Copyright (c) 1999, Natara Software, Inc., All Rights Reservered


Introduction
Natara Project@Hand

Natara’s Project@Hand project management application for the Palm Computing platform allows you to take your most important project management information with you.

As you meet with your staff, subcontractors, or clients, Project@Hand gives you the ability to update your project with the latest information.  When you return to your desk and perform your regular one button synchronization, your Microsoft Project 98 file is brought up to date with all your changes.  And, because the Project@Hand conduit uses the Microsoft Project Objects interfaces, Project 98 updates the project schedule using the criteria you had specified for your project.  When the synchronization is complete, both your handheld and desktop projects contain the up-to-date schedule.

A few of the things you can do on your handheld with Project@Hand

•	Review and enter the notes for a task.

•	Assign resources to a task.

•	Define new resources for the project.

•	Adjust the duration, percent complete, and start or end date constraints.

•	Insert and delete tasks.

•	Modify the name of a task.

Working with large projects is easy since Project@Hand uses the same hierarchical display of tasks as Project 98.  You can collapse and expand the tasks under a summary task.  Or, you can filter what tasks are displayed.

There are three components in the Project@Hand application.  Learn more about each of them.

Handheld Application

The application that runs on the handheld device and is used to view and update a project.

HotSync Manager Conduit

A HotSync Manager conduit is used to synchronize desktop projects with project databases on the handheld device.

Configuration Application

A Windows application is used to configure the operation of the conduit.  Besides setting synchronization options, this application is used to select the projects to be placed on the handheld device.


Contacting Natara Software

You can contact Natara Software using any of the following.

Email:	support@natara.com

Web:	http://www.natara.com

Phone:	1-630-579-0958

Mail:	909 E. Ogden Ave.

Suite C

Naperville, IL 60563-2885

USA


Purchasing Project@Hand
How Do I Purchase Project@Hand?

You can purchase Natara Project@Hand from one of several online retailers.  Links to the retailers can be found on the Natara web site at http://www.natara.com/ProjectAtHand.

When you purchase Project@Hand you will receive a registration number that will convert your evaluation installation into a registered installation.  You will not need to reinstall, unless you are updating to a newer version.


What attributes can you change on the handheld.
What can you change on the Handheld?

These items can be changed on the handheld, and during synchronization do not cause changes to other tasks.

•	The name of a task.

•	Notes for a task.

These items can be changed on the handheld.  It is likely that during synchronization Microsoft Project 98 will adjust other tasks due to these changes.  These changes will then be automatically updated on your handheld.

•	The duration of the task.

•	Percent complete for a task.

•	Task start date (creates a Start-No-Earlier-Than constraint for the date entered).

•	Task end date (creates a Finish-No-Earlier-Than constraint for the date entered).

•	The predecessors of a task.

•	Add or delete resources from a task.

•	Add a task.

•	Delete a task, or summary task and all its subtasks.

 When you add a scheduling constraint to a task by changing the start or end date of a task on the handheld, the resulting start and end dates after the synchronization may be different.  Microsoft Project 98 will schedule the task using the constraint, but dependencies on other tasks, and the calendar, may cause the start or end date to differ from the constraint.


What you can see, but not change.
View Only Attributes

These items can be viewed but not changed.

•	The start date of the project.

•	The number of work hours in a day.

•	The name of a resource.

•	Duration of a summary task.


List of projects on the handheld device
Project List View

This is the first view shown when starting the Project@Hand application.  This view shows a sorted list of all the projects on the handheld.

To work on a project, select the project by tapping on the name, then tap the open button.

You can see more information about the selected project by tapping on the info… button.

Menu items available from this view:

Database -> Info…

Shows information about the database that holds the selected project.

Database -> Delete

Deletes the currently selected project database.  If you do not also change the conduit configuration, the project will be recreated the next time you synchronize.

Options -> About Project@Hand

Brings up the about box for Project@Hand.

 Projects do not show up on this list until they are created during their first synchronization.  Use the conduit configuration program to specify the projects you want to use on you handheld.


Displays information about the selected project.


Opens the selected project, displaying the task list.


A list of all the available projects is displayed on this view.  Tap on a project to select it.


Attribute of the database on the handheld device
Database Information

This view shows attributes of the project database.

Tap OK to return to the project list view.


The size of the database.


The number of records in the database.  This corresponds to the number of tasks in the project.


The last time this database was synchronized with the desktop.


The number of work hours per day defined for this project.  This effects the calendar duration of a task.


The date this project started.


The name of the database.  The characters NP_ are added to the front of the project file name to have a better chance of creating a unique database name.


List of tasks in a project
Task List

This view lists the tasks for a project.

Summary task names are shown in bold with a ‘+’ or ‘–‘ indicator to the left of the name.  Tapping this indicator hides or shows the tasks under the summary task.  Indentation is used to show which tasks belong to the summary task.

Tap a task name to display the task details.

You can customize what information is displayed for each task using the column settings dialog.

Tasks that have a note are shown with a note icon on the right side of the display.  Tap the note icon to view its contents. A preferences setting controls the display of notes icons.

The drop-down menu in the upper right corner allows you to filter what tasks are displayed.

This icon is displayed when the Gantt chart add-on is available.  Tap the icon to jump to the Gantt chart.

Tap the done button to return to the project list view.

Tap and drag a task name to change the outline level of the task.

Menu items available from this view:

Task -> Add New Task to End

Adds a new task to the project, inserting it after all the other tasks.  Switches to the task details view to allow the task attributes to be modified.

View -> Collapse All

Collapses all the tasks in the project so that only the highest level tasks are shown.

View -> Expand All

Expands all the tasks in the project so that all tasks shown in this view.

View -> Goto Top

Positions the view to the first task in the project.

View -> Goto Bottom

Positions the view to the last tasks in the project.

View -> Resources…

Displays a view of all the resources in the project.

Options -> Preferences…

Select options on how the task list will be displayed.

Options -> About Project@Hand

Brings up the about box for Project@Hand.


The name of the project that is being displayed.


This menu allows you to filter what tasks are displayed in this view.


A plus sign indicates that the subtasks of this summary task are not displayed.


A dash indicates that the subtasks of this summary task are displayed.


Summary tasks are shown in bold.  Subtasks are shown indented.


A checkmark is shown next to completed tasks.  A preferences setting controls the display of the checkmarks.


A note icon is shown if the task has a note attached.  Tap on the icon to view and edit the note.


Tap on the arrows to scroll the task list up and down one task at a time.  Use the scroll buttons to move a page at a time.


Tap this button to return to the project list.


Tap this button to customize what information is shown on the task list view.


Filter the tasks shown in the Task List view.
Filter Displayed Tasks

You can limit the tasks that are displayed by setting a filter.  Filters are selected from a drop-down menu in the upper right corner of the task list view.  The types of filters that can be used are:

•	Critical	Show only tasks on the critical path.

•	Milestone	Show only milestone tasks.

•	Resource	Show only the tasks assigned to a selected resource.  When using this type of filter, the resource is selected from the list of project resources.

•	My Tasks	Same as the resource filter, but does not require the selection of a resource name. Uses the Palm Owner Name, or another name can be specified in the preferences.

•	Completed	Show only tasks that are 100% complete.

•	Incomplete	Show only tasks that are not 100% complete.

•	In Progress	Show only tasks that are neither 0% nor 100% complete.

•	Unstarted	Show only tasks that are 0% complete.

•	Date	After selecting a date, all tasks where the date is between the start and end dates are shown.

•	Unassigned	Show only tasks without resources assigned.

•	Late Start	Show all tasks where the start date has passed that are 0% complete.

•	Late Finish	Show all tasks where the end date has passed that are not 100% complete.

•	All	All tasks are shown.

 When a task filter is active, the task list view only shows the outline indentation of tasks and summary tasks when enabled in the application preferences.


List of resources in a project
Project Resources

This view lists all the resources in a project.

Tap the OK button to return to either the task list or the task details view.

Tap the new button to add a resource to the project.  This button does not appear


All the resources in the project are shown in this list.


If all the resources will not fit on the display, scroll buttons are provided.


Adds the selected resource to the task.


Returns to the task view without adding the selected resource.


Displays an edit box to allow the creation of a new resource .


Add a resource to the project
New Resource

The prompt used when adding a resource to the project.

Enter the name of the resource to add to the project and tap OK to return to the list of project resources.

After synchronizing with the desktop project, you may want to fill out other attributes of the resource on the desktop using Microsoft Project 98.

 Resources added here but not assigned to a task may be lost during the next synchronization with the desktop.


Enter the name of the resource here.


After entering the resource name, tap OK


Change your mind?  Tap cancel


Preferences for the Task List View
Task List Preferences

This dialog allows you to set preferences for the Task List view.

Filter All Starts Out

Select the initial state of the task list.  This option controls the state of the task list when you return to the non-filtered list.  Summary tasks can either be all expanded or all collapsed.

Always Show Hierarchy

Check this option to show the summary task hierarchy even when a filter is enabled.  When this option is not checked and a filter is enabled, the filtered tasks are shown in a flat list.

Filter My Tasks

Check the “Use Palm Owner Name” option if the resource name used in projects is the same as your Palm Owner Name.  Otherwise, enter the resource name to be used by the Filter My Tasks filter.


Pick whether you want summary tasks initially displayed expanded or collapsed.


Select the resource name to be used for the My Tasks filter.


When checked, the summary task indentation is shown when a filter is enabled.


Customize Column Settings
Task List Column Settings

This dialog allows you to customize the Task List view.

Task List Indicators

Show Milestone Indicators

If this option is enabled the milestone indicator will be displayed next to the task name of milestone tasks.

Critical tasks:

Show Critical Task Indicators

If this option is enabled the critical task indicator will be displayed next to the task name of all critical tasks.

Milestone tasks:

Show Completed Tasks Indicators

If this option is enabled a checkmark will be displayed next to the task name of tasks that are completed.

Completed tasks:

Show Completed Notes Indicators

If this option is enabled a note icon will be displayed to the right of the task name of tasks that have a note attached.

Notes:

User Defined Columns

Additional task information can be displayed on the task list view by enabling one or both of the user-defined columns.

1st Column

The first user defined column can be configured to display either the start date, end date or percent complete.

2nd Column

The second user defined column can be configured to display either the start date, end date or task duration.

 Due to space limitations, the fractional portion of the task duration is not shown in the column.

Here is an example using both columns.


Check if you want the milestone indicator displayed on the task list view for milestone tasks.


Check if you want the critical indicator displayed on the task list view for tasks on the critical path.


Check if you want a checkmark displayed on the task list view for completed tasks.


Check if you want a note icon displayed on the task list view for tasks with attached notes.


Check if you want the percent complete displayed as a progress bar instead of a number.


In the first user defined column, you can display either the start date, end date or percent complete.


In the second user defined column, you can display either the start date, end date, or task duration.


Tap here to accept you changes and return to the task list view.


Tap here to discard any changes and return to the task list view.


Attributes of a single task
Task Details

This view shows details for a single task.

Icons used to qualify the task are:

The task is on the critical path.

The task is a summary task.

The task is a milestone.

Tap on the person icon to view the resources assigned to this task.  A solid icon is used when resources are assigned to the task.  A hollow icon is used when there are no resources assigned to the task.

Tap on the note icon to view the note for this task.  If the note for this task is empty, the note icon will be blank.

Tap the predecessor icon to view the predecessor tasks for this task.  The icon includes an arrow if this task does have predecessors.

If you change the start date, during the next synchronization a Start-No-Earlier-Than constraint will be created for this task.  If you change the end date, during the next synchronization a Finish-No-Earlier-Than constraint will be created for this task.  After synchronization, the start and end dates will reflect the scheduling decisions made by Microsoft Project 98.

Tapping on the next and previous arrows, located in the upper right corner of the view, advances this view to the next or previous task.  If a filter is active, tasks that do not match the filter are skipped.  When a filter is not active, tasks under a summary task are skipped if the summary task is collapsed.

This icon is displayed when the Gantt chart add-on is available.  Tap the icon to jump to the Gantt chart.

By tapping on the task number, located on the upper right of the display, you can jump directly to another task.

Constraint type acronyms are displayed next to the start or end date for all constraints other than As-Soon-As-Possible.  The constraints shown are:

ALAP	- As late as possible

FNET	- Finish no earlier than

FNLT	- Finish no later than

MFO	- Must finish on

MSO	- Must start on

SNET	- Start no earlier than

SNLT	- Start no later than

Menu items available from this view:

Task -> Delete Task

Deletes this task.

Task -> Insert New Task

Inserts a new task before this task.

Task -> Add New Task to End

Adds a new task to the project, inserting it after all the other tasks.  Switches to the task details view for the new task so attributes can be modified.

Edit -> Undo

Reverses the last editing action.

Edit -> Copy

Copies the selected text.

Edit -> Cut

Cuts the selected text.

Edit -> Paste

Pastes previously cut or copied text at the insertion point.

Edit -> Select All

Selects all the text in the current edit field.

View -> First Task

Displays the first task in the project.  If a filter is active, the first task that satisfies the filter will be displayed.

View -> Last Task

Displays the last task in the project.  If a filter is active, the last task that satisfies the filter will be displayed.

View -> Goto Task…

Prompts for a task number to display.

View -> Notes…

Displays the notes for this task.

View -> Parents…

Displays the parent tasks for this task.

View -> Predecessors…

Displays the predecessor tasks for this task.

View -> Resources…

Displays the resources assigned to this task.

Options -> About Project@Hand

Brings up the about box for Project@Hand.


The numerical position of the task within the project.  Tap on this number to bring up the goto task prompt


Tap on these symbols to advance to the next task, or view the previous task.


The name of the task.  You can change the name by editing this field.


The type of task, either Task or Summary Task.


The duration of the task in either days or hours.


The units of the task duration, either days or hours.  If the task is a milestone, it will also be noted here.


How much of the task has been completed.


A graphical representation of the percent complete.  You can change the value by tapping on the progress bar.


The start date for the task.


The end date for the task.


Tapping this button returns to the task list.


Return to the task list without saving changes made on this view.


A filled figure indicates resources are assigned to this task.  Tap the figure to view the list of resources names.


Tap the note to add or view the note for this task.  If the note icon is not empty, then a note exists for this task.


This icon appears for tasks that are on the critical path.


Tap this icon to view the predecessor tasks of this task.


If the task has a start or end date constraint, the constraint type acronym is displayed here.


Change the outline level of a task
Change Task Outline Level

Tap and drag a task name to change the outline level of a task.

A vertical bar is displayed while changing the outline level of a task.

The task that is being moved is highlighted.


The vertical bars shows the level at which the task will be indented.


The task being moved is highlighted.


Jump to another task
Goto Task

This edit box allows you to go directly to a task.

Enter a task number and tap go to view the task details .

Tap cancel to return to the current task.


Enter the task number to view.


After entering the task number, tap this button to view the task.


Changed your mind?  Tap this button to return to the task you were viewing.


Edit the notes associated with a task
Edit Task Notes

View and edit a task’s notes.

Tap done to return to either the task details or the task list.

The note can be removed from the task by tapping delete.

 The size of a task’s note is limited to 28 KB.  Notes larger than 28 KB will be truncated.  Also, the interface used to communicate with Microsoft Project 98 appears to fail when notes are larger than 32 KB.  Until a workaround is developed, projects with notes larger than 32 KB can not be used with Project@Hand.

 Microsoft Project 98 supports using Rich Text Format for task notes.  The note is displayed without this formatting (e.g., bullet lists, bold, underline) on the handheld.  This formatting will be lost if the note is changed on the handheld and then synchronized with the desktop.  If you use this capability of the task notes, but still want to enter notes on the handheld, you should consider using append mode option.  See the synchronization tab to enable this option.

When you use the task notes append mode, information you add the end of a note on the handheld is appended to the note on the desktop.  This preserves any special formatting that may exist in the desktop project note.  You can either append text to the end of the note, or delete all the text in the note and enter the text you want appended to the desktop project.  If you modify text in the middle of the note, the entire note will be appended to the desktop project note.

 Notes can not be deleted when using the append option.


The note associated with the task is displayed here.  Make your changes and tap done.


Tap this button to return to the task details or the task list, or task list view.


Tap this button to delete the note from the task.


For easier viewing, you can change the size of the text used to display the note.


View and edit the resources assigned to a task
Resources Assigned to a Task

This view lists all the resources assigned to a single task.

Tap OK to return to the task details of this task.

Tap on the add button to select a resource from the project to assign to the task.

Tap on the remove button to remove the selected resource from the task.


All of the resources assigned to a task are listed here.


Returns to the task details page.


Displays the list of all resources in the project.  A resource to be added to this task can then be selected.


Deletes the currently selected resource from this task.


View the parents of this task.
Task Parents

The names of the parent (summary) tasks for a task are shown in this dialog.

This view is useful when a project is filtered.  When a project is filtered, a simple list, not the hierarchical display, is used to show the task list.  When displayed in this manner it is not apparent what tasks are grouped with a summary task.  This dialog is displayed when the Parents menu item is selected from the task details page.

Tap OK to return to the task details of this task.

Tap the goto button to view the task details of the selected summary task.


The parents of the task are listed here.  The indentation of the name shows the nesting of the summary tasks.


Tap this button to jump to the task details view for the parent task.


Tap this button to return to the task details view.


Predecessors of a task.
Task Predecessors

The names of all predecessor tasks for this task are shown in this dialog.

Tap OK to return to the task details of this task.

Tap the goto button to view the task details of the predecessor task.

Tap the Add button to add a new predecessor to this task.  A list of tasks to pick from will be displayed.

Tap the Delete button to delete the currently selected predecessor from this task.

 Predecessors that are not present on the handheld because of a project filter on the desktop will not be listed in this dialog.


The name of each predecessor task is listed here.


Tap this button to return to the task details view.


Tap this button to jump to the task details view for the predecessor task.


Tap this button to add a new predecessor to this task.


Tap this button to remove the selected predecessor from this task.


Search for text in a project.
Search for Text in Projects

Project@Hand supports the built in find command.

To start a search, tap the silk-screen find button on the lower right of the display.  Enter the text for the search and tap OK.

Project@Hand searches both the task title and the task notes for the text.  Tap on one of the matches to display the task details.


Tap on one of the entries to display the task details.


Installation of the Gantt chart add-on.
Installing the Gantt chart add-on

The Gantt chart add-on is available as an option to Project@Hand.  This option is available from the Natara web site, or one of the online retailers that sells Project@Hand.

The following steps will get you up and running with Gantt chart add-on.

1) Run the Palm Install Tool.  This application can usually be found under the Palm Desktop group of your Start menu.

2) Click the Add button and select the Gantt chart add-on application, “NATGANTT.PRC”, from the directory where you extracted the distribution files.

3) Perform a HotSync.  The Gantt chart add-on for Project@Hand is now installed on your handheld and ready for use.


Gantt Chart Add-On

This is the main view of the Gantt chart add-on.

Tap on a task of interest to display a popup with task details.  The task that was selected will be highlighted.  Tapping on the task name in the popup will jump to the task details of Project@Hand.

The filter icon changes from an outline to solid when a filter is active.  Tap on this icon to display the filter dialog.

The task list icon is displayed if Project@Hand is available.  Tap on this icon to jump to the task list view.

Tap on an empty area near the edge of the screen to scroll in that direction.  The hard scroll buttons move the view up and down by a page.  The on-screen arrows move up and down by a single task.  If the task details popup is displayed, the task selection will move up or down.  The view will only be scrolled when the selection reaches the end of the screen.  The on-screen left and right arrows scroll by a page.

Tap on the timescale to select the time width of the view.  Nine timescales are available that cover from days to years.

Tap the done button to return to the list of projects.

View -> Collapse All

Collapsed all the summary tasks.

View -> Expand All

Expands all the summary tasks.

View -> Goto Top

Scrolls the view to the top of the project.

View -> Goto Bottom

Scrolls the view to the bottom of the project.

View -> Task Start

Scrolls the view so the top task (or the selected task) is positioned with its start date near the left side of the view.

View -> Task End

Scrolls the view so the top task (or the selected task) is positioned with its end date near the right side of the view.

View -> Task to Top

Scrolls the view so the selected task is moved to the top of the view.

View -> Scale to Fit

Selects one of the timescales that will show all task within the current view range.

Options -> Preferences

Brings up the preferences dialog.

Options -> Filter

Brings up the task filter dialog.

Options -> About

Brings up the about box for the Gantt chart.

 For performance reasons, task dependencies are only shown between tasks that are within the current view range.  All dependencies are drawn as Finish-To-Start.

Shading for non-working hours is fixed with Monday through Friday 8:00 AM through 5:00 PM as the working hours.


The nonworking time of evenings and weekends are shaded on the shorter timescales.


The name of the project is shown in the upper left corner.


Tap one of the arrows to scroll the project Gantt view.


Milestone tasks are shown as diamonds.


This dropdown list allows you to select from one of 9 timescales.


The task bars show the percent work complete of a task.


Tap on the one of the dots to reposition the Gantt chart to that task.


Tap the task list icon to jump to the task list  view.


Tap on the expand symbol to collapse or expand a summary task.


The dates are formatted based on the selected time scale.


Tap on the funnel to display the filter dialog.  The funnel is filled when a task filter is active.


The task number of the top most task on the screen is shown here.  Tap it to bring up the go to task dialog.


Tap the done button to return to the list of projects.


Dependency lines are drawn between tasks in the range of the view.


Summary tasks are shown with this symbol.


Show the details of a task.
Gantt Chart Task Details

Tapping on a task displays a popup with details about the task.

Tap the task name on first line, or the task list icon, to jump to the task details.

Tap on the second line of the details to cycle through the start and end date, the resources assigned to the task, the successor tasks, and the predecessor tasks.  You can select what is displayed on this second line from the preferences dialog.

Tap on an empty area of the Gantt to remove the details popup.


The percent work complete for the selected task.


Displays the duration of the selected task.


Show the name of the selected task.


Tap on this area to rotate through the dates, resources, successors and predecessors of the selected task.


The selected task, summary task, or milestone icon is highlighted.


Filter what tasks are shown on the Gantt chart.
Gantt Chart Task Filter

Use this dialog to define a task filter.

Select the filter attributes and tap Ok to return to the Gantt chart.

To turn off the filter, tap Clear to reset all filter settings and tap Ok to return to the Gantt chart.

Some of the filter settings are mutually exclusive, and setting one will turn the other off.

When more than one filter attribute is set, only tasks that meet all the attributes will be displayed.  For example, you can set a filter to display all your incomplete critical tasks.


Check this box to display only tasks on the critical path.


Check this box to display only milestones.


The filters in this area restrict the tasks displayed to certain completion status.


The filters in this area restrict the tasks displayed by resource assignment.


Check this box to only display tasks that contain a given date.


Tap this button to clear all filter settings.


Tap cancel to exit the dialog without changing the filter.


Tap OK to make the new filters selections active


Set preferences for the Gantt chart.
Gantt Chart Preferences

Select display options from this dialog.

Tap Ok to return to the Gantt chart.

The items included in the task details popup are shown on the second line.  Tapping on that second line will rotate through these items.  The start and end date of the task are always included in the items shown.

 If you change the grayscale option, the change will only take effect after you have exited the Gantt chart application.

 The grayscale option only works well for some Palm OS devices.  It may require the use of the NoStreak hack.


This options controls if a project is opened fully expanded or collapsed.


The dependency arrows can be disabled by un-checking this option.


The non-working hours can be drawn using grayscale by enabling this option.


If you do not want the non-working hours shaded, un-check this option.


These options control what is displayed on the second line of the task details pop-up.


Tap cancel to exit the dialog without changing the preferences.


Tap Ok to accept your changes to the preferences.


Configure the conduit
Conduit Configuration Program

A start menu entry is created for the Project@Hand conduit configuration program during setup.  This program is only needed when you want to change what projects are synchronized with your handheld, or to adjust one of the synchronization options.  It is not needed during day-to-day synchronization of your projects.

The conduit options are organized on three tabs.

User Tab

Select the HotSync Manager user that will be using Project@Hand.

Projects Tab

Select the projects to be synchronized with the handheld device.

Synchronization Tab

Options that control the synchronization process.


Select the HotSync user that will be using Project@Hand
User Tab

Select the HotSync Manager user(s) that will be using Project@Hand.

Select the HotSync Manager user that will be using Project@Hand and configure options for that user.

If you need to reinstall the Project@Hand application on your handheld, click the Install Handheld Application button to prepare the application to be installed during the next synchronization.

If you did not enter your product registration number during installation, or have been evaluating this product, click the Product Registration button to enter your product registration number.

Project@Hand can synchronize multiple Palm devices at the same desktop.  All that is required is that you enter the necessary registration numbers and configure the projects to synchronized for each HotSync Manager user.


Select the HotSync Manager user that will synchronize with Microsoft Project 98 files.


Use this button to tell HotSync Manager that the Project@Hand application should be installed on the handheld during the next synchronization.


The product version string from the conduit is displayed here.


The product registration provided during installation is display here.


Click here to enter your product registration number.


Selecting the projects to be synchronized
Projects Tab

Select the Microsoft Project files to be synchronized with the handheld.

Click the Add MPP button to select a Microsoft Project file to synchronize.

In addition to using the Add buttons, you can drag and drop Microsoft Project 98 files onto this list from Windows Explorer.

You can use both drive letter based and \\server\share naming schemes for the project files.

If the project to be synchronized is stored in a SQL database, such as Microsoft SQL Server, use the Add ODBC  button to select the data source and project name.  Projects that are synchronized from an ODBC Data Source are displayed with the ODBC Data Source name within “< >”, followed by the project name.

If the project has not yet been synchronized with your handheld, the Last Synchronization column will be blank.

When you no longer want to synchronize a project with your handheld, select the project from this list and click the remove button.  You will be given the option to either retain the project database on your handheld, or to delete it.  The project file on your desktop will be left as is.

If you are configuring more than one Palm device user, select the name of the user to configure from the selection list on the user tab, then configure the projects to be synchronized on this tab.


The full path to the Microsoft Project file that will be synchronized with the handheld device.


The project is saved on the handheld device with this name.


Time that the project file was last synchronized with the handheld copy.


Indicates if this project is filtered during synchronization with the handheld.


Use this button to pick additional projects to synchronize with the handheld device.


Use this button to select a project from an ODBC Data Source  to be synchronized with the handheld device.


Highlight a project that you no longer want to synchronize with your handheld device, and click this button.


Highlight a project that you want to filter and click this button.  The Project Filter  dialog is displayed.


The name of the HotSync Manager user is shown here.


Filter what tasks are synchronized with the handheld device.
Project Filter

For large projects you can control what tasks are synchronized with the handheld by using the project task filter.

When you enable the filter, only tasks whose baseline overlaps with the date range will be copied to the handheld.  If you later change the date range, tasks that no longer fall in the date range will be removed from the handheld.

 If the baseline filter is enabled, but a baseline has not been saved for the project, all the tasks will be synchronized with the handheld.

 If you have made changes to the project on the handheld, synchronize before changing the range of the filter.  Otherwise changes made to a task will be lost if the task no longer matches the filter.


Use this selection to turn the filter on or off.


Set the start date of the baseline range.


Set the end date of the baseline range.


Click here to accept you changes and return to the Projects Tab .


Click here to discard any changes and return to the Projects Tab .


Displays this help screen.


Use Project stored in a Database
Select the ODBC Data Source

This dialog lists all the ODBC Data Sources that are defined on your system.

This dialog is displayed when you click the Add ODBC button on the projects tab.

Find the ODBC Data Source that is used for your projects from the list and click OK.

A dialog is then displayed that lists all the projects available in the database.

An error message is displayed if the selected ODBC Data Source does not contain any projects.

 Project@Hand does not create or maintain the ODBC Data Sources.  They must be properly configured before their use here.  For help in configuring an ODBC Data Source, ask your Network Administrator.


Select the ODBC Data Source that contains the projects from this list.


Click OK after selecting the Data Source.


Click cancel to exit without adding the project.


Select Project from a Database
Select the Project from the Database

This dialog lists all the projects stored in the selected database.

Find the project you want to synchronize and click OK.


Find your project name in this list.


Click OK after selecting the correct project name.


Click cancel to exit without adding the project.


customize synchronization options
Synchronization Tab

There are several options available for controlling the synchronization process.

For a description of the synchronization methods available, see the conduit overview.

Use the conflict resolution selection to specify what should be done when the same field is changed on both the desktop and handheld projects.  The options include:

Use Desktop Data	The value from the desktop project overwrites the value in the handheld project. The value in the handheld project is lost.

Use Handheld Data	The value from the handheld project overwrites the value in the desktop project.  The value in the desktop project is lost.

Prompt for Resolution	A dialog is presented during synchronization where you can choose which value should be used.

Do Not Change Either	The values on the desktop and handheld are not modified.

Check the “Record Conflicts in HotSync Log” option to make a record of these conflicts. The log can be reviewed from the HotSync Manager system tray icon [image] view log menu item.

Check the “Record All Changes in HotSync Log” option if you want to see every field changed during the synchronization process.  This will greatly increase the information written to the log for new and heavily active projects. The log can be reviewed from the HotSync Manager system tray icon [image] view log menu item.

If the “Backup Project File Before Synchronization” option is checked, then a backup copy of the project is written to the HotSync Manager users directory, in the “Natara Project” subdirectory, before changes are made during synchronization.

The “Use Append Mode for Task Notes Field” option can be used to retain the formatting of your desktop task notes, but still allow the entry of notes on the handheld.  See task notes for more information on using this option.

By default, when the Project@Hand conduit makes changes to the desktop project, those changes are saved when the synchronization completes.  However, if the desktop project file is open by Microsoft Project during the synchronization, this option allows you to turn off that save.


Select the type of synchronization to be used.


Specify what should be done during synchronization if something has been changed on both the desktop and the handheld.


When checked, a note is written to the HotSync Manager log whenever a conflict is detected, regardless of the outcome.


When checked, a backup copy of the Microsoft Project file is created in the HotSync Manager user’s directory before each synchronization.


When checked, a note is written to the HotSync Manager log for every change on both the desktop and the handheld projects.


When checked, a progress dialog is displayed during synchronization.


When checked, notes made on the handheld are appended to desktop notes.


When checked, changes made to desktop project during synchronization are saved even if the project file is already open.


Conduit
Conduit Overview

The Project@Hand conduit supports two synchronization actions; synchronize the files, and desktop overwrites handheld.

Synchronize the files

The conduit examines changes made on both the handheld and the desktop task by task and field by field.  Changes made to one are applied to the other.  When the same field (e.g., percent complete) has been changed on both, the conflict is resolved using the conflict resolution configuration setting.  If you have configured the conduit to prompt for resolution, then the conflict resolution dialog is displayed.

As the conduit makes changes to the desktop project, Microsoft Project 98 will adjust the schedule according to the project settings and constraints.

After all the changes have been applied to the desktop project, the conduit then updates the handheld with changes in the schedule that were calculated by Microsoft Project during the synchronization process.

Desktop overwrites handheld

All changes made on the handheld are discarded and replaced with changes made on the desktop.

You can select which action is used from either the HotSync Manager customize action dialog or the synchronization tab of the configuration program.


Basic synchronization method selection
Customize

The HotSync Action can be modified from this dialog.  The dialog is available from the HotSync Manager system tray icon [image] customize menu item.  Select the Project@Hand entry from the list of conduits and click the change button.

For a description of the actions available, see the conduit overview.


Changes made to both the desktop and handheld projects are copied to the other.


Changes made to the desktop project are written to the handheld.  Changes made on the handheld are discarded.


Project@Hand does not perform any synchronization.


Check this box if you want your synchronization action selection made permanent.  Otherwise it will be in effect for the next synchronization only.


Click this button to accept your changes.


Click this button to cancel any changes you have made.


Synchronization Conflict Resolution

This dialog is presented during synchronization when a field has been modified on both the desktop and the handheld and you have selected “Prompt for Resolution” as a synchronization option.

If you click

•	Use Desktop Value	The value from the desktop project overwrites the value in the handheld project. The value in the handheld project is lost.

•	Use Handheld Value	The value from the handheld project overwrites the value in the desktop project.  The value in the desktop project is lost.

•	Skip This Field	The values on the desktop and handheld are not modified.

If you want future conflicts during this synchronization to be handled the same way, check the “Use my response for ALL future conflicts” option.

If you do not respond to this question within 1 minute, the conduit will automatically skip the field and not change the field on either the desktop or handheld.  A note will be written to the HotSync Manager log.  You can then manually resolve the conflict, handle it on the next HotSync, or use the configuration program to select what should be done during the next synchronization.


A description of the field level conflict is displayed in this box.


Check this box if you want all conflicts encountered during this synchronization to be handled the same as your selection for this conflict.  Use the configuration program to make a permanent selection that will be used during the next synchronization.


The value for the desktop project will overwrite the handheld value.


The value from the handheld will overwrite the desktop project value.


Neither field will be changed.  Of course this conflict may still exist during the next synchronization.


Product Requirements

Project@Hand has the following requirements

•	Microsoft Project 98 or Project 2000 must be installed on the machine where HotSync Manager runs.  When using Project 98, we recommend using the SR-1 release or higher.  See limitations.

•	The conduit and configuration application require Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000.

•	The conduit requires HotSync Manager version 3.0 or above.


Product Limitations

Project@Hand has the following restrictions

•	When synchronizing more than one project, the project file names must be unique within the first 28 characters.

•	The size and number of projects that can be synchronized is limited by the available memory in the handheld device.

•	Task notes are limited to plain text, and can not be greater than 28 KB.

•	If using a Microsoft Project 98 version before SR-1, notes are truncated to 256 characters.

•	A Project@Hand database on a handheld device should only be synchronized to a desktop project through a single HotSync Manager.