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If your organization requires a particular work breakdown structure (WBS) (WBS: A hierarchical structure that is used to organize tasks for reporting schedules and tracking costs. With Project, you can represent the work breakdown structure by using task IDs or by assigning your own WBS code to each task.) code format, you can assign corresponding WBS codes to tasks (task: An activity that has a beginning and an end. Project plans are made up of tasks.) depending on their place in the hierarchy of a project's outline (outline: A hierarchical structure for a project that shows how some tasks fit within broader groupings. In Project, subtasks are indented under summary tasks.).

1. On the View menu, click a sheet (sheet: A spreadsheet-like representation [in rows and columns] of task or resource information. Each row specifies an individual task or resource. Each column [field] specifies a type of information, such as start dates or standard rates.) view, such as the Task Sheet view.

   To use a view that is not on the View menu, click More Views, click the view you want to use in the Views list, and then click Apply.

2. On the Project menu, point to WBS, and then click Define Code.
3. To distinguish tasks in this project from tasks in other projects, type a project-specific code prefix in the Project Code Prefix box.

   Note  If you work with multiple projects consolidated (consolidated project: A project containing one or more inserted projects [also known as subprojects]. These can retain links to their source projects and may be linked to one another. A consolidated project is also called a master project.) in a master project (master project: A project containing other projects [known as inserted projects or subprojects]. Also called a consolidated project.) or projects with links to external tasks (external task: A task that represents a linked task in another project, providing an easy way to review the attributes of linked tasks without switching between projects. An external task can be changed only in the source project.), a project code prefix helps you distinguish different project tasks.

4. To specify the code string for first-level tasks, in the first row in the Sequence column, click the type of character you want to use for this level.
   • Click Numbers (ordered) to show a numerical WBS code for this level.
   • Click Uppercase Letters (ordered) to show uppercase alphabetical WBS codes (for example A, B, and C for the first three summary tasks (summary task: A task that is made up of subtasks and summarizes those subtasks. Use outlining to create summary tasks. Project automatically determines summary task information [such as duration and cost] by using information from the subtasks.) in the project).
   • Click Lowercase Letters (ordered) to show lowercase alphabetical WBS codes (for example a, b, and c for the first three summary tasks in the project).
   • Click Characters (unordered) to show any combination of numbers and uppercase and lowercase letters (for example, Arch1, Const1, and Insp1 and for the first three summary tasks in the project).

     Choosing this option gives you the most flexibility for entering customized WBS codes. Microsoft Office Project 2003 displays an asterisk (*) in the WBS field (field: A location in a sheet, form, or chart that contains a specific kind of information about a task, resource, or assignment. For example, in a sheet, each column is a field. In a form, a field is a named box or a place in a column.) until you type or enter a string of characters for this level of the WBS code.

5. In the first row of the Length column, type or select a number for the maximum number of characters in the first-level code string.

   For example, type 3 to make three characters the mandatory number of characters to enter in this level of the WBS code. The total length of a WBS code can be up to 255 characters.

6. In the first row of the Separator column, type or select a character to separate the code string for one level from the code string for the next level.

   By default, the separator character is a period. You can use different separator characters between each code level. You can type a character other than a period, minus sign, plus sign, or slash; for example, you can type an ampersand (&) or a number sign (#).

   You can also choose not to use a separator character between code levels. In the Length field, click a number. In the Separator field, delete the separator character.

7. Specify one code string for each level of indented (indenting: Moving a task to a lower outline level [to the right] in the Task Name field. When you indent a task, it becomes a subtask of the nearest preceding task at a higher outline level.) tasks in your outline.

   To specify code strings for each level, click the next row in the Sequence column and repeat steps 3-6.

8. If you don't want to assign a WBS code each time you enter a new task, clear the Generate WBS code for new task check box.
9. To use the same WBS code for different tasks, clear the Verify uniqueness of new WBS codes check box.

Notes

• You can define one set of WBS codes per project. If you need to show another organizational structure for tasks, you can create or apply a different set of codes in addition to WBS codes by using outline codes (outline codes: Custom tags you define for tasks or resources that allow you to show a hierarchy of the tasks in your project that is different from WBS codes or outline numbers. You can create up to 10 sets of custom outline codes in your project.).
• To view WBS codes, you need to add the WBS field to your view.