Project Messages

Expert Estimation provides you with assistance to ensure your project is completed as accurately as possible. This assistance comes in the form of Project Messages. Project Messages display a list of real-time errors, warnings or general information that is occurring within your project.

When trying to resolve the reasons as to why a particular value is being generated or why a formula isn’t working correctly, the Project Messages are the first point of call when troubleshooting these scenarios.

As you progress through your project, should any project messages become apparent, Expert Estimation will automatically update the Project Messages window, displaying new messages and removing messages that are no longer relevant.

If there are Project Messages, they will be displayed in the bottom right-hand corner of the window. You can access the Project Messages window by clicking on either the Error , Warning or Information icons.

The Level of a project message can be configured per project from the Project Properties – Project Messages window.

Project Messages window

PROJECT MESSAGE TYPES

There are three main types of Project Messages that will be presented to you in Expert Estimation depending on their severity, these are:

NAME	DESCRIPTION
Error	Error messages are used for issues in a project that must be resolved and are preventing a calculation from being run correctly in your project. Example: An Error message is generated when there are unfinished cost schedule items, informing you that the Spread Calculation cannot be performed until the unfinished items have been marked as either Checked or Finished.
Warning	Warning messages advise that an issue has been identified that is not affecting calculations but should be reviewed as it is not considered normal, inferring that something may have been overlooked. Example: A Warning message is generated when the final Sell Total doesn’t equate to the Project Total.
Information	This message relates to information about the project that doesn’t affect the outcome of any project calculation. Example: An Information message is displayed when there is a list of To Do List items in the project that are yet to be completed.

NAME

DESCRIPTION

Error

Error messages are used for issues in a project that must be resolved and are preventing a calculation from being run correctly in your project.

Example: An Error message is generated when there are unfinished cost schedule items, informing you that the Spread Calculation cannot be performed until the unfinished items have been marked as either Checked or Finished.

Warning

Warning messages advise that an issue has been identified that is not affecting calculations but should be reviewed as it is not considered normal, inferring that something may have been overlooked.

Example: A Warning message is generated when the final Sell Total doesn’t equate to the Project Total.

Information

This message relates to information about the project that doesn’t affect the outcome of any project calculation.

Example: An Information message is displayed when there is a list of To Do List items in the project that are yet to be completed.

AVAILABLE COLUMNS

NAME	DESCRIPTION
Go to	The Go to button indicates that you can go directly to the information that is causing the message. You have the ability then to double click on the icon and to be taken directly to the root source of the project message.
Type	Identifies the type of Project Message generated, as outlined in the Project Message Types section above.
Source	Displays the section of the program that the message applies to.
Source Name/Line #	This column displays the name or Line number that the Project Message applies to.
Cost Estimate Line #	The Cost Estimate Line # column displays the line number within the Cost Estimate relevant to the message.
Message	This column displays the details of the project message, providing detail as to why the Project Message was generated and assist in knowing how to resolve a message where necessary.