The Baseline Start fields show the planned beginning date for a task or assignment at the time you saved a baseline.
There are several categories of Baseline Start fields.
Data Type Date
Baseline Start (task field)
Entry Type Calculated or entered
How Calculated As soon as a baseline is saved, the date in the task's Start field at that point in time is copied as the value of the task Baseline Start field.
Best Uses Add the Baseline Start field to a task sheet when you want to compare baseline start dates to scheduled or actual start dates for tasks.
Example You set the baseline for your project a month ago. At that time, the "Develop estimate" task was scheduled to start on January 3. The task was actually started on January 8. In the Task Sheet view, you have added the Baseline Start and Actual Start fields. The Baseline Start field for this task contains January 3, and the Actual Start field contains January 8.
Remarks The Baseline Start field contains "NA" until you save a baseline for the project. You set a baseline in the Set Baseline dialog box. Setting a baseline copies the currently scheduled fields for tasks into the corresponding baseline fields.
You can use the Tracking Gantt view to see the baseline start date shown with baseline Gantt bars. You can also use the Variance table to compare baseline dates with scheduled dates and actual dates.
Baseline Start (resource field)
Entry Type Null
Best Uses Add the Baseline Start field to the Resource Usage view when you want to display or filter baseline start dates for assignments. No information is actually displayed in the Baseline Start resource field; it merely makes the corresponding Baseline Start assignment field information available.
Example You set the baseline for your project a month ago. You add the Baseline Start field to the Resource Usage view. No information appears in the Baseline Start field next to the resource names. However, the baseline start dates for their assignments appear in the Baseline Start assignment fields below each resource name.
Baseline Start (assignment field)
Entry Type Calculated or entered
How Calculated As soon as a baseline is saved, the date in the assignment's Start field is copied as the value of the assignment Baseline Start field.
Best Uses Add the Baseline Start field to the Task Usage or Resource Usage view when you want to compare baseline start dates to scheduled or actual start dates for assignments.
Example You set the baseline for your project a month ago. Jamie was assigned to the "Develop estimate" task, which at that time was scheduled to start on January 3. Jamie started the assignment on January 8. In the Task Usage view, you have added the Baseline Start and Actual Start fields. The Baseline Start field for Jamie's assignment contains January 3, and the Actual Start field contains January 8.
Remarks The Baseline Start field contains "NA" until you save a baseline for the project. You set a baseline in the Set Baseline dialog box. Setting the baseline copies the currently scheduled fields for assignments into the corresponding baseline fields.
