How To: Read MPP files

The native Microsoft Project file format is typically has the extension MPP (or MPT for a template file). Although a common file extension uis used, there are actually a number if different variants of the file format. The list below shows the different variants, and the versions of Microsoft Project which produce them:

• MPP8 - Project 98
• MPP9 - Project 2000 and Project 2002
• MPP12 - Project 2003, Project 2007
• MPP14 - Project 2010 and all later versions

Reading MPP files

The simplest way to read an MPP file is to use the UniversalProjectReader:

JavaC#

package org.mpxj.howto.read;

import net.sf.mpxj.ProjectFile;
import net.sf.mpxj.reader.UniversalProjectReader;

public class MPP
{
    public void read() throws Exception
    {
        UniversalProjectReader reader = new UniversalProjectReader();
        ProjectFile project = reader.read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

using MPXJ.Net;

namespace MPXJ.Samples.HowToRead;

public class MPP
{
    public void Read()
    {
        var reader = new UniversalProjectReader();
        var project = reader.Read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

Using MPPReader

You can work directly with the MPPReader class by replacing UniversalProjectReader with MPPReader. This provides access to additional options, as described below.

Password Protected Files

When a read password has been set for an MPP file, the contents of the file are partially encrypted. If you attempt to read an MPP file which has been password protected an MPXJException will be raised, with the message File is password protected.

MPXJ only supports decryption of password protected MPP9 files. The code below illustrates how you would supply the password:

JavaC#

package org.mpxj.howto.read;

import net.sf.mpxj.ProjectFile;
import net.sf.mpxj.mpp.MPPReader;

public class MPPWithPassword
{
    public void read() throws Exception
    {
        MPPReader reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.setReadPassword("my secret password");
        ProjectFile project = reader.read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

using MPXJ.Net;

namespace MPXJ.Samples.HowToRead;

public class MPPWithPassword
{
    public void Read()
    {
        var reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.ReadPassword = "my secret password";
        var project = reader.Read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

The encryption used by MPP9 files doesn't actually require the password in order to read the contents of the file. If you wish you can set a flag to ignore the MPP9 password protection.

JavaC#

package org.mpxj.howto.read;

import net.sf.mpxj.ProjectFile;
import net.sf.mpxj.mpp.MPPReader;

public class MPPIgnorePassword
{
    public void read() throws Exception
    {
        MPPReader reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.setRespectPasswordProtection(false);
        ProjectFile project = reader.read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

using MPXJ.Net;

namespace MPXJ.Samples.HowToRead;

public class MPPIgnorePassword
{
    public void Read()
    {
        var reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.RespectPasswordProtection = false;
        var project = reader.Read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

Presentation Data

Alongside the schedule data itself, MPXJ also extracts much of the presentation data available in an MPP file, for example table layouts, filters, graphical indicators and so on. If you are not interested in this type of data, you can tell MPXJ not to read it. This will speed up reading MPP files, and slightly reduce memory consumption. To do this you will use the setReadPresentationData method, as shown below:

JavaC#

package org.mpxj.howto.read;

import net.sf.mpxj.ProjectFile;
import net.sf.mpxj.mpp.MPPReader;

public class MPPPresentationData
{
    public void read() throws Exception
    {
        MPPReader reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.setReadPresentationData(false);
        ProjectFile project = reader.read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

using MPXJ.Net;

namespace MPXJ.Samples.HowToRead;

public class MPPPresentationData
{
    public void Read()
    {
        var reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.ReadPresentationData = false;
        var project = reader.Read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

Properties Only

Should you wish to simply "peek" at the contents of the MPP file by just reading the summary properties from the file, you can use the setReadPropertiesOnly method as shown below:

JavaC#

package org.mpxj.howto.read;

import net.sf.mpxj.ProjectFile;
import net.sf.mpxj.mpp.MPPReader;

public class MPPPropertiesOnly
{
    public void read() throws Exception
    {
        MPPReader reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.setReadPropertiesOnly(true);
        ProjectFile project = reader.read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

using MPXJ.Net;

namespace MPXJ.Samples.HowToRead;

public class MPPPropertiesOnly
{
    public void Read()
    {
        var reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.ReadPropertiesOnly = true;
        var project = reader.Read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

Raw timephased data

When MPXJ reads timephased data from an MPP file it "normalises" the data, converting it from the compact format Microsoft Project uses internally into a representation which shows the timephased values day-by-day. This is generally easier to understand, and can be further processed using the methods in the TimephasedUtility class to show the data over the required timescale.

If you do not want MPXJ to normalise the data, and would prefer instead to work with the raw data directly from the MPP file, you can use the setUseRawTimephasedData to do this, as shown below:

JavaC#

package org.mpxj.howto.read;

import net.sf.mpxj.ProjectFile;
import net.sf.mpxj.mpp.MPPReader;

public class MPPRawTimephased
{
    public void read() throws Exception
    {
        MPPReader reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.setUseRawTimephasedData(true);
        ProjectFile project = reader.read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}

using MPXJ.Net;

namespace MPXJ.Samples.HowToRead;

public class MPPRawTimephased
{
    public void Read()
    {
        var reader = new MPPReader();
        reader.UseRawTimephasedData = true;
        var project = reader.Read("my-sample.mpp");
    }
}