# File Formats Supported by Microsoft Project

With Microsoft Project you can open and save project files in several different formats, such as those used by other project management programs or programs that use different types of information, such as spreadsheet, word-processing, or database programs. Some formats allow you to save all the information in your project, and some formats allow you to save only the data contained in Microsoft Project fields.

You can also export a Microsoft Project schedule as a graphics file for enhancement in a graphics program and for printing on a plotter.

Non-Microsoft Project file formats use import/export maps to transfer information between programs. You may need to create or edit an import/export map to ensure that the information is imported into the proper fields.

File format | Definition
--- | ---
Microsoft Project file | The standard file format for a project, which uses the .mpp extension.
Microsoft Project template file | A template file in which you can save boilerplate information and that uses the .mpt extension. The global template (Global.mpt) is a master template file that contains formatting information for all projects, but can’t store tasks, resources, and assignments.
Microsoft Project database | A database format used with Microsoft Project for storing entire projects and that uses the .mpd extension.
MPX (Microsoft Project exchange) | An ASCII format used with project management and various other programs that support MPX 4.0 and that uses the .mpx extension. Microsoft Project 4.0, Microsoft Project 4.1, and Microsoft Project 98 use the MPX 4.0 file format. You can export field data to this format, but not an entire project. Some information specific to Microsoft Project 98 will not be saved.
Microsoft Access | A format used by the Microsoft Access 97 database program. You save all or part of a project to the Microsoft Access format, which uses the .mdb extension.
Microsoft Excel | A format used by the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet programs and that uses the .xls extension. You export field data to this format, but not an entire project. Microsoft Project can read information from a Microsoft Excel 97 file, but it can’t write to a Microsoft Excel 97 file.
Microsoft Excel PivotTable® | A format used by the Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0 spreadsheet programs for a PivotTable. You export field data to this format, but not an entire project. You can only export to a Microsoft Excel PivotTable; you can’t import data from a Microsoft Excel PivotTable into Microsoft Project.
HTML | HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) format is used by browser programs on the World Wide Web and intranets. You can export field data to this format, but not an entire project. HTML format files use the extension .htm. You can only export to HTML format; you can’t import data from HTML format into Microsoft Project.
Text-only or ASCII | A generic text format that is used by word-processing and other programs, uses the .txt extension, and is tab-delimited. You can export field data from a single Microsoft Project table to this format, but not an entire project.
CSV (system list separator) | A generic text ASCII format that is used with word- processing and other programs and that uses the .csv extension, where values are separated by the system list separator. You can export field data from a single Microsoft Project table to this format, but not an entire project.

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