Overview
The WBS Dictionary is where you define the content of each WBS element; the descriptions, assumptions, justifications, and metadata that give meaning to your project structure. Each WBS element appears as a card showing its code and name; expand a card to view or edit its notebook fields.
Use the WBS Dictionary when you need to review or update WBS descriptions across the project, export a formatted WBS document for a client or contract deliverable, or confirm that all required notebook fields are populated before a review.
URL: /Estimating/WBSDictionary/Index
Prerequisites
- A project must be selected before the dictionary loads.
- Non-administrator users see only WBS elements they have permissions for. Administrators see all WBS elements regardless of permissions.
Filters
| Filter | Description |
|---|
| Project | Required. Loads the WBS structure for the selected project. |
| WBS | The WBS element to start from. Only that element and its descendants are shown. When a project is selected, the first WBS element is selected automatically. |
| WBS Level | Controls how deep into the WBS hierarchy to show. Level 1 shows only the selected WBS element itself; higher levels show its children down to that depth. The available levels are determined by the actual depth of the selected WBS element. |
| Show Empty WBS | Controls which elements appear based on whether their notebook fields are populated. See Display Options below. |
Display Options
Use the Show Empty WBS filter to control which elements appear:
| Setting | Description |
|---|
| Show | All WBS elements within the selected WBS and level, whether or not they have notebook content |
| Hide | Only WBS elements that have at least one notebook field populated |
| Only | Only WBS elements with no notebook content; useful for finding gaps before a review |
Viewing WBS Cards
Each WBS element appears as a card with the WBS code and name in the header. The card body shows all populated notebook fields for that element in read mode.
- Fields are displayed with their configured label, followed by the value.
- Code file fields show both the code and its description.
- CAM fields show the user’s name, not their system ID.
- Fields with help text configured show an ⓘ icon next to the label. Hover over the icon to read the help text.
- If a WBS element has no populated notebook fields, the card body shows “No dictionary data for this WBS.”
WBS File Uploads: if the administrator has attached file links to a WBS element (via Admin > Codes), those links appear below the notebook fields under a “WBS File Upload” heading. These links are read-only in the dictionary; they can only be managed from the Admin > Codes page.
Editing Notebook Fields
There are two ways to edit notebook fields: global Edit Mode (edit all visible cards at once) and per-card editing (edit one card at a time).
Global Edit Mode
Enable Edit Mode using the checkbox in the toolbar. When Edit Mode is on:
- All visible cards switch to editable form fields simultaneously.
- Pagination activates: cards are shown 10 per page. Use the First / Previous / page number input / Next / Last controls to navigate. You can also type a page number directly into the page input field.
- Save All buttons appear both above and below the card list. Clicking either saves all editable fields currently visible on the page.
Disable Edit Mode to return to read-only view.
Per-Card Editing
When Edit Mode is off, each card has an Edit (pencil) icon in its header. Click it to open just that card for editing without affecting the rest of the page. A Save button appears at the bottom of that card. After saving, the card returns to view mode and the Edit icon reappears.
Notebook Field Types
The fields available on each card are configured by your administrator at the project level. Different projects may have different field sets and field types. The field types you may encounter when editing:
| Field Type | Description |
|---|
| Rich Text (WYSIWYG) | Full text editor with formatting toolbar; bold, italic, lists, and other formatting options |
| Text | Single-line plain text input |
| Textarea | Multi-line plain text input |
| Radio | Choose one option from a set of radio buttons |
| Checkbox | Choose one or more options from a set of checkboxes |
| Dropdown | Select one option from a dropdown list |
| Date | Date picker input |
| Code File | Dropdown populated from an admin-configured code file |
| CAM | Dropdown of system users; shows the user’s name in view mode |
The notebook fields available and their types are configured by your administrator in Admin > Notebooks. Different projects may have different sets of fields.
Exporting
Click the Download icon in the top right and choose an export format. Both exports reflect the current WBS filter and Show Empty WBS setting; only the WBS elements currently visible are included.
| Format | Output | Structure |
|---|
| Export as PDF | {Project Name} - WBS with Definition.pdf | Two-column table: WBS Code and WBS Name as column headers. Each WBS element gets a header row followed by rows for each populated notebook field (label and value). |
| Export as Word Document | {Project Name} - WBS with Definition.docx | Auto-generated Table of Contents on the first page. Each WBS element is an H1 heading; each notebook category is an H2 subheading with the value below it. |
