Capturing link data for JIra issues in CSV import

rsstorey

My program heavily uses Jira as a data source within our Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) environment.  We use No Magic's MagicDraw application to import data via csv to support modeling across the entire program enterprise.  One of the key aspects of MBSE is defining relationships between the thousands of model SysML elements that represents every aspect of a program from end to end in a highly dynamic environment.

I came across an issue with a new Jira project I need to integrate into our MBSE environment.  Each JIra issue has numerous links to other issues that represent the associated relationship between these issues.  I query Jira to return the 5000+ issues in a list view.  The link includes the "Links" column with lists each of the issues by Jira Key which is a hyper link. When  I export this list and open it in Microsoft Excel the links for each issue are listed in a single cell separated by comma with no information indicating type type of relationship (input, output, part of, parent, child, etc.).

The first obstacle, is there a way to identify the type of relationship for the link (this will help in identifying the type of SysML associated to be created within the MBSE project)

Second, is there a way to list the data as a separate line for each unique Jira Issue and each link (to the link Jira issue).

Andy Heinzer

Hi,

I understand that you are working with with CSV files in order to import/export Jira data and it seems that some of that data appears to be getting mangled in the process.  However I am finding a few differences between what you have stated and what I see in my latest test version of Jira 8.3.2.  You mentioned:

The link includes the "Links" column with lists each of the issues by Jira Key which is a hyper link. When I export this list and open it in Microsoft Excel the links for each issue are listed in a single cell separated by comma with no information indicating type type of relationship

However when I export a search of issues from Jira into the CSV format, I don't see a single Links field.  Nor do I see hyperlinks on these values.  Instead, I get separate column names such as

"Outward issue link (Blocks)" "Outward issue link (Duplicate)" "Outward issue link (Duplicate)"

And in my case, I only see the issue key, without any hyperlink.  This format is compatible with our KB on How to Import Issue Links from a CSV File. 

I'm not sure why you might be seeing this differently in your environment.  It could be the version of Jira you're using here, which would be interesting.  But I'd also want to see if perhaps you might not be using the true CSV exporter in Jira.  I say that because this feature was only really implemented in Jira 7.2 and higher.  Before that time, Jira 7.1.x and earlier, had an Excel exporter, which functioned very similarly, but it did have some Excel specific features that it could implement, like hyperlinking values, something the CSV exporter doesn't do for issue links. If the export is actually creating a .xls file that is directly opened in Excel, then it might be part of the problem here.  But if your export is actually creating a file with an extension of .csv when exported, then maybe not.

So perhaps there is something different about your version of Jira, and/or the export option you are using (Excel, CSV, HTML, XML can all export this issue data, but they could each have slightly different formatting that might be munging the data in an unfavorable way).  Please let me know what version of Jira you are using here, and the specific option that you select when you choose the Export option (ie CSV current fields, CSV all fields, RSS, HTML All fields, HTML current fields, XML, Excel all fields, Excel current fields, word, printable, full content).  I would be interested to see what more we can learn about this.

Please let me know.

Andy