Inserter/Extender Duplicates Filter doesn't work in Structure

Question

Hi - I have what (to me) appears like a textbook case (as described here: https://wiki.almworks.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=32223424) for the use of the Inserter/Extender Duplicates filter, but it doesn't work.

My Structure is set up as follows:

[filter] Remove Inserter/Extender Duplicates

🔗Add issues linked by Blocks: parent is blocked by children
🔗Add sub-tasks
🔗Add issues belonging to epics
+ Insert issues: project = ProjectName and bucket = BucketName and issuetype = Epic and status != closed

But I'm still seeing the following:

Epic
   Task 1 (is blocked by Task 2)
      Task 2 (is blocked by Task 3)
   Task 2
      Task 3

What am I doing wrong?

Egor Tasa [ALM Works] · Answer

Hi Maria,

No Epic folder could be collapsed and ignored, but since there is also a question of closed Epics, there may be another step (well, maybe a couple) that may help. The solution is complicated by the fact that filter generators run before grouper generators, so you cannot filter groups without doing another step:

Create a new structure, insert first structure there (Automation+>Insert>Structure). Filters run after insertes, so then add S-JQL filter descendants_or_self of [status != "Closed"]

In your case non-closed may mean something else, so modify the expression accordingly. Please, let me know if it helps.

Regards,
Egor

Maria_McNamara · Answer

So I've tried this and the main issues I ran into is: my original query only shows epics which are not closed. I know what the JQL to use to insert tasks of non-closed epics (I did some searching and it doesn't appear that such query is possible without a plug-in). This leads to a much noisier view. Also, the section that has "no epic" is very messy: it includes epics and tasks. Not sure this is going to work as suggested. :(

Egor Tasa [ALM Works] · Answer

Thanks for the clarification, Maria. One solution I think of is the following:

* Insert Tasks, rather than Epics
* Extend by parent blocked by children
* Filter Inserter/Extender duplicates
* Group by Epic

I believe this setup would work as you require, except for it will show some orphaned tasks, but these can be ignored, or maybe it will even be useful to see them.

Please, try the solution and let me know if it works for you.

Regards,
Egor