How can I sort card using the advanced checklist dates in addition to the card due date?

Question

I have a board that I want to maintain sorted by due date. For all the cards with a due date, that's not a problem and I've created some automation to do it in the background as soon as I assign or change a due date on a card.

I've recently started using advanced checklists and due dates on checklist items and I can't find a way to sort while taking into account the checklist dates. I'd want the cards sorted by due date across the whole card, not just the overall due date and have it pick up the due date in the checklist to bubble up the card to the top.

Is this possible?

Earl McCutcheon · Answer

Hey @PatrickC ,

Ok Yes, I definitely missed the mark, and a big thanks for the update and clarification.

I'm glad to hear you got a workaround and an additional thanks for sharing it, as I am sure it will help someone else out that finds this post with a similar question.

Regards,
Earl

PatrickC · Answer

Thanks - I fully agree with what you are suggesting if I was creating a custom checkbox but what I am talking about is the "Advanced Checklist" which allows adding a granular due date to each checklist task. I was hoping that sorting by due date would take those granular checklist due date items into consideration when ordering cards by the due date instead of just using the primary card due date.

I've since heard back from the Trello team that sadly, this is not possible at this time as there is no way for the checklist items due dates to be used for sorting. They are still visible on the card and will change color just like the regular due date but won't impact the sort by due date. The only workaround I have found to ensure cards bubble up the list is to maintain the card due date to match the checklist item due date. It's inconvenient as I'd like to use the overall card due date for something else but this at least ensures the cards sort properly for now.

Thanks for the reply Earl

Patrick

Earl McCutcheon · Answer

Hello @PatrickC ,

Thanks for reaching out and I am a little unsure of exactly what you are looking for, please clarify if I missed the mark with the following.

But looking this over it sounds like you are trying to set the due date based on a value selected in the custom field that is type "Checkboxes", the big question is what are the options for the field and how are you trying to apply the date shift?  Is the value in the checkbox a number to increment or are you trying to increment by a set number of days or something else entirely?

One idea I had is if you had a set value to increment by for example if you wanted to increment by 5 days each time a check box is selected you could shift the due date to now plus 5 days on edit, and if this is the case you could do something like the following with automation rules using Smart values, looking at "Smart values - date and time functions"  as a reference point:

* When * Value Changes for "Custom Checkbox":

* Then* Edit Issue Field* Due date
* Smart Value;* {{now.PlusBusinessDays(5)}}

Noting the above is a super basic automation and would add 5 days any time a checkbox is selected or deselected, in any order, so I would also suggest adding in an "if Block"  statements to isolate the various conditions for the edits,  like the following as a possibility

* When * Value Changes for "Custom Checkbox":

* If Block: * If Matches* "Custom Checkbox" contains all of* Option 1

* Then* Edit Issue Field* Due date
* Smart Value;* {{now.PlusBusinessDays(5)}}

* ELSE:* "Custom Checkbox" contains all of* Option 1
* Option 2

* Then* Edit Issue Field* Due date
* Smart Value;* {{now.PlusBusinessDays(2)}}

* ELSE...... and so on for each possible combo and outcome, per the checklist options

You could even take it a bit further and do the logic based on an Advanced compare condition using the {{fieldChange.fromString}} or {{fieldChange.toString}} variables to issues the changes based on the option combinations, additional details on this variable can be seen in "Smart values" , noting:

fieldChange

The changed field value is available anywhere smart values are supported using the {{fieldChange}} substitution. Use {{fieldChange.fromString}} and {{fieldChange.toString}} to access display values and {{fieldChange.from}} and {{fieldChange.to}} to access raw values (for a select field for example).

{{fieldChange}} only contains the first changed value. If multiple values are changed (e.g. when setting multiple Fix Versions) then you can iterate over these using the {{#changelog.fixVersion}}{{toString}}{{/changelog.fixVersion}} expression.

Hope this helps, and again let me know if it was something else entirely that you were looking for.

Regards,
Earl