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automation of multiple sub-tasks

Tim Foster

I have what I thought would be a simple automation, but it's causing me huge headaches.

I trigger the creation of multiple tasks based on a transition. This all works nicely and my tasks are created without any issue. However, I want to extend this so that some of the tasks also have sub-tasks. For example, one task is for the maths on the project. The maths are split into development maths and final maths, both of which are sub-tasks under Maths.

The sub-tasks fail with "You can't add sub-tasks to epics. Sub-tasks are automatically associated with the same epic as their parent issues."

I originally tried this in a linear format with the sub-task created next and the Parent issue set to the variable created after the Task. The audit log is displaying this as the correct issue.

This was producing the error, so I changed it to branch after writing to the audit.

First with the branch defined as most recently created issue (i.e. the MathsTask). This still produced the same error, so I've changed it to branch on JQL of key = {{MathsTask}} but it still gives the error. After creating the branch, I have changed Parent issue for the sub-task to be {{MathsTask}} and Current Issue, although both still return the same error.

I have added an audit log immediately inside the branch that correctly writes the same MathsTask key using Branch Task is {{key}}.

I'm sure this is something simple. Can anyone help?

Accepted answers

Stefan Salzl

Hi @Tim Foster ,

I cannot really read out the real function use case. Could you please provide a step by step description from a user/functional perspective ("given - when - then/and", describing what should happen when/under which conditions)? this would make it easier to find a target-aimed solution. In addition could you please also provide a screenshot of the whole automation rule as well as from audit log for deeper analyze?

Thanks in advance.

Best
Stefan

All comments

Stefan Salzl

Hi @Tim Foster ,

Thanks in advance.

Best
Stefan

Tim Foster

Hi Stefan,

I can provide the functional perspective, but as the automation creates around 20-30 tasks it's hard to put in to screenshots.

Functionally, it should trigger when an Epic transitions from planning to planned.

Then create task T1
Then create task T2
Store the key of T2 in variable {{T2Task}}
Write an audit log for {{T2Task}} (so I know it's correct)
Then create sub-task T2.1 setting the parent as {{T2Task}}
Then create sub-task T2.2 setting the parent as {{T2Task}}
Then create Task T3
Store the key of T3 in variable {{T3Task}}
Write an audit log for {{T3Task}} (so I know it's correct)
Then create sub-task T3.1 setting the parent as {{T3Task}}
Then create sub-task T3.2 setting the parent as {{T3Task}}

The problem is that whether it's linear (as above), or branched at the point of T2 and T3 being created, the sub-tasks fail

Stefan Salzl

Now as trying to build this I realized there is the "create issue" in your rule with setting the parent. This case is meant to set an Epic as parent for issues on (main) issue level. A subtask cannot be created standalone and then connected to a parent.

There is a seperate action "create subtask" for this so you wouldn´t even need to story the issue in a variable. With this action you could process linear or add a "recently created issue" branch if you´d like to have a more structured view of your rule components.

Hope this helps.

Best
Stefan

Tim Foster

I had seen that option, but since I want to add additional fields (component, estimated time etc) it reverts to adding them in the same way as Create Task and selecting the type as sub-task.

I tried just creating them as bare bones with just a summary as per your screenshot, but this creating them as sub-tasks of the Epic not the Maths task that I had created in the step before.

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