Change status of Story Independantly from Tasks

[Deleted user]

HI 

I have Stories - I have created a story workflow with the following status's Inprogress>>CodeReview>>QA>>Done

I have created a subTask workflow with the following >>Inprogress>>TaskDone

Now the idea is when all tasks are TaskDone we can move the story to CodeReview and then to QA and not the tasks. Is this possible? Like it is in TFS?

I need to be able to set the status of the story and not have it linked to the tasks?

When i try to add the column it says it is automatically calculated and can't be edited, well how is this setup and defined. This is really a decision breaker for us weather we as a corporation use JIRA or TFS.

Thanks

Gareth 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, most of that sounds right, you absolutely can have stories independent of tasks.  As you've said, create two workflows, and use the workflow scheme to associate them with the different issue types.  Issue types are independent of each other, so once you've got that setup, you will have independent flows for the two types.

JIRA Software does have a minor addendum - when you close the last sub-task of a story, it can automatically move the story to "done" as well, but other than that, if you want issue types to interact with each other, you have to code for it!

However, I'm stuck on two things:

1.  You say you've done the workflow stuff, so I don't understand what is not working
2. You say "when I try to add the column"?  What column, and where are you adding it? 

[Deleted user]

Hey Nic 

I have setup two workflows one for the subtasks and one for the stories. I have just started my first sprint and I am ablt to drag subtasks into inprgress and TaskDone as defined in my workflow. 

But Stories cant be dragged. So I went to edit the story and the "status column is not there" so i used the "Where is my Field Option" searched or "status" and the message says  "The 'Status' field is not present on the form you are viewing" So how do I update the status of the story to be in CodeReview for Instance?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I think there might be two separate parts to this question.

First, there's the board behaviour - I'd like to skip that though, as I want to get the other stuff right, and make sure I fully understand what you've got set up. 

So, the workflows.  You have two workflows, as per your question.  I'm going to assume they are names something like Story-wf and Subtask-wf.  Can you tell me what the *workflow scheme* for the project says now?

I'm expecting/hoping for something like

• default: Story-wf
• sub-tasks: Subtask-wf

Is that correct?  If it's different, could you show us?

[Deleted user]

Hi Nic 

Yes Exactly I have two workflows one for subtasks and one for Stories. See attachment

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, great, so I'm assuming the project is using CCAP workflow scheme, and the scheme says to use the workflows as their titles imply.

Next step is a view of the board config - what status do you have in each column on the board?

[Deleted user]

Jira2.png

Here are the status's

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Excellent.  Last few questions

1.  What columns are you trying to drag the stories from and to? 
2. I'm pretty sure you've done this, but is the "in progress" status shared?  i.e. both workflows use the same status for it?
3. Do your transitions have any "conditions" on them?

[Deleted user]

Hey Nic

What I would like to do is once all the tasks are done move the story automatically into code review. Then i would like to move it to QA and if the QA accepts it move it to done.

Cheers

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You said the problem was that you could not move stories, not that you wanted to automate something.

Automation like that requires code - you'll need to find or write something to do it.

[Deleted user]

I cant change the status of the Stories. I would like to automate the story status to code review when all tasks are done. But after that the story status I would like to have it manually set when code review is passed - I want it change it to QA once deployed and again when the tester gives the ok I want to change the status to done.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, your automation is a separate thing, but you need to have the stories working before you can automate it really, so let's stick with that.

Could you take a look at the three questions I asked a couple of comments ago?

[Andrew Main]

Sure!
I had to send the comment from another account as i can only comment twice a day so I have to wait 24 hours, really TFS is seeming much easier and a lot better support but will give it one last stab :)

1) I want to be able to Drag the story from In-progress to CodeReview, Then TO QA, Then to Done.
2) Yes both the Story and task work flow use the same in-progress
3) No conditions on my transitions

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, your setup should quite happily support that, so we need to look at what is blocking it.

Can you pick a story that you don't seem to be able to drag between two of the columns (For example, one that's in Code Review and needs to go to QA).  Could you then do these quick tests:

1. Pick up the card on the board.  Does a box appear around the QA column?
2. When you drag it over to the QA column and let go, does it float back to Code Review?  Or does it appear to stay in QA but then move back when you refresh
3. Could you go to the plain issue view of the whole issue < http://yourjira/browse/ABC-123 > and look at the options across the top - do you have any transitions listed there at all?
4. Also on the issue view, check what the status is

[Andrew Main]

1) No box appears there is a Blocked Icon that appears.
2) Same blocked Icon appears when dragging
3) AcrossThe Top It has Todo >>InProgress>>InProgress
4) The status is InProgress

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, that answers it.  Your story is not using the story workflow, it's set up to use the sub-task one.

You'll need to fix the workflow scheme for the the project.

[Deleted user]

Hi Nic No they are both setup ok but it does not work see attachment jira3

see attachment

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Then the project is not using that workflow scheme.

[Jacob Singh]

I read through this thread and @[deleted] is very clear to me, but I'm not seeing @Nic Brough -Adaptavist- understanding it.  I'll give it a shot since I have the same problem now and I used to do this in Greenhopper easily.

In most Agile teams, you use users stories for features and subtasks for implementation details.  Great, the sprint board lets us move tasks to in progress and then done under the heading of a story.

Generally speaking, there is a review process before calling a story done.  There is no review process for each task.

So we don't have an "in review" column for the tasks.

When an engineering finishes the last task, the system asks if you want to change the story to "done".  I say no.  I want to change it to a status called "In review" and assign it to someone.

1. How do I do this? I'm talking manually, I don't see how it is possible from the interfaces in front of me to open the story and change its status (I cannot drag it since I can only drag the subtasks).  I also can't "edit" it and change the status field. 

2. If I can do it, how can I visually show the story status as "needs review" on the scrum board - this could be a color change, an icon, or worst case, just some text **Needs Review** written on the row/heading for the story.

3. Is it possible to automate #1?

Thank you

Jacob

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I understand it perfectly, Gareth's project was not using the workflow he thought it was.  I don't see what you think I am not understanding here.

On your questions

1.  You drag it.  Or click the workflow actions on the issue view.  If you can't drag it or there are no appropriate workflow actions showing, then your workflow is not set to allow it - either there is no transition for it, or conditions are blocking you.  Check your workflow.   (You don't "edit" it because status is not a field, it's an indicator of position in your process, and you need to transition the issues)

2. Include the step in your workflow, use the flag field, use a custom field and set colours on the board display or just put the field on the cards.

3.  Yes, with the automation or scripting add-ons.

[Jacob Singh]

Thanks for your response.

I found that I can go to the "issue view" and there it can be done.  Here's the problem with the "Agile board" where it can't be done from:

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

There's nothing wrong there.  As I said before, "status is not a field"

[Jacob Singh]

So... when you said "Drag it", could you point me to where I can drag a story from one state to another? 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I can't really expand on that.  You pick it up and drag it, the same way you do for tasks.  If you can't drop it into a column, your workflow does not allow for it - as I said "either there is no transition for it, or conditions are blocking you"

[Jacob Singh]

Given the screenshot I sent above... where would you drag the story from?

The story is the green heading below which the tasks are listed.  It has got nothing to do with allowed transitions, it goes across all columns.  There is no way to drag it anywhere.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You've got swimlanes by story selected.  From where your arrow is, but if you're struggling, try a different board with different swimlanes

[Jacob Singh]

Yeah... so basically you're saying that in "Agile" mode, with the default sprint board (if you're using sub-tasks, which it is set up to do by default), there is no way to drag a story to change it, nor is there a way to change it from the issue card. You have to go to the issue view for the story.  Or a developer has to click on a different board, find the story again, move it, and then get back to the sprint board.  Am I getting that right?

[Kyle_Semon]

@Jacob Singh Hopefully you have this figured out by now. If not, try the following. From the board, do the following. Select the "Story" (not the subtask) that you are looking to modify the status of. Once selected, you should see the selected Story's details appear on the right side of the screen. Select the "3-dots" in the top right corner, navigate to the bottom of the options and select "More Options..." From the drop down, you should see "Workflow" at the top with the configured workflow status'. Select one (In Progress, Ready For Review, etc.). Verify in the Story details that the status has been updated to whatever you selected. You can also navigate to the story itself and update the status directly from the story (select the workflow status at the top of the story).

[Andres Cifuentes]

@Kyle_Semon your instructions worked! thanks.

That being said, it's something very hidden for being a frequently used feature.

[Kyle_Semon]

Glad I could help man!

[Oscar Naranjo]

@Kyle_Semon That is helpful - thanks for that. This, however, just takes away one step where I don't have to go into Issue View to change the status. 

I see @Jacob Singh's issue here where we cannot drag user stories that are subtasked out. The only way you can drag user stories is if they do not have any subtasks associated with it. This is a poor design but we gotta do with what we got. 

My question is: When moving the last subtask of a user story, you are prompted with the question if you would like to also move the parent (user story) to the same status. Can we change the default status that a user story can go to when all the subtasks are completed?

in my workflow - after moving the subtasks to done, I would like to move the User Story to a demo status that is one step before in my flow: to-do > in prog > awaiting PO > Done. 

[Kyle_Semon]

@Oscar Naranjo 

Hmm... I'm not sure of a specific configuration you can modify to simply change the default. However, I can suggest two things you can try:

1) Modify your workflow, as you've suggested, to require the story to go into a "Ready for Demo" status. You'll need to create the status and then add/modify transitions as needed.

2) Define Jira Automation to auto-magically move your status into the "Ready for Demo" status once all sub-tasks are "ready for demo, done, closed, etc." I have used Jira Automation for things like auto-creating new stories when the Sprint ends (or clone), automatically change the Story's status when subtask status' change (i.e. If subtask moves to In-Progress, then Story moves to In-Progress).

Hope that at least gives you some ideas on how you can make Jira more efficient and easier to use.

Kyle.