Set Start Date from Linked Issue's Due Date with Smart Values

[Eric Younkin]

Hello! I'm trying to create a template for creating an Epic with several tasks underneath it, all linked together and set with cascading start and due dates, meaning when Task 1's due date then sets Task 2's start date to be the same day, and so on. I have the automation working perfectly for creating all tasks and linking them together within the Epic as child Tasks, but I am not able to pull the start date based on the linked issue's due date. I'm thinking I'm trying to use incorrect smart values. Here is what I've tried so far, in the "set start date" field in the automation:

{{issue.issuelinks.inwardIssue.issue.dueDate}}

{{issue.issuelinks.outwardIssue.issue.dueDate}}

{{issue.issuelinks.inwardIssue.issuedueDate}}

{{issue.issuelinks.outwardIssue.issuedueDate}}

...All the tasks are being created and linked, no errors on the automation log, but under no circumstances are the start dates being updated at all. The first task is able to be (because I can reference the "trigger issue" in the automation for the first task), but the additional tasks have no way of referencing "most recently created issue" with smart values, which is why I'm trying to reference the linked issue's with smart values instead.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Bill Sheboy · Accepted solution]

Hi @Eric Younkin 

When you have an Epic with child Tasks, they normally do not use linking that way.  Instead the Tasks all just have the same Parent (or Epic Link) value to point to the Epic.  Why are you using links to connect them?

Next thing: for a question like this, please post images of your complete automation rule and the audit log details showing the execution.  Those will provide context for the community to offer suggestions.  Thanks!

Until we see those...I suspect you can do what you ask by using a chain of updates, referencing the last created issue, such as this:

• action: create issue 1, setting the first start date and due date
• action: create issue 2, setting the start date to {{createdIssue.duedate}} and so on

Kind regards,
Bill

[Eric Younkin]

@Bill Sheboy ,

Thanks for the quick response. The reason for the linking of child Tasks is to create a waterfall dependency structure for Project Management (I know, agile is the way to go, but we have constraints with these groups). It allows for automation to automatically adjust start dates when tasks go over, like so:

Here is the automation for the first 2 tasks. I tried your last suggestion but that doesn't seem to help. I've tried branching but can't get anything to reference the due date of the last created task at all.:

Here is Task 1 in detail. This is working, because I can reference the trigger issue for the start date:

Here is the detail for the second task automation, which is the one that is NOT working:

The end result is below - the tasks are created and linked correctly, the first task has the correct start/end date, but the 2nd task is not catching a start date at all, no matter what I try:

Thanks again for your help!

Eric

[Bill Sheboy]

Thanks for that information.

Next thing to try: smart values are name, spacing, and case-sensitive.  And, the one for Due Date is normally this {{issue.duedate}}  so perhaps try this for updating the next issue: {{createdIssue.duedate}}

I also recommend writing {{createdIssue.duedate}} to the audit log to confirm it works as you expect.

[Eric Younkin]

Thanks @Bill Sheboy - I initially tried lowercase 'd' in date as you suggested, but have seen it as uppercase in other posts so tried that also. I just changed it back to lowercase per above, and same result. Here is the audit log (not very telling):

[Trudy Claspill]

Adding in...

@Eric Younkin I don't see in the Automation where you are setting the Due Date for Task 1. Are you setting its Due Date in this same automation rule?

If the Due Date field on the Task 1 is not getting set, then that would explain why the Start Date for Task 2 has no value.

[Eric Younkin]

@Trudy Claspill , YES!!! I didn't even think of that, but you are absolutely right. I was setting the due date with a separate automation used to keep tasks in line as they are worked. When I changed it to be part of this automation, that solved the problem!

Thanks so much for your help - I wish I would have thought of that sooner!

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @Eric Younkin 

Do each of your tasks have only one inward and one outward linked issue?

I think you don't need the .issue portion of the syntax before the .duedate portion. 

I have not actually tried to use the issuelinks property, but I did find this old post that that suggests alternative syntax.

[Eric Younkin]

Thanks @Trudy Claspill for the quick response. Yes, each of the tasks have only one inward / outward linked issue to create a single task waterfall (first, then, then, etc. as you can see in the pics above). I've tried removing the ".issue" and only using the ".duedate" to no avail, unfortunately. I've seen that post you reference and tried the syntax on that one as well, including using "{{issue.issuelinks.last.inwardIssue.duedate}}" AND "{{issue.issuelinks.last.outwardIssue.duedate}}", but neither of those worked either.

Thanks!

Eric