ability to auto update sub-tasks when parent tasks change?

Raf January 7, 2014

it seems like parent/child tasks are not linked in any meaningful way. if i set the parent tasks to complete this should mean that the child tasks are complete, or in testing. etc.

is it possible to cascade some changes to sub-tasks? if for example i want to move a parent to a different fix version, now i have to make this change on every sub task.

1 answer

1 accepted

0 votes
Answer accepted
Nic Brough -Adaptavist-
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
January 7, 2014

No, they're not linked automatically, because people have different needs for their interaction

Some don't need any updates, some need data to cascade down, others need it to roll up, some just need blocks on processes ("do not allow close of parent while sub-tasks are open, but don't touch data on other issues just because you've changed something on one issue", for example). There's no way to define a rule that would work for everyone, hence there's no way to code for it.

You'll need to find or write plugins that implement your particular business logic. There's quite a few in the marketplace, but frankly, use the "script runner" plugin. You'll need to learn a bit of coding and the Jira api, but the examples provided are really good, and you'll find your coding becomes copy and tweak (and, of course, trawl "answers" for code and ideas)

Raf January 7, 2014

interesting.

how would those be applied to the cloud based product?

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
January 7, 2014

Oh. OnDemand. Right.

No script runner, and most of the plugins that do this stuff are disallowed too.

You should have the "block transition unless subtasks are in status" condition for your workflows though, and "Jira misc workflows" has a few post-functions for updating parent/child issues

Raf January 7, 2014

well that sounds promising.. would it be somewhere under Administration > Field Configurations?

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
January 7, 2014

No, these are all features of the workflow. You use conditions to prevent people doing transitions that are unwanted (like closing parents while child issues are still open) and post-functions to update data once a user has confirmed the transition should happen.

Fields are (almost) all separate entities, they do not have anything to do with each other.

Paulie Rainbow January 7, 2014

Thanks, that helps.

Paulie Rainbow January 7, 2014

Would conditions allow all child tasks to be changed in status if the parent is changed to a particular status? E.G. if the parent is moved to a status that would effectively close it or put it on the back burner, could it be set up that the subtasks are similarly affected?

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
January 7, 2014

That's two different questions.

1) Conditions - absolutely not. All they do is say "can the current user perform this transition?" They are a check, they do not alter data

2) Yes, you can do this, but it should be done in a post-function or listener. Which you don't have many of in OnDemand. From memory, I don't think you've got anything that would do it, but the simple answer is try - edit a workflow, add a post-function and see what's available.

Raf January 7, 2014

but i'm trying to do exactly what Paulie is asking about.. so sounds like i'm out of luck in onDemand

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
January 7, 2014

Yes, you are limited to the plugins that can be used in OnDemand.

Suggest an answer

Log in or Sign up to answer