Possible to create sub-tasks through Structure panel?

[RD IT Services 2]

Without using sub-task syncing, I'd like to be able to create a sub-task from within the Structure panel on an Issue detail view page. Is this possible, or can I only create standard issue types from there?

[Igor Baltiyskiy · Accepted solution]

This functionality isn't currently available in Structure, sorry. There is a request in ALM Works' JIRA: HJ-1165, which you can vote to give it more weight and be notified when it's done. It's unlikely that we'll take on this until Structure 3.0 comes out, so I wouldn't expect it soon.

In the meanwhile, there's a little trick: if you press "+Next Issue" when a sub-issue is focused, then if you select the "Copy Categories" checkbox in the structure panel you'll be able to create a sub-issue with the same parent as the previous issue.

Otherwise, you might consider switching from sub-tasks to sub-issues, although I understand that it would require updating your post-function and that Basic search in the Issue Navigator by sub-task issue type can be more convenient.

[RD IT Services 2]

I can't use sub-task sync because then I can't nest sub-tasks inside each other in Structure, which I need to do. Sub-task sync forces all sub-tasks to be on the same level in the hierarchy.

[Igor Baltiyskiy]

That's interesting. Is it a custom post-function or you're using an existing plugin, like JIRA Misc Workflow Extensions? Note that if with sub-tasks, you can apply this post-function only on one level, and perhaps one day you might want to apply it at higher levels of the hierarchy as well. I'd love to hear how you're using it.

Another question is why you don't want to use the sub-task sync: if you enable it, once you add a sub-task on the issue page, it will be automatically added to the structure below this issue.

[RD IT Services 2]

I'd rather not have to use the Advanced filter syntax to do that, though. I also have some complex transition post-functions going on that involve sub-tasks issues and their parent issues, and I'd rather not rewrite all of those as well.

I think there are good reasons to want to do this (the same reasons you offer sub-task syncing, presumably), but from what you're saying it sounds like it's not currently possible or planned for the future.

[Igor Baltiyskiy]

The reason I'm asking is because you can have all the functionality that using sub-tasks brings to JIRA with sub-issues. For example, you can filter issue navigator by the position of issue in structure, e.g.

issue in structure("My Structure", "not root")

will give you all issues that are not on the top level. You can be more flexible and filter by issues at a particular level or issues under a particular parent, etc. See more here: https://wiki.almworks.com/x/coPE

[RD IT Services 2]

I need it for the same reasons anybody needs all the functionality that using sub-tasks brings to Jira in the first place. Just as a quick example, being able to filter the issue navigator by "Standard Issue Types" vs. "Sub-Task Issue Types".

[Igor Baltiyskiy]

I'm curious why you need to create sub-tasks and not sub-issues. What part of functionality of sub-tasks do you miss in sub-issues?