how do you display epic name in the results columns of a search/filter

[max_chung]

I have done a search on all tasks in my project  and included Epic name and epic link from the columns drop down, but the  epic name and epic link columns display nothing in their respective column,  although all my tasks are grouped under  different epics.  the task summary column shows something.  I am using Next-gen project.

I must also mention that If I do the same search on a classic project,  the "epic link"  and "epic name"  columns show the  names of the Epic.  It looks to me like this may be a bug in Next-gen project. 

[lesterw]

This is what you call an "Epic Failure"...  It unbelievable that you can't display the associated epic name with each ticket in the result set.

[Angélica Luz]

Hi Max,

Thank you for reaching out to Atlassian Community!

Currently, the option to show all Epic information on the issue search view is not available for next-gen projects.

We have a feature request suggesting the implementation of this ability:

• As a Jira Software user, I want to be able to see the Epic information from next-gen projects in the search view

Please, click on vote and watch to receive updates about the feature.

Regards,
Angélica

[max_chung]

Hi Angelica, 

unfortunately the link provided in your reply, is closed , however the problem is still there. I still don't see any epic name. 

I see another note from Nathan Sturgess, saying it is resolved. It is not resolved. his solution to use parent does not work when there is subtask.  the parent of a subtask is a task and NOT an epic, so the filter displays the Task  but NOT the epic name. 

[Angélica Luz]

Hello Max,

The ticket was closed because it was tracked on another ticket that was already closed:

- As a user, I'd like to be able to use JQL for Epic Link for Next-Gen project epics 

I added an internal comment with a link to this question and your comment and also I mentioned Nathan.

Please, feel free to comment on the ticket as well adding more details about your use case.

[max_chung]

Hi Luz,

Thank you for getting back.

there are 2 things we can deduce from those 2 tickets:-

1) my ticket's request is different from the other ticket and should not be closed because the other ticket's request is different from mine.  we cannot group the other ticket and mine as they are different requests.  I am asking to display the Epic name in the filter results for all my tasks/subtasks displayed in the results of the filter. 

2) the "solution" that Nathan Sturgess  has proposed and implemented is only partial (if he meant to also address my ticket).  However I doubt he was addressing my request, as to me, given that he is working on Atlassian Jira product, it would be obvious to him that the parent of a Subtask is not an Epic, so his solution would not work.  Hopefully he can provide more clarifications on this thread here.  

[Nathan Sturgess]

Hi @max_chung

This ticket is what you are looking for, but it is closed as we have delivered the functionality. Sounds like you might have got confused by the differences between Classic and Next-gen.

I will try to explain what's going on, let me know if any of this doesn't make sense.

So in Next-gen projects you will never have the data in the column of "Epic Name" and "Epic Link". Why? Well these are Classic concepts are very specific to only Epics and don't apply to Next-gen projects. Next-gen instead has a hierarchy of theoretically n levels. The background and benefits are explained briefly in this comment.

What you want to use instead of "Epic Link" in Next-gen is "parent". This will allow you to find the parent of any issue, in any level of hierarchy (assuming of course the issue has a parent). 

Hope that gives you the clarify that you are looking for. 

Regards,

Nate

[Daniel Bell]

Is this an option yet or is the product still failing to meet basic expectations?

[max_chung]

Hi Nathan, 

thank you for getting back with your explanations, however the tool is behaving differently from what the details provided.  and it does not make sense. 

Epic is part of the hierarchy in Next Gen project from what I see when I use a next gen project (see attached jpeg file).  Pls also take a look at the Roadmap that gets generated in Next Gen projects, it has Epic names automatically in there.  If Epic is not part of the hierarchy in Next Gen,  why would it show it there?.  I did not add it there, the roadmap is something generated by Jira itself.

I agree I am new with Jira, however from what I see in the application, next gen allows me to create an epic, once I create an epic, it allows me to create a task under the epic, and once I create a task, it allows me to create a subtask under the task.  this is the functionality that Next Gen is providing me.  There is nowhere there, where it blocks me from using Epic or in any forum or any document, where it says Epic is not to be used in Next Gen.

If epic is a concept of Classic only , why is it being shown so prominently in Next Gen project or for that matter why is it even being made available in Next Gen project? 

My point is that if  Jira itself is  able to display the epic name in so many places in Jira Next Gen project (Road map,  Backlog, Board, (see the attached jpegs), that means the Epic name is already kept somewhere in the system, it should not be that difficult to display it in a filter/search results as the information is already available in the system.  

 

[Nathan Sturgess]

Hi @max_chung

So there is a lot of overloaded terms, so we need to be very careful and deliberate with language here. Let me try and clear things up 🙂.

Ok so to clarify there are Epics in both Classic and Next-gen.

Jira, however from what I see in the application, next gen allows me to create an epic, once I create an epic, it allows me to create a task under the epic, and once I create a task, it allows me to create a subtask under the task.

What you said is 100% correct ✔️.

But the way Epics are implemented in Classic are completely different from the way they are in Next-gen. 

In classic:

• Epics can have subtasks.
• "Epic name" can be different from the "Issue summary"
• You can link to an Epic via an "Epic link"

Now this unique behaviour of Epic is REALLY confusing to new users. So things were changed in Next-gen.

In Next-gen: 

• There are 3 levels currently which I will call:
  • Epic level (Epic, can't create more)
  • Base level (Story, Bug, Task, can create more)
  • Subtask level (Subtask, can't create more)
• Parents can ONLY EVER be one level above.
• Parent is generic and there is no notion of "Epic link" or "Epic name" fields or columns in Next-gen. They actually don't exist at all on the backend. The name that is shown on the board and in search for Next-gen base level issue types comes from the parent Epic's "Issue summary". 
  
  

Now if you want to search for these you need to do so using "parent =" and you need to select these columns in the search results. 

As in:

[max_chung]

Hi @Nathan Sturgess 

 Thanks again for getting back with all the explanations.

 Ok,  to avoid any further confusion or misunderstanding of what I am looking for,  let me restart from scratch :-

 1)       I create a Next Gen Project Project1. Everything from this point down refers to this same  Next Gen Project

2)     under Project1,  I  create a first Epic – “EPIC1”

3)      Under EPIC1, I create  a task – “TASK1”

4)      Under TASK1, I create a subtask “SUBTASK1”

5)      Under Project1, I  create a second  Epic – “EPIC2”

6)      Under EPIC2, I create  a task – “TASK2”

7)      Under TASK2, I create a subtask – “SUBTASK2”

Can you do something similar on your side?

Now I want to list ALL my tasks and subtasks that are in the project and also the epic they are related to. 

 From the above information, can you let me know how you would do your one search/filter that shows me the following details in its results ,  displaying in one same list,  each task and the epic it is related to, each subtask and the epic it is related to.  

 EPIC1   TASK1

EPIC1   SUBTASK1

EPIC2   TASK2

EPIC2   SUBTASK2

 It would be great if you could show me your jql and a screenshot of your results after  running your search/JQL.

 FYI. I am using only 2 Epics in the example above,  just for the sake of this exercise & making clear what I am trying to do, but I have a lot of epics with the same structure in my project.

Hoping the above is a lot clearer to you of what I am trying to do.  Please let me know if there is any more information you need for clarifications.

Thank you 

[Nathan Sturgess]

@max_chung 

What would be super awesome (and we don't have that yet) is a descendantOf where you could mention an issue and get all the descendant issues. It is something we have discussed building, but there is nothing formal planned to date. 

[max_chung]

@Nathan Sturgess 

Thanks again for getting back with your jql and screen snapshot.

Unfortunately I cannot use your approach for the following 2 reasons:-
1) The way your script is, I have to identify all the keys and use them in the script. Since we have many epics/tasks/subtasks, this is something I would like to avoid as it is too tedious, to go find all the “keys” and then type in the script. (pls see the comments on your attached diagram). Your script could work for us if we have only a couple of Epics/tasks/subtasks.
2) The epic name is not showing in the column (Parent) it is showing the task names. (pls see my comment on your attached diagram) This will not work if you have different epics which have tasks with the same names. Here we are using the same standard tasks names in different epics, this is how we have standardized the work process here.

I want a generic type of JQL, without having to type the individual and specific “Key” value.
The search/filter I am using is :-
project = "my Project Name" AND issuetype in (Task, Subtask) AND status in (BLOCKED, "In Progress", "To Do") ORDER BY due ASC
In the results, my needs are to see the Epic name for each task , subtask displayed.

To summarize, from the discussion we've had above, it looks like Jira (Next Gen) cannot do what we are looking for, i.e display the Epic name for each task, subtask that my team is working on. It can only display the Epic name for the task only.  I will submit a new feature request. 

[Martina Pham]

Hi @max_chung 
I am facing the same issue as you've described above. Have you cracked how it would be possible to display the Epic name in a Jira report?

I need this column as I am creating a team-wide Change Log for all projects (Epics). Any advice on this would be very appriciated.

Thanks

Martina

[max_chung]

Hi @Martina Pham ,  my apologies, I just saw your note today, when browsing the Atlassian community.  I have not been here for quite a while. Not sure what happened to the notifications.

To answer your question, I did a manual workaround, which is not the best, but helps me a little bit. I gave up discussing the problem with them and them not able to find a real solution.  I created a text field in the task where I put the Epic name.  

Hopefully one day Atlassian will add the ability to show the Epic name displayed on the report.  

Hope this helps. 

p.s if you have an option to try another tool, i'd say give Freedcamp a try.  I was using it before to manage my team's deliverables,  then our org bought Jira licenses and I had to move my items to Jira.  I find Freedcamp a more productive, simpler with all the necessary features to get things done.  On top of that it is free.  If you use subtasks, then you need to go onto the paid version. but I don't really need that feature.