Structure - insert tasks on current project with parent or epic in another project

[Frankie Sanchez]

Hello,

I am trying to set up Structure to pull in tasks on my Project, with parents or epic links that are in any project other than my own. 

The issue I am trying to avoid is people posting tasks on my board and them slipping through the cracks. I cannot seem to pull these tasks in specifically, and every other JQL query i could come up with became a mess because it pulled in other tasks that are already displayed with their associated epics within my project. 

[David Niro · Accepted solution]

Hello again, @Frankie Sanchez !

Could you share a little bit more about the issues in your Project, on your Board and how your Structure is currently set up?

So for example, let's say you have your project and you want to show Epic > Story > Sub-Task. But you also have a board for multiple projects created via a saved filter where the only criteria is you are the assignee.

We could write an Inserter like:

Project = "FrankiesProject" AND issuetype = "story" 
OR (Project != "FrankiesProject" AND Assignee = "Frankie"

From there, you can Group by Epic and Extend to Sub-tasks.  If the issues from the board don't have an Epic, they'll just be grouped under a "No Epic" folder and if no sub-tasks, there just won't be anything under them.

The exact solution for your use case will depend on the questions posed above.  Hope this helps!

Best,
David

[Frankie Sanchez]

Hi again @David Niro !

Absolutely, more info:

• Set up Structure with preset "Agile Hierarchy"
• Added JQL below to display tasks that are not automatically pulled in by above:
  
  project = "MyProject"
  AND (
  (parent = empty AND issuetype = sub-task)
  OR ("Epic Link" = empty AND issuetype = task)
  OR (issuetype not in (epic, task, sub-task)
  ))

Remaining issues: 

• Tasks may be posted to my project but with a parent or epic link in another project, making them disappear. I cant figure out a way to script the insert to account for these. 
• Tasks associated with custom issues in others' projects (assignee = me AND != MyProject sounds like it will account for these)

Which actually prompts one additional unrelated question as well:

• Can I extend tasks that are related to a custom issue type? I have been converting my own custom issues to epics on creation to try to account for this.

[David Niro]

Hi @Frankie Sanchez ,

Thanks for the additional context!  

If you don't mind seeing the Epics from other projects in your hierarchy (only those where some issue does belong to you) you could try this instead of the two insert generators you currently have:

Insert Generator JQL:

project = "my project" and issuetype not in (Epic,subTaskIssueTypes())

Group by Epic

Extend to Sub-Tasks

This will add all of the stories, tasks, bugs, etc that may be assigned to your project, but where the Epic does not.

Grouping by Epic will then group by the Epic regardless of what project it belongs to.

Please let me know if this helps.

[Frankie Sanchez]

@David Niro this works, except it pulls down tasks that are children of epics into that list as well. I am hoping to have those only under the epics they are related to. I believe I got this to work without missing anything. 

• Add issues belonging to epic
• add sub-tasks
• group by Epic
• Insert:
  project = myproject and issuetype not in (epic, sub-task)
  OR project = myproject and issuetype = epic and issuelinktype is empty
  OR project != myproject and assignee = me

The things I would like to all show up at once, without duplicates that appears accomplished above are shown here, but let me know if the setup above should be simplified or changed:

• Epics, with children tasks and their subtasks
• Epics in other projects with tasks in my project, showing the epic as the parent
• Tasks assigned to me but with parents in other projects
• Custom issue types with their children and subtasks another level below them
• Tasks without linked issues
• Epics without linked issues

Thank you for all of your knowledge, help, and brainstorming!

[David Niro]

Hi @Frankie Sanchez ,

I can't think of any changes to the JQL you ended up with.  I'm not sure you need the "add issues belonging to epics" generator, since we are adding the issues that belong to the Epic and the only Epics you are adding are ones without issuelinks.

All that being said, if you are getting the results you need, let's not tinker with it.  Whatever we may be able to adjust would be a marginal improvement.

Happy to help!

Best,
David