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Issue Actions Todo for Jira Data Center / Server
Issue Actions Todo allows you to add one or more todo lists to an issue. Each todo list contains actions that need to be done and optionally watchers who are notified upon completion of each action. Workflow transitions can cause todo lists to be created and workflow transitions can be stopped if particular todo list(s) have not been completed
In an issue, the todo lists are either displayed just below the issues details section or as a tab in the activity section.
Todo lists can be created as one-off todo lists or templates can be created so that commonly used todo lists can be created with minimal effort. Templates can be defined at the Project or global level. A global template can also be copied to a project and modified.
Todo lists can be linked to the parent template so that name or action changes are automatically reflected in the issues todo list (only until the todo list is marked completed).
Permissions can be applied to restrict access to the Project and global template screens
Examples of where to use Issue Actions Todo
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Getting Staff to follow particular steps for an Issue
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Guidelines for beginners or trainees
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Defining actions for seldom performed tasks
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To allow other users (watchers) to follow the progress in an Issue
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Allow customers to see progress when viewing an Issue
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Stop an issue transitioning to the next workflow step until actions have been completed.
Sections:
Issue Screen
Each Issue screen has an "Issue Actions Todo" section (below the details section) or a tab (see configuration section below) that allows users to create and/or maintain one or more Todo lists. An example screen is shown below. This shows two todo lists, one with the first two actions completed and the second where all actions have been completed. Also, note that the second todo list is private (shown as a padlock) and can only be seen by the user that created the list.
Actions can be completed by just clicking on the checkbox next to the user's name. The screenshot below if the user Paul Clark so checkboxes are available for all of that user's actions. Completing an action can only be done by the user assigned to the action.
There are three buttons associated with the Issue Actions Todo section: create a todo list, create a todo list from a template and create a linked todo list from a template.
Create New Todo List
Clicking on the plus button will open the dialog below. The dialog allows you to:
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Set the todo lists name
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Assign visibility (private Todo lists are only visible to the user that created them)
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Add one or more users that are assigned to the actions
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Add one or more watchers that will get notified of each change
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A list of actions (one per line) that need to be completed
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Optionally allow any single user to complete an action. If there are more than one assignee then the todo list will be completed when each action has been complete by one or more assignees
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Add notes that appear at the bottom of the todo lists actions
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Optionally show statuses that can be selected for each action (one per line). The assignee gets a blank option is start with and can change it to any of the statuses.
Create Todo List from Template
Clicking on the plus in the corner of a box allows you to create a todo list from a template. Once created the todo list is not associated with the template in any way (see create linked templates below). Below is an example of creating a todo list from a template. The user selected the template to use and enters the user(s) that the actions will be assigned to.
Create Linked Todo List from Template
Clicking on the chain link icon allows you to create a linked todo list from a template. A linked is different from the previous todo list in the following ways:
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The todo lists name is automatically updated from the linked parent template (until the todo list is completed)
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The list of actions (including their names) is the same as the linked parent (until the todo list is completed). Once completed the actions will no longer be in sync with the linked parent.
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A linked template can be automatically created when the issue is created or during a workflow transition.
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A transition between workflows can be stopped if one or more linked transitions haven't been completed
When the dialog is displayed the user chooses the template to copy from and be linked to and the user(s) that are assigned to the todo lists actions.
Edit a Todo List
Once created a Todo list can be edited by clicking on the pencil icon (at the top of the Todo list, left-hand side). If the todo lists is a linked list then the lists name and actions will be disabled (changes to the name and actions need to be done to the parent todo list).
The actions in the Edit are provided in a list. The buttons on the right allow you to: move an action up, move an action down, edit an actions text, delete an action, add a single action or add multiple actions.
Agile Boards
An Issues Todo list is also shown in the Agile boards when an Issue is selected. The information is mainly static but a user can still complete Todo items.
On each row, there are up to three boxes. The first box is only shown if the user is assigned a task and the box will either be green (task completed) or grey (task to do). The user can change from completed to "to do" or vice versa by clicking on the checkbox. The second and third boxes represent the number of assigned users that have NOT completed (grey box) the task and those that have (green box).
Email Notification
If a user is added as a watcher for a Todo list they are sent emails each time an action is completed. The two images below show example emails for a Todo list with one item completed and with all items completed.
Project Templates
The project templates page allows you to create todo list templates that are only for this project. To get to this page go to a project and select the icon highlighted below
Issue Actions Todo allows users to define templates that can easily be copied to create Todo lists, without having to retype the actions. A template is the same as a Todo list but without the assigned user(s) and watchers.
Templates can be defined at the Project level (only visible to Issues within that Project) and globally (visible to all Issues within Jira). The Project screen is shown below. Access to this tab is only to Jira users and can be restricted using Jira user groups (see the Access section below)
Templates can be created and edited the same way as Todo lists.
The Project Issue Actions Todo screen also allows the user to import (make a copy of) a template from the list of global templates. The users select a template to import and the new name of the template.
Existing Templates can also be duplicated by clicking on the copy icon for the Todo list. The results in the following dialog being opened.
Project Report
The project report allows you to generate a CSV file containing todo lists that meet your criteria. To get to this page go to a project and select the icon highlighted below.
The report has two criteria that can be used to manage the data that is returned. The status allows you to specify only uncompleted, only completed or all todo lists. You can also optionally specify one or more assignees that you are interested in. When the Create Report button is clicked a CSV is downloaded with the todo list information based on your criteria. An example of the CSV is shown below.
Global Templates
If templates are used in multiple projects then they can be defined globally in the Issue Actions Todo screen. This screen works the same as for Project templates except there is no "Import Template" button to import global templates.
For more details on the funcationality of this screen please read the Project Templates section.
My Actions
Users can see all uncompleted todo lists assigned to them by going to the My Todo Lists screen. This can be selected through the user options menu
The screen will show a list of issues that have todo lists. If you click on the summary of the issue you will be presented with all of the non completed todo lists.
Config
General configuration of Issue Actions Todo functionality can be controlled through the Config of the Issue Actions Todo tab. This can be found in the admin screens under the System section.
Todo List Position
The first option configures where the todo lists are displayed in issues. When the todo lists are displayed in the issues they can either show just below the issues detail section or as a tab in the activity section.
Page/Tab Access
Access can be restricted by specifying Jira user groups to control the visibility of the Issue and Project tabs and to control who can maintain Todo lists in the Issues "Issue Actions Todo" tab. If nothing is specified in this screen then the following restrictions apply by default.
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All Jira and non-Jira users can see the Issue tab
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Only Jira users can maintain Todo lists in the Issue tab
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Only Jira users can see and maintain templates
Issue Tab Visible
If one or more user groups are specified for "Issue Tab Visible" then only Jira users that belong to at least one of the groups can see the Issue tab.
Maintain Todo Lists
If one or more user groups are specified for "Maintain Todo Lists" then only Jira users that belong to those groups can maintain Todo lists.
Project Tab Visible
If one or more user groups are specified for "Project Tab Visible" then only Jira users that belong to at least one of the groups can see the Project tab.
Project Report Tab Visible
If one or more user groups are specified for the "Project Report Tab Visible" then only Jira users that belong to at least one of the groups can see the Project Report tab
Button Visibility
In this section, the buttons that appear in the issue todo list area can be individually shown or hidden. Uncheck any button you don't want access to.
Auto Set
Lastly is the Auto Set section. This has one entry that will set the assignee of any new Todo List as the assignee of the current Issue (if present).
Workflow
Issue Actions Todo has validator and post function workflow functionality that allows you to stop workflow transitions if a todo list is not complete or to create a todo list during a workflow transition.
Workflow Validator
Todo List must be completed
To add the Issue Actions Todo validator just edit a workflow, select a transition and change to the Validators tab. Click on add validator, select the option "Todo List must be Completed" and then click the add button. The following screen will be shown.
For the validator you want to create you need to select todo list you want to ensure is completed and the issue types that the validator applies to. Next, you have the option to say if the todo must be present and complete or that the todo list must be completed only if it has been created. Lastly, you can specify what projects this applies to if you don't want it to apply to all projects in this workflow.
For the example above the validator only applies if the issue is either a task or sub task and the transition can only happen if the "Development (Best Practises)" todo list has been created and all of the actions are completed.
Note: If the todo list is disabled then the validator will always succeed.
Clicking the add button will complete the addition of the validator. After this, you just need to publish the workflow for the validator to start working.
Workflow Post Function
The workflow post function allows you to create todo list during an issues transition or when the issue is created. To add the Issue Actions Todo post function just edit a workflow, select a transition and change to the Post Functions tab. Click on add post function, select the option "Create Todo List" and then click the add button. The following screen will be shown.
All Todo Lists must be Completed
To add this Issue Actions Todo validator just edit a workflow, select a transition and change to the Validators tab. Click on add validator, select the option "All Todo Lists must be Completed" and then click the add button. The following screen will be shown.
For the validator you want to create, you need to select the issue types that the validator applies to. You can also specify what projects this applies to if you don't want it to apply to all projects in this workflow.
Note: If the todo list is disabled then the validator will always succeed.
Clicking the add button will complete the addition of the validator. After this, you just need to publish the workflow for the validator to start working.
For the post function you want to create you need to
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Select todo list you want to create
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Specify the issue types that the post function applies to
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Add the projects that this applies to (if you don't want it to apply to all of the projects in the workflow)
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Optionally add a list of labels that the issue must have one
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Add who to assign the todo lists actions to
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Optionally specify if you want to make the todo list a linked todo list
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Specify if you only want to create the template if it doesn't exist
Only linked todo lists can be used in workflow validators and can automatically have their name and actions updated from the linked parent template (until the todo list has been completed). Lastly, if you are creating a linked todo list you can specify that the todo list will only be created if it has not already been created.
Note: If the todo list is disabled then the post function will do nothing.
The example above says the "Development (Best Practises)" todo list will be created (only if it does not already exist) if the issue is a Task or Sub Task and the issue has the label Confidential. All the actions will be assigned to the current user.
Clicking the add button will complete the addition of the post function. After this, you just need to publish the workflow for the post function to start working.
