Each template has a name that will help identify the Sub Tasks that belong with it, a list of fields to show (Show Fields) and a list of fields to copy from the parent.  

 

Feature Level

 

At the top right of the dialog is the Feature Level Selector.  This has three options: Lite, Basic, Advanced and Advanced Static.  Lite has a list of pre-selected fields (that can't be changed), minimum Copy from Parent fields and no Repeating Template options.  Basic feature level gives you the features shown above. 

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The Advanced feature level has the basic feature plus for every template line (which defines an issue) there is also a "Show Fields" selection.  This allows you to show or hide fields on a per line basis. These options are only visible if you hover over the line with the mouse.  Advanced Static feature level has the same feature as Advanced but the extra Show Fields options are always displayed, not just when you hover over it

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Show Fields

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These checkboxes (not available for the Lite feature level) define which fields should be shown below in the Sub Task list (the area under the Show Fields line and above the text "NOTE: Fields....).  You can have as many or as few fields as you like.  There is a More select box that allows you to show the Components, Custom Field (five different instances), Label and Original Estimate.

 

Sub Task List

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The Sub Task list is a list of all Sub Tasks that would be created for a template.  The example above has three but you are free to define any number you like as long as you have at least one.  Occurrences or question marks in a circle are help for the field to the left of the question mark.  Hovering over this will give you helpful information about the field.

 

The following fields are available in the Sub Task list:

• Summary: the summary of the Issue.  You can refer to parent fields here by using one of: ${Summary}, ${Description}, ${Type}, ${Assignee}, ${Reporter}, ${Priority} or to a custom field, i.e. ${My Custom Field Name}.  If no value is present then the word null show unless an ! is placed after the $ symbol (i.e. $!{Description} will show the description if it is present otherwise it will show nothing). Field references are case sensitive.  If this is a Repeating Template (see below) then you can refer to the repeated field value by using ${RepeatItem}

• Assignee: The user that the issue will be assigned to.  You can also refer to the parent issues reporter or assignee by entering ${Reporter} or ${Assignee} respectively.

• Components: The component(s) that the issue should have.

• Description: a description of the Issue.  You can also refer to the same fields as defined for the Summary (i.e. ${Reporter})

• Due Date: either the word today (for day the Sub Task is created), a date (in the format YYYY-MM-DD) or the number of days, weeks and months from the day the Sub Task is created (i.e. 1m 2w 3d for one month, two weeks and three days, 2d for two days ...)

• Original Estimate: the number of minutes, hours, days and weeks (i.e. 3d 4h, 1w 10m ....), as a percentage of the parent's original estimate (20%) or as a multiplier of the parent estimate (*0.25)

• Fix Versions: The fix versions for this issue.

• Issue Type: Defined the issue type for this issue 

• Labels: Any labels you wish to add

• Priority: one of the pre-defined priorities for an Issue

• Reporter: Start typing the user's name and a selection of matching names will appear.  You can also refer to the parent issues reporter or assignee by entering ${Reporter} or ${Assignee} respectively.

• Custom Field: you can specify any custom field (up to five total) of type single line text, multi-line text, number, and single select item. The value for that selected field can be specified.

• Project Key: The key of the project this issue belongs to (can't be used for sub tasks).

 

When you first create a template and add a Sub Task you only have the Summary showing.  Clicking on the "Show Fields" checkboxes will show that field for all current Sub Tasks and Sub Tasks added in the future.  You can also (in advanced mode) add fields for a particular Sub Task by hovering over the Sub Task row and clicking on one or more of checkboxes that show.  For the second Sub Task, in the example, you can see that Original Estimate is showing but not for the second Sub Task.

 

The fields that are showing don't necessarily have to have values in them. In the example above the second row description and assignee fields are visible but empty.  This allows the user, using the template to create Sub Tasks, to easily enter the reporter with minimum fuss.

 

Copy From Parent

 

These checkboxes signify that the values (for the fields they represent) should be copied from the parent Issue to the Sub Task issues.  For the example above just the Description fields will be copied from the parent Issue to all of the Sub Tasks.  There can also be a list of custom fields (these also have to be in the Create Issue screen) that can be copied from the parent Issue (The example above shows one custom fields, named Business Unit). The only time these fields will NOT be copied is if the field's value is set for the Sub Task in the Sub Task list.

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Repeating Template

 

This section allows you to repeat the template creation based on the selected field (Components or Fix Versions).  So if your template has two rows (two issues to create) and you specify that you want it repeated for Components then two issues will be created for each component that the issue has (i.e. if the template has three issues and there are two components then a total of six issues will be created).

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If "Set Repeating fields value in Issue" is checked then the current field value being iterated over will be set in the issue created (i.e. if the template has one issue definition, a repeating field of Fix Versions (V1 and V2) and the parent issue has two fix versions then two issues will be created where the first issue has a Fix version of V1 and the second of V2).

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NOTE: The fields that are displayed and the fields that can be copied from the parent are dependant on having been set up for the Create Issue screen in the project (Project Administration -> Screens -> Create Issue).  If, for example, the due date is not in the Create Issues screen then it will not appear as an entry field, as a show field checkbox or as a copy from parent checkbox.

 

Templates To Create (for Linked and Unconnected Issues ONLY)

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This feature will only work if it is used when creating Linked or Unconnected Issues from an Executor.  The feature allows you to create any templates selected in this section after this template has been created.  The templates selected will be created for every issue created using this template.

 

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Global Templates

 

Global templates are templates that can be used in any project (as long as they are specified as visible in projects) and when creating sub tasks, linked issues or Epic issues as part of a workflow transition.  The global template page can be navigated to through the menu at the topmost Jira menu (click on the Jira symbol in the top left of the screen) and clicking on the STM Global Templates option.