Jira Smart Values for Tasks and Bugs

[Nate Hodges]

Using Automation to populate the Key of the Parent to a custom field. The parent issue can be linked (manually by creating a new issue, and through JIRA Automation) The following command works for Issue Type = Story and Sub Task:

{{triggerissue.parent.key}}

Which Smart value do I use for Issue Type = Task or Bug. Tried the following smart values that did not populate the Parent Key of the linked issue: 

• {{issue.parent.key}}
• {{issue.parent.link}}
• {{issue.parent.issue.key}}
• {{issue.parent}}
• {{issue.triggerissue}}
• {{issue.parent link}}

[Ste Wright · Accepted solution]

Hi @Nate Hodges 

What is the Issue Type which is the parent of a Task/Bug? Is it an Epic?

And are Task, Bug, and Story on the same hierarchical level?

Ste

[Nate Hodges]

@Ste Wright Task is the child of the Story and the Bug is the child of either a Story or Task. Our hierarchy is EPIC > STORY > TASK / Sub-Tasks > BUG.

[Nate Hodges]

@Ste Wright Also {{triggerissue.key}} returns the same key/ID of the Task even though there is a Parent linked to the Task. 

[Ste Wright]

Hi @Nate Hodges 

How are these linked together, given Bug is below Sub-task?

Are these linked via linked issues? Or a combination of different linking types potentially?

Ste

[Nate Hodges]

@Ste Wright Task will be a child of a Story only. Bug could be a child of a Story or Task. 

[Ste Wright]

Hi @Nate Hodges 

But how?

Are these linked via linked issues? Or a combination of different linking types potentially?

Ste

[Nate Hodges]

@Ste Wright - Yes, using the Link Issue option and selecting the "is a child of" and Entering the Key/ID of the Story if it as a Task and doing the same for Bug if we need to link to a Story or Task. 

Our hierarchy is EPIC > STORY > TASK / Sub-Tasks > BUG. The link option is used mainly outside of the Epic Name or Epic Link fields. 

[Nate Hodges]

@Ste Wright - All of the Tasks or Bugs has a Parent Issue. We can see the relationship in the system but none of the Smart Values would copy the Key of the parent to the "Custom Field." 

[Ste Wright]

Hi @Nate Hodges 

Whilst the link might be called "is child of/is parent of" - it's not a parent/child relationship, it's a sibling relationship, so won't be able to utilise the smart values you've mentioned.

What's the actual rule itself? The type of rule will help decide what smart value makes sense.

Ste

[Nate Hodges]

@Ste Wright But why does the Smart Values work for Issue Types = Story and Sub Task and Not Issue Types = Task and Bug? 

Same Relationship... 

Nate

[Ste Wright]

Hi @Nate Hodges 

The relationship isn't the same - there's a difference between the actual parent/child relationship, and a link type called "is child of/is parent of"

One is an official parent/child link type, the other is a sibling type.

Ste