Kanban: Removing Todo-column makes Backlog an issue

[Lena Wikström]

Configuring boards in Kanban: When I move Wishlist and Todo-items to the backlog and delete the Todo-column the backlog behaves weird and shows not only all items in progress but also sometimes gives an empty backlog. 

Is that supposed to happen?

[Manon Soubies-Camy · Accepted solution]

Hello Lena,

I think the answer is here:

An issue will only be visible in the Kanban backlog if:

• the issue matches the board's saved filter, and
• the issue's status is in the Kanban backlog column, or the next column on the Kanban board.

So according to your screenshot I guess you had issues in To do and Wishlist status, and also issues in the In Progress column in your backlog. Adding an empty column next to your backlog should do the trick:

Can you please try to do so and tell us if it helps?

- Manon

[Lena Wikström]

Then the first problem appears, the backlog is containing all items from In Progress

[Manon Soubies-Camy]

That's weird, it works well on my side:

Or maybe you don't expect the In Progress to be displayed above Backlog? I don't think we can do anything about it since it's the expected behaviour.

[Lena Wikström]

Thank you, that explains it 

[Anna Hebert]

Per the details on "Use Your Kanban Backlog" the first section is always the first column on your Kanban board. Then your backlog follows. I assume this is to easily move items from your backlog into the first column (which in the Simple Workflow is "To Do") without having to leave the Backlog view.

I didn't want the team to be able to move items to the first column from the Backlog view so I made the first column "Blocked" status.

For your example, you may want to consider one of your other statuses such as "Ready for Development" as your first column on your Kanban board.

[Ollie Guan]

Hi @Lena Wikström,

Can you take a screenshot of the Board Configuration--->Column management?

[Lena Wikström]

[Ollie Guan]

I think you need to add the To Do column and make the state Todo, and Wishlist matches To that column.

[Lena Wikström]

If I add a column for Selected for Development it behaves the same way, the items marked Selected for development is part of the Backlog even if the config is different.  But doing this means the Todo-items are part of the Backlog list.

If it is not possible to remove the To do-column then maybe it should be stated in the config?

[Ollie Guan]

If you want to see an Issue for some state in the kanban, you must configure the kanban column for that state.

[Lena Wikström]

I do, and the board works, but the back-log is not. It is adding other states to the backlog than the ones I specified to be in the backlog. 

[Ollie Guan]

Do you want to build a Backlog and sprint to manage Board?

When building Board, you should choose the Scrum Board instead of Kanban

[Lena Wikström]

We work with Kanban, not sprints, thus the top item in the Backlog should be the first item for development, when the item is selected for development it should end up on the board. 

So it is not possible to remove the To do column from the board in Kanban? Will it help if I remove the Todo status from all cards?

[Ollie Guan]

If you don't want Todo, Wishlist's Issue displayed in the kanban, you can exclude these two states directly in the kanban Filter,like :

issuetype not in(Todo, Wishlist)

[Lena Wikström]

Ok, added that but instead of Issuetype I used Status. But then the Backlog disappears.

I think my solution has to be a work around, simply not use Todo as status. Thanks for your help.

[Alexey Matveev]

Hello,

The Backlog shows issues that have statuses, which are set for the Backlog. Do you mean that the Backlog does not show some issues with the statuses, which are defined for the Backlog?

[Lena Wikström]

I mean the Backlog shows the In progress items even if it is not part of the configuration