Context Item Types

A context item can be a JIRA entities such as JIRA issues, projects, groups, users or text and numbers. For now, it only supports JIRA issue with most of its properties. The proper expression for contexts is [[name]] where "name" is the name of the context property, field or custom field. Example is [[assignee]], [[key]], [[summary]] and [[custom field name]].

Context-items are evaluated and ultimately result in a text, boolean and number.

The following are the supported JIRA issue properties:

• affectedversions : Version names

• assignee : Display name

• attachments : Attachment name

• comments : Comments

• components : Component names

• created : Create date

• creator : Display name

• description : Description

• duedate : Due date

• environment : Environment name

• estimate : Estimate

• fixversions : Version names

• ischildissue : Boolean whether it is a child requirement issue

• issuetype : Issue type name

• key : Key

• labels : Labels

• linkedissues : Issue keys

• parent : Parent issue key when sub-task

• parentissuekey : Issue key of parent issue in a parent/child relation

• path : Requirements path

• priority : Priority name

• project : Project key

• resolution : Resolution

• reporter : Display name

• securitylevelid : Number context-item

• status : Status

• subtasks : Sub tasks issue keys

• summary : Summary

• updated : Update date

• url : Absolute URL to this JIRA issue

• votes : Votes

• watches : Watchers

• name of custom field : Custom field value
  e.g. export of R4J issue revision number

Expressions

An expression is a stand-alone text fragment of the form [[$expression]] where "name" is the name of the expression. The expression text fragment will be substituted during the generation with the evaluation value of the expression.

[[$requirementsPathSplitted]]

This expression provides an auto-filter functionality for the different folder paths.

If this variable is used, columns will be added automatically so that every folder level is in a separate column. e.g. If the path is "REQ\System\Component", 3 columns will be created with the content REQ, System, and Component respectively.

[[$header]]

This expression is used with [[$requirementsPathSplitted]] and determines the starting location for its headers. See this sample template for usage.

The column headers for [[$requirementsPathSplitted]] will always have the 1st column with a "Project" text header with all succeeding columns with the headers "Level 1" to "Level n".

Column Headers

Column headers for the Excel template may be any text or JIRA issue fields. Results of the field sets are exported below its corresponding column.

Template Administration

Read here.

Export Generation

Once you have uploaded a template, you can use it to generate exports in Excel file format. During the export, the texts in the template are evaluated according to the template language.

An Excel file is generated with the expressions replaced with the actual data and then downloaded. The set of issues used depends on whatever issue/s are selected in the project tree.

Generate a new export

via Project Tree View

1. Switch to the tree view of the project you want to generate a new export on:

   1. either click on Requirements in the main navigation bar and select a project from Current Project or Recent Projects

   2. or select Requirements > View all projects from the main navigation bar and select a project from the list.

2. Select an item from the project tree.
   The information available to the template used for the export depends on the project tree selection. 

3. Click on the Export button located in the top right corner and select Export Template... to open the export dialog.

4. Select the template you want to use for generating the export.

5. Click on Select to start the export and download the generated Excel file.

Sample Excel Template Files

Issue Export

Shows basic excel template usage.

Issue Export with [[requirementsPathSplitted]] expression

Shows usage for [[requirementsPathSplitted]] and header expressions.

Issue Export with [[requirementsPathSplitted]] expression and auto-filters for columns

Shows usage for [[requirementsPathSplitted]] and header expressions with use of auto-filter in excel.

Constraints

Excel template file format

The template file can contain any Excel content as well as certain placeholders. The exported file is identical to the template, except that the placeholders are replaced with the values of fields in the Jira issue result set. When the export process encounters a row containing expressions of the form [[name]] in one or more columns, where “name” is the name of a Jiraissue field, it replaces that row with the values of the named fields of the first issue in the result set. It then inserts new rows after this row, one row for each of the remaining issues in the result set.

Examples of templates

Typically, a template file contains a header row with names for each of the Jira issue fields to be exported in columns. The next row contains placeholders for those fields in corresponding columns. Above and below these two rows the template can contain anything. For example, it could contain an explanation of the information being presented in the file.

Here is a simple example of an Excel template (basic_template.xlsx):

If there are three issues in the result set, the exported file contains four rows, the first as seen above, and three after that for the issues with columns containing the values of the fields key, status and summary.

More than one placeholder may appear in a column and literal text can be included for purposes such as formatting. In the following example, instead of having the key and summary appear in different columns, as above, we put the values into a column together, separated by a colon and space:

Additionally, the special placeholders [[$header]] and [[$requirementsPathSplitted]]may be used. The first appears in the header row and the second appears in the same column of the next row. Here is an example of such a template (template_requirementspathsplitted.xlsx):

When the export process encounters rows containing these expressions it splits the folder path into its elements and inserts columns for each element. The header for the first element of the path is the name of the project, and the headers of the remaining elements are “Level 1”, “Level 2” and so on. The following rows contains the values of the elements of the path for each issue in the corresponding column.

Placeholders

The following fields may appear as placeholders. In addition, all custom fields may be used.

Limitations

• Only single sheet Excel templates are supported.

• Exporting attachments is not supported.

• Export is only available from the R4J Tree View, not from the standard Jira search results in the issue navigator. (This means you cannot determine the exported result set using JQL or saved queries.)