Link work items
Linking work items helps you create an association between similar, identical, or interdependent work items. This allows you to track and manage those work items that are related to each other and be aware of how the progress of those work items affects each other.
You can link work items with similar sets of goals using the default or custom link types. Linking work items in Zoho Sprints comes in default formats. You can use these link types or create new link types based on your custom requirements. Learn more about creating custom link types.
Default link types
Zoho Sprints offers default link types:
Duplicates: An item could be added as a duplicate entry. In such cases, the duplicate items can be linked to be worked on as a single item.
Example: There could be two support tickets for the same requirement. The two could be linked and the development effort combined.
Reference to: One item could serve as a reference to another item due to the similarities that exist between them. Linking these two will help take pointers from one another.
Example: A feature, let's say Sheet View, is rolled out for a particular module (Backlog) and the same feature is being developed for another module (Meetings). The previous one could serve as a reference for the latter.
Impacts: When the handling of one item has a cascading effect on other items, the relevant items could be linked to avoid negative impact.
Example: An item that is created for a developing a sample floor plan for an online floor plan generator is being delayed. This delay impacts the other tasks that follow the finalizing of the sample.
Relates to: Two items can be identified as related to one another due to similarities, impact, or any other unifying factor. Linking them can help track them together.
Example: A marketing team is running a campaign for multiple products in their suite. The various activities can be linked as items falling in the bucket of campaign.
Depends on: One or more items could be dependent on another. Linking these items will help ensure that the dependency is factored in at all times.
Example: There's an item that is created for resolving a particular issue in the UI. And that issue is directly involved in two other issues that could as well be handled by fixing this one.
Has bug: When a bug is associated to a task, it is likely because the task is for resolving the issue that exists. For this link type, only items that are identified as bugs can be associated to the item that is identified as task.
Clone as: An item could be a clone of an existing item. Linking these two might help working on them simultaneously.
Example: When a blog post is being posted on multiple platforms and forums, the item could be cloned for each of the platforms and linked.
Recurred as: This link type can be associated with recurring items (items that are automated to be created repetitively).
Example: A recurring item can be scheduled for the weekly sprint meetings and those items could be linked.
These link types are defined using a link name and a back link name.Link name and back link name
A link name is the action that you give to your link type. For example, if you have a work item A that depends on item B, then you have to create a link name 'Depends On'. Now, link Item A to Item B with 'Depends On' as the link type. This means Item B is dependent on Item A.
Whereas, a back link name is the reverse name that you define to your link name. For example, in the above case, Item A depends on Item B. This means Item B "is dependent on" Item A. The reverse action that is done using the link name is defined as the back link name.
Link Name: Has Bug
Back Link Name: Is bug of
Example: Let's assume you create an item A 'Test sign up form' with relevant items like:
Item B - 'Email address field not working',
Item C - 'Phone number field supports characters. Fix the issue,
Item D - 'Team name should not contain symbols'.
Now, the main Item A (Test sign up form) is under the testing phase. It has been filed with relevant bugs. Now, these bugs (Item A, Item B, Item C, Item D) are bugs of Item A.
How can these work items be linked?
Items A, B, C, D are all related to the sign-up screen. Here, Item A is the main work item so you can create the link type 'Has Bug' and select all the relevant items (Item B, Item C, and Item D). These linked work items are automatically added to the back link name 'is bug of' Item A.
Link work items
To link a work item:
- Go to the item details page of the work item.
- Go to the Link Work Items tab.
- Click the +Link Item button. The Link Work Item window will appear.
- Select the required project and sprint to find the work item.
- Click the checkbox to select the required item.
- Select the relevant link type.
- Click the Update button. The selected item is linked and listed under Link Work Items tab.
Edit link type
To edit link type:
- Go to the item details page of the work item.
- Go to the Link Work Items tab.
- Hover over the linked item.
- Click the Edit link. The edit window will appear.
- Modify link name and back link name.
- Click the Update button. That changes will be saved.
You cannot edit the default link types and back link names.
Delink linked item
To remove item link:
- Go to the item details page of the work item.
- Go to the Link Work Items tab.
- Hover over the linked item.
- Click the Delink link. A confirmation pop-up will appear.
- Click the Delink button. The item link will be removed.
Delinked item will not be deleted. You can link it back, if necessary.Feature behavior
Links cannot be circular. If Item A depends on Item B and Item B depends on Item C, you cannot create a link type 'Depends on' where Item C is dependent on Item A. Considering Item A depends on B and B depends on C, Item A already has an implicit dependency on Item C.
You can add comments to your duplicate items directly from the comments section. Type your content in the comments section and click Add to Duplicate Item. The comment is automatically added to your duplicate item as well.
'Depends on' link type: If you have set "Dependency" as your link type to the work items, you can either move the main item or its dependent items to a closed status. There's no restriction for you to reopen or close the dependent items before reopening or closing the main work item to a closed status. You can also modify the status of the dependent work items.
While updating the status of the work items with dependents, you can either move the main item or its dependents. For example, if you move the main item to a closed status, you can close all its dependents directly from the pop-up.
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