Create project template with data

1. Go to the all projects tab.
   
2. Click the Create button.
   
3. Select the Template option.
   
4. Enter the name of your template.
   
5. Enter a description for the template.
   
6. Select a project to clone. This will clone the data from that project to the template.
   
7. Select a layout to use for the template. You can use the standard layout or select a custom layout that you've created. The fields listed below will be based on the layout that you select.
   
8. Enter relevant values in the subsequent fields.
   
9. Assign owner and prefix.
   
   
10. Click the Create button. The template is created and added to the listing page in the Template folder.
    

You can add more fields to the creation form and include custom fields.

Manage start and end dates

1. You can specify the Start After days field to work items in your template and clone the template to a project. The start date of the work items in the project will be shifted based on the specified Start After days in the template. This is determined by the project's start date.
   
2. The duration of work items and sprints in the template will determine the duration of the work items when they are cloned in a project. Using the duration, the cloned work items will determine their end date based on the project's start date.
   
1. Dates of the cloned work items will be shifted based on the new project's start date.   
   
2. Dates of the cloned work items for projects without the start date will be shifted based on the current date.   
   
3. Both the Start After and Duration fields in a template are used to define the start and end dates of the work items right when they are cloned in a project.
   
4. The start and end dates are also calculated based on the work hours and holidays that you configure in your settings.
   
5. When the template is cloned to a project, the start after and duration will calculate the configured holidays (if any) and the working hours to estimate the start and end date of the work item.

Project with start date

Let's observe how dates are handled when the project start date is specified.

For example, you have software development projects on Zoho Sprints. A project named New Feature Development starts on 19th Oct, 2023. This project is cloned from the template Dev Formats.

Here, Task A in the template 'Dev Formats' has Start After field as 5 days and Duration as 3 days.

1. How are the start and end dates determined?

When Task A is cloned to the project 'New Feature Development' the start date of the task will be 24th Oct, 2023 and end date will be 26th Oct, 2023.

2. How are the start and end dates defined for the task in the project after cloning?

When a template is cloned to a project all the work items will determine its start and end dates based on the project's start date, counting the Start After days and Duration defined in the template.

3. What if I don't mention the 'Start After' field for a work item in my template?

If the work item doesn't have Start After days and only the duration, then the work item will not hold any start or end dates. Instead, it will just have the duration.

4. What if I mention only the Start After days without the Duration for a work item in my template?

If the work item doesn't have Duration, then by default we will assign the duration as one day to the work item right when it is created or updated.

Project without start date

Let's observe how dates are handled when the project start date is not specified.

For example, you're organization runs its marketing projects on Sprints. The project 'Promotions' is not specified with the start and end dates. This project is cloned from the template 'Marketing and Events'.

Task A in the template 'Marketing and Events' is set with the Start After field as 3 days and Duration as 5 days.

1. How are the start and end dates determined for the task?

Here, the project is not set with the start and end dates. So, the task that is cloned to the project will take the current date to calculate its start and end dates. Say for example, the current date is 7th Nov, 2023, the Start After days as mentioned in the template is 3 days and Duration is 5 days. Thus, the start and end dates of the task will be 10th Nov, 2023 and 14th Nov, 2023.

2. What if I don't mention the Start After field for a work item in my template?

If the work item doesn't have Start After days and only the duration, then the work item will not hold any start or end dates. Instead, it will just have the duration.

3. What if I mention only the Start After days without the Duration for a work item in my template?

If the work item doesn't have Duration, then by default we will assign the duration as one day to the work item right when it is created or updated.