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What is the best way to create a simple work item type and automatically link and/or populate values from a parent work item?


Michael Taylor (8865764) | asked Apr 24 '13, 12:07 p.m.

My goal is to create a new work item type that will allow for the simplest possible work item as follows. 

R1) The new work item is to store two custom enumerated fields (name and version number).

R2) When creating a new work item of this type, display and entry should be simple and only require the display and entry of the two enumerated fields.

R3) Ideally, the new work item’s status/state, Planned for, and standard attributes would not need to be stored or displayed with the new work item.  The parent work item would define the value of these standard fields for all child work items of this new type.  That is to say that if Status or Planned for changes for the parent work item it would logically or functionally apply to all child work items of this  new type.

 

With that in mind, that leads to the following questions:

Q1) What is the simplest, most efficient, and maintainable way to create a new work item type that only maintains and displays the two fields mentioned in R1 and R2?

Q2) What happens to all the standard work item fields?  What is the best way to deal with those standard fields when creating the new work item type?  (hide, remove, etc.)

Q3.1) Do standard work item fields like status/state and Planned for have to be maintained or populated for the new work item type? 

Q3.2) If no, is there a way and is it advisable to remove those fields from the new work item type and simply derive those values from the parent work item?

Q3.3.1) If standard work item fields like status/state and Planned for have to be maintained or populated for the new work item type is there a way to automatically populate them from the parent work item?

Q3.3.2) If standard work item fields like status/state and Planned for are changed on the parent is there a way to automatically change the value of those fields for all child work items of this new type?

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sam detweiler (12.5k6195201) | answered Apr 24 '13, 12:20 p.m.
Q1: you can make any workitem you like.. you do NOT have to copy many of the fields from the master..

you need copy State, Resolution, and Summary, otherwise you cannot even find the thing..

a) but there IS a normal function of CHANGING one type to another, which you really can't prevent..

Q2: you don't have to copy Planned For
Q3.1 see a)
Q3.2 there is no 'derive from parent' function, except 'Duplicate' but it is not parent, it is sibling until changed.
Q3.3.1, no copy from parent function. you would have to build that (write code)
Q3.3.2m no inherit down for fields, you would have to build that. (write code)

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