Working with Items → Working with Item Actions → Linking Subtasks to a Principal Item

Linking Subtasks to a Principal Item

For more advanced actions between items, you can establish a principal/subtask relationship. A principal/subtask relationship is not only a way to link items, but it also creates a special relationship between the linked items that involves the status of the linked items. A principal/subtask relationship can create a situation in which the principal item can only transition when its linked tasks are in a completed or closed status. You can create a principal/subtask relationship with existing items by selecting Link to Principal or Link Subtasks; however, the workflow design that designates when the principal item is transitioned and what determines a subtask's status is designed by your administrator. To create new subtasks, you must invoke a transition that is configured by your administrator to create a new subtask.

The Link Subtasks dialog box enables you to establish a principal/subtask relationship among existing primary items. The item you create the link from becomes the principal task; the item you link to becomes the subtask. This option is available only if you have been granted appropriate privileges.

Once you have established a principal/subtask relationship, the items may be transitioned according to actions established by your administrator. For information about how principal/subtask relationships function in your workflow, contact your administrator.

To link a subtask to a principal item:

  1. Open the item that you want to be the principal item.
  2. From the Actions drop-down list on that item, select Link Subtasks. The Link Subtasks dialog box opens.
  3. Complete the fields on the Link Subtasks dialog box as needed.
    Field Description
    ID/Keywords Type the ID number or keywords for the subtask item that you want to link to the principal item. Click Link Subtasks to perform the search.
    Search in Table Select the table that contains the subtask items that you want to link to the principal item. The default table selection is the preferred application specified in your user profile, but all applications for which you have view privileges are listed.
    Tip: To link subtasks from multiple tables, search for items from the first table, link them to the principal task, and then select a different table from the Search in Table drop-down list and perform the search and link tasks again.
    Link Type Select one of the following options to add an item link to the principal task, subtask, or both. The item link will be added to the Attachments section of the applicable item.
    Note: Triggers are available only for on-premise customers. They are set up by your administrator. You can specify a link type that triggers items, but triggers fire only if they are configured for your workflow.

    • None – No item link created. This is the default setting.

    • One Way, no triggers – Creates a one-way link from the principal item to the subtask item without Transition Triggers.

    • One Way, current item triggers linked item – Creates a one-way link from the principal item to the subtask. When the principal item transitions, it may also trigger the subtask item to transition.

    • Two Way, no triggers – Creates a two-way link between the principal item and the subtask item without Transition Triggers.

    • Two Way, current item triggers linked item – Creates a two-way link between the principal item and the subtask item. When the principal item transitions, it also triggers the subtask item to transition.

    • Two Way, linked item triggers current item – Creates a two-way link between the principal item and the subtask item. When the subtask item transitions, it also triggers the principal item to transition.

    • Two Way, both items trigger each other – Creates a two-way link between the principal and the subtask item. When either item transitions, it also triggers the linked item to transition.
    Unrestricted If you chose to add an item link to the principal or subtask item, you can select this check box to make the item link visible to all users who can view the item it is attached to. Clear the check box to restrict the item link to users who have privileges to view the item and its item links. These privileges are set by your administrator. The Unrestricted check box is disabled if you do not have privileges to set attachments as unrestricted.
    Note: If you are creating a two-way item link, the unrestricted/restricted status of the item link in the destination project is the same as the source item link if you have privileges to set this status in the receiving project. If you do not have privileges to set this status, the status of the item link in the destination project is determined by the default settings specified by your administrator.
    On success, automatically close this window Select this check box to close the dialog box when the relationship is established.
    Link Subtasks Click this button to search for subtask items to link to the principal item. The search results appear on the bottom of the dialog box. If the item you are linking from is a subtask of another principal task, that task does not appear in the list. In addition, items that are already subtasks of another are not available since an item can only be a subtask to one principal item.

    From the list of items that appears, select the item or items to which you want to link, and then click Link Subtasks again.

    Note: If the search results are greater than 50 items, you must limit your query to return fewer items.
  4. The Close This Window button appears after the items are linked. Click this button to close the Link Subtasks dialog box.

Related Topics

Linking a Principal Item to Subtasks

Unlinking a Principal Item From Its Subtasks

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