Project Estimation using a grid
The Project Estimation use case help user to create default rows in a grid to list the project phases, especially for organization who want to estimate projects phases using Table Grid app, with any kind of Project Management methodology (Agile or others ) and also familiar with using Jira.
You will also learn how to use several features in TGNG app such as:
Introduction
The Project Estimation use case help user to create default rows in a grid to list the project phases, especially for organization who want to estimate projects phases using Table Grid app, with any kind of Project Management methodology (Agile or others ) and also familiar with using Jira.
The total estimation can then be copied to Time Tracking field (Original Estimate field) in Jira using Java APIs.
Prerequisites
User logged into their account, installed Table Grid Next Generation Server / Datacenter app
User created a related Jira project
User had the admin role on Jira
Post-condition
User can use the grid to update related information for the list of items
User can create issues using the Project Estimate grid
User can download/upload the Configuration for personal usage
User can add more columns or default rows to support the project estimation such as: Stakeholders, DateTime,…
Conditions
Required fields are marked with a red asterisk *
The grid must contain at least one column
The grid can be displayed in more than one project
User can download/upload the config for future usage in other project/issues.
When adding new columns or save the configuration, user need to reindex JIRA in order to changes to take effect.
When clicking the box Cell value required, user need to fill the information in the cell.
Flow chart diagram
Creating Project Estimation configuration
Basic Flow
Step | Action |
1 | Navigate to Jira Administration by clicking button |
2 | Click Manage Apps, in Table Grid section choose Grids |
3 | In Grid Fields, click Add Grid button to add new grid |
4 | Fill information for “Name” and “Description” In this example, writer used
 |
5 | In Configuration - Column, click Add new column to create new column |
6 | In Add Column, choose Sequence in Column type |
7 | User fill information for Identifier and Title In this example, writer used “jno“ as Identifier and type “No.” as column Title 
|
9 | Click Add to save the information |
10 | Click Add new column to create new column |
11 | In Add Column, choose String in Column type |
12 | User fill information for Identifier and Title Type “jphase“ as Identifier and type “Project Phase” as Title Tick the box Cell value required to make sure default value to be used in each cell of column. |
13 | Click Add to save the information |
14 | In Add Column, choose Number in Column type |
15 | User fill information for Identifier and Title In this example, writer typed “jestimate“ as Identifier and type “Estimation (in hours)” as Title Tick the box Cell value required to make sure default value to be used in each cell of column. In Aggregation operation, click button to choose sum option which calculate the sum of the column. |
16 | Click Add to save the column information |
17 | In Add Column, choose String in Column type Type “jnote” as Identifier and Type the “Notes” as column Title |
18 | Click Add to save the information |
19 | User click Save button to save the columns information |
20 | Based on your individual purpose, you can fill information for each column by double click the cell. For example, writer used: “Planning, Specification, Design, Development, Test, Review, Release and Documentation” for Project Phase column. Click Save button to save the config. |
21 | Click Create project, choose Name and Key Within the chosen Software Project, type Jira Project = PRJESTIMATE, project key = PRJESTIMAT Click Submit button to save the project setting information. |
22 | In Issues, click Screens and click Configure with the chosen screen. In Configure Screen, go to the bottom of page and type the name of your grid field In this example, writer add “Project Estimate” grid in the Screen |
23 | Click Add button to add the grid field on all needed screens. User can download this config: |
Alternative Flow
Step | Description |
1a | In Issues, choose Custom Fields in Fields, |
1a1 | Click Add Custom Field button
|
1a2 | Click Grid then Next to process next part
|
1a3 | Fill Name and Description In this example, writer use “Project Estimation” for both Name and Description Click Next to process next part |
1a4 | In Configure context, choose Select projects In this example, writer use Project Estimation (PE) Click Create button to save configuration |
1a5 | Associate field Project Estimation to screens by click the box under Select In this example, writer chose “PE: Scrum Bug Screen” and “PE: Scrum Default Issue Screen”
Click Update button to save the information |
1a6 | User can see their grid in Custom fields
|
1a7 | User click Manage Apps → Grids In Grid Fields, user can see their grid and click button to edit information
|
Use case continues in step 5 | |
Exceptional Flow
Users delete all columns
Continued from step #9 in the Basic Flow:
Step | Description |
10 | The system shows a pop-up message: “Grid name is required. Please set the name of your Grid., table-config-column-config-required” |
Use case stops. | |
Users click “Cancel” when saving the config
Continued from step #24 in the Basic Flow:
Step | Description |
25 | The system shows a pop-up message: “Exit without saving?” |
26 | User click Yes button |
Use case stops. | |
Use the Project Estimation grid in a Jira Project
Create a new project
In the main bar, click Projects → click Create project
Choose a project type → Click Next button to process the next step
The system display a pop-up message describes the issue types and workflow of the software development method.
Click Select button to process next step
Type Name and Key of the project
In this example, writer typed “PRJESTIMATE” for Name and “PRJESTIMAT” for Key
Click Submit button to create new project
Your project can be found in the list of projects.
Grid configuration file
To go faster you can import this grid configuration =
Add grid on project screens
In Issues, click Screens and click Configure with the chosen screen.
In the example, writer configured the PE: Scrum Default Issue Screen
Please visit here for more detailed information: How to define a screen for a custom field
In Field Tab, choose grid to apply to your project by clicking button
In the example, writer added Project Estimate grid in the Field Tab
Click Add button to save the information
User choose a project in Projects section
Writer choose PRJESTIMATE (PRJESTIMAT) project to process next step
In the selected project, user click Create button to create new Issue
Then select Issue Type, and select a name for Summary
In this example, writer use “PRJ1” for Summary
Click Create button to save the issue.
Final result on issue view
The final result will look like this
User can continue to edit the config in the issue by clicking the button and add more rows in the issue by clicking the button
Click to save any changes or click to cancel it.
Going further using TGNG Java APIs
After estimation being done using the grid, we can copy the project estimation total column from the Project Estimation grid to Original Estimate field in Jira Time Tracking feature.
You will need to use an external app like Scriptrunner for scripting in Jira to be able to use TGNG Java APIs.
This script can be used during a transition workflow once the estimation of all phases are done.
You can use the Custom script post-function feature from Scriptrunner app:
import com.atlassian.crowd.embedded.api.User;
import com.atlassian.jira.component.ComponentAccessor;
import com.atlassian.jira.issue.CustomFieldManager;
import com.atlassian.jira.issue.fields.CustomField;
import com.atlassian.jira.security.JiraAuthenticationContext;
import com.atlassian.plugin.PluginAccessor;
import com.atlassian.jira.user.ApplicationUser;
import com.idalko.tgng.jira.server.api.*;
// get an issue
String tgngCustomFieldName = "Project Estimate"; //Change the grid custom field name to relevant one
String columnIdToSum = "jestimate"; //Change the column ID to the relevant one
// get TGNG custom field
CustomFieldManager customFieldManager = ComponentAccessor.getOSGiComponentInstanceOfType(CustomFieldManager.class);
CustomField tgngCustomField = customFieldManager.getCustomFieldObjectsByName(tgngCustomFieldName).get(0);
Long tgngCustomFieldId = tgngCustomField.getIdAsLong();
if (tgngCustomField){
ApplicationUser applicationUser = ComponentAccessor.getJiraAuthenticationContext().getLoggedInUser();
// read grid data
PluginAccessor pluginAccessor = ComponentAccessor.getPluginAccessor();
Class apiServiceClass = pluginAccessor.getClassLoader().findClass("com.idalko.tgng.jira.server.api.GridService");
def gridFieldData = ComponentAccessor.getOSGiComponentInstanceOfType(apiServiceClass);
def callResult = null;
try {
callResult = gridFieldData.readFieldData(issue.getId(), tgngCustomFieldId, applicationUser, null);
log.warn("callResult= " +callResult)
} catch (Exception e) {
log.error(e.getMessage())
}
def gridRows = callResult.getRows();
Long sum = 0;
for (row in gridRows) {
def column = row.getColumns().get(columnIdToSum);
sum += column.longValue();
}
Long sumh = sum*60*60; //from millisecond to hour
log.warn("sumh= "+sumh)
issue.setEstimate(sumh) //remaining
issue.setOriginalEstimate(sumh) //original estimate
}After using a transition called “Estimated”, here is the result: the original estimate field in Jira is updated with the total from the estimation column in the grid.