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2: Mechanism of backlog and Questetra collaboration
3: Created backlog ? Questetra collaboration Add-on and usage
4: Closing
1: Combined use of backlog and workflow system
I often hear about the case where backlog and Workflow system are used together.
Even though both of backlog and a Workflow system are framework for managing tasks, the characteristic of them differs, that is, backlog is good for managing flows which handling is undetermined, whereas Workflow is good for which has been decided.
And also, it seems that there are many cases where applying scope of backlog and Workflow system differs when they are used together. As a concrete example, there are cases where backlog is used for interaction with a partner company outside, whereas works within its own company is managed in the Workflow system.
Likewise, some of the users of Questetra, a cloud-based Workflow, are using together with backlog. (Case studies of Customers: Serverworks,, Shanon Inc., Aratana inc.) Also there are occasions that I was asked by people who are considering for introducing Questetra, regarding cooperation with backlog.
So I prepared a Questetra Add-on so that to achieve cooperating with backlog easily. I am going to introduce that Add-on.
2: Mechanism of backlog and Questetra collaboration
The Add-on I prepared this time is for adding an Issue to backlog in the middle of Questetra’s Workflow.
The addition of Issue is realized by throwing HTTP request from Questetra to API of backlog.
As I mentioned in previous blog posts, we are going to use API Key instead of OAuth for the authentication part.
Details of backlog’s API specifications for Issues addition are on this site, and there are some optional parameters.
The settings of parameters are as follows.
| Parameter | Required | Data type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| projectId | Required | Numeric | Project ID of adding Issue |
| summary | Required | String | Title of adding Issue |
| description | String | Details of adding Issue (body of the Issue) | |
| issueTypeId | Required | Numeric | Type of adding Issue |
| priorityId | Required | Numeric | Priority ID of adding Issue |
| assigneeId | Numeric | ID of assignee of adding Issue | |
| dueDate | String | Deadline of adding Issue (YYYY-MM-DD) | |
| categoryId[] | Numeric | CategoryID of adding Issue |
3: Created backlog ? Questetra collaboration add-on and usage
If you are going to launch an Issue in backlog after processing in the Workflow, the flow diagram will be as follows.
And the setting screen of add-on is as the following image.
The setting items of the add-on are as follows.
| Item name | Required | Format |
|---|---|---|
| A: Space id | Required | TEXTFIELD |
| B: API key | Required | TEXTFIELD |
| C: Select SELECT DATA for Project Id | Required | Select SELECT DATA |
| D: Select TEXT DATA for Summary | Required | Select a String type Data Item |
| E: Select TEXT DATA for Description | Required | Select a String type (multiple lines) Data Item |
| F: Select SELECT DATA for Issue Type Id | Required | Select a Select type Data Item |
| G: Select SELECT DATA for Priority Id | Required | Select a Select type Data Item |
| H: Select SELECT DATA for Assignee Id | Select a Select type Data Item | |
| I: Select SELECT DATA for Due Date | Select a Date type Data Item | |
| J: Select SELECT DATA for Category Id | Select a Select type Data Item | |
| X: Select TEXT DATA for Log | Select a String type (multiple lines) Data Item |
* “E. Description of task” is not Required as an API specification, but I set it to required as an add-on setting.
You can download the sample flow archive from here (when you extract “.zip” you will find a “.qar” file).
backlog_sample
* Please see this site for the method of importing the archive.
Download the Add-on in this post from here.
Add-on: Backlog Add Issue
The following is for how to use You will see that you can make it with only settings, without any programming.
- Register the add-on to Questetra
* Please see the site below for how to setup add-ons.
M415: Adding an Auto-Step to be Used for Business Process DefinitionBy the way, in addition to backlog, we have prepared add-ons that link Questetra with various services, at this site.
- Prepare Data Items according with setting items of the add-on in App setting of Questetra
* Especially, it is necessary to prepare options according to the IDs of the backlog - In App setting of Questetr, place the add-on onto a Flow Chart, and then setup at property of the add-on
* For acquisition of backlog API key, etc., please refer backlog’s help site.
It is a specification which the API Key should be placed after the URL, even in the case of by POST for sending a HTTP request such as addition of an Issue, regarding when calling the backlog API. I believed that in the case of POST, it can not be attached to the URL like other parameters. Thus, it was not quite handled correctly and it took a while to solve it. Please note that if you write logic for yourself.
4: Closing
I suppose that now you understand cooperation between backlog and Questetra can be realized easily.
In addition, I would like to introduce case of reverse linkage (backlog → Questetra), and furthermore, the cooperation with typetalk which the same Nulab Inc. is offering, in another articles.
Please feel free to contact us via the inquiry form if you have any questions.
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