Task (GovDev)

You can learn how to fill in the details of a task work item in this topic. For information about what tasks are and how they are used in agile processes, see Product Backlog. For information about how to create a task work item, see Work Items and Workflow (GovDev).

Required Permissions

To view a task, you must be a member of the Readers group or your View work items in this node must be set to Allow. To create or modify a task, you must be a member of the Contributors group or your Edit work items in this node permissions must be set to Allow. For more information, see Managing Permissions.

Defining a Task

A task communicates the need to do some work. Each team member can define tasks to represent the work that they need to accomplish. For example, a developer can define development tasks to implement Use Cases. A tester can define test tasks to assign the job of writing and running test cases. A task can also be used to signal regressions or to suggest that exploratory testing should be performed. Also, a team member can define a task to represent generic work for the project.

The form for task work items stores data in the fields and tabs that are shown in the following illustration:

Work Item Form for Task

When you define a task, all fields are optional except for Title.

To define a single task

  1. In the top section of the work item form for a task, specify one or more of the following types of information:

  2. (Optional) On the Details tab, specify the following types of information:

    • In Description, type as much detail as you want to describe the work to be performed.

    • In History, type comments that you want to capture as part of the historical record. Every time that a team member updates the work item, its history shows the date of the change, the team member who made the change, and the fields that changed.

  3. (Optional) Link the task to other work items, such as Use Cases of child Tasks. For more information about these activities, see the following sections in this topic:

  4. Click Save Save Work Item.

    NoteNote

    After you save the task, the identifier appears under the work item toolbar.

Linking a Task to a Use Case

Linking a Task to a Child Task

Adding Details and Attachments to a Task

You can add information to a task that supports its implementation. You add details to tasks in the following ways:

  • Type information in the Description or History field.

  • Attach a file.

    For example, you can attach an e-mail thread, a document, an image, a log file, or another type of file.

  • Add a hyperlink to a Web site or to a file that is stored on a server or Web site.

To add details to a task

To add an attachment to a task

  1. On the Attachments tab, perform one of the following actions:

    • Drag a file into the attachment area.

    • Click Paste or press CTRL-V to paste a file that you have copied.

    • Click Add Attachment Add, and then click Browse. In the Attachment dialog box, type or browse to the name of the file that you want to attach.

      (Optional) In the Comment box, you can optionally type additional information about the attachment. To close the Attachment dialog box, click OK.

  2. Click Save Save Work Item.

Closing Completed Tasks

When you complete a task, you change its State from Activeto Closedstate.

To close a task

  1. Open the task.

  2. In the State list, click Closed.

  3. In the Reason list, click the reason why you are closing the task.

    For more information about each option in the Reason list, see Active to Closedlater in this topic.

  4. Click Save Save Work Item.

Typical workflow progression:

  • A team member creates a task in the Activestate with a default reason of New.

  • A team member changes the state from Active to Closed indicating that the task has been completed.

Additional workflow transitions states:

  • A team member determines that the task is not relevant and changes the state from Active to Closed.

  • A team member determines that the task was closed in error and reactivates the task, changing the state from Closed to Active.

Task State Diagram

Task state diagram

Active

Closed

See Also