Preliminary global settings

In order to setup the Auto populate user picker field based on expression on your Approval Configurations, you must first select the Approval Expression Superuser in the /wiki/spaces/HAP/pages/12002038 screen.

The Approval Expression Superuser will be used by the app to edit any user picker custom field associated to an Auto populate user picker field based on expression configuration.

Auto populate user picker field based on expression screen

Navigate the Approvals administration screen and Add an Approval Configuration by inserting an Approval Name checking the Type Single Property option.

The Approval Configuration screen displays the available properties to setup an Approval.

Here you can choose an user picker custom field that can be populated basing on an expression.

On selecting an user picker All, distinct approbations will be requested to each user that will be inserted in the User Picker field.

On selecting an user picker Any, any user inserted in the User Picker custom field may provide the approval response on behalf of all users.

When selecting an user picker _All or an user picker _Any , you are able to specify expressions that identify

• users that will be isnserted on the user picker custom field in order to enable them to approve and
• users that will be removed by the user picker in order to exclude them.

In order to insert an expression to populate the user picker field, click  on the icon displayed on the right side of the select list filled with the chosen user picker:

Specify the expression identifying the users to insert in the user picker custom field

The Auto populate user picker field based on expression screen requires an expression, respecting the expected syntax, that specify the users to insert in the user picker field (Can Approve or Reject) and, optionally,  the users to discard from the list (Excluded).

 You cannot specify the users to discard (Excluded) without specifying the users to insert into to the user picker field (Can Approve or Reject).

 You are able to insert the allowed tags on the text areas performing a drag and drop of a tag inside the text area on the point you want add it or just starting to type a text identifying the tag (e.g. <u)

Image Added

 Notice that, in order to avoid performance issue there is a limit on the max number of users that will be returned by the two statements.

Case of the Can the Can Approve or Reject or the Excluded the Excluded statements returns more then 100 users, only the first 100 will be considered.

 You are able to select the values to insert inside the property tags just starting to type a text.

Test the expression

You are able to test an expression in order to check if the list of users returned for an issue, on evaluating the Can Approve or Reject and Excluded, matches the expectations. 

In order to test your expressions, you can specify an issue key, click on Run Test and review the list of users that are returned below.

Expected syntax 

Graphic Syntax Diagram

A valid expression requires that you respect the expected syntax.

The following diagram illustrates the expected syntax for valid expressions that you can specify in the Can Approve or Reject and the Excluded text areas:

Property tags

The syntax that allows to specify the property's values expects a start end tag identifying the property:

• <users>...</users>
• <groups>....</groups>
• <roles>....</roles>
• <group-pickers>...</group-pickers>
• <user-pickers>...</user-pickers>
• <component-leads>..</component-leads>.

Property Values

 The admissible  property's values depends by the selected Property:

• <users>
  
  • Username, any username
  • Reporter, key word to include in the list the issues's reporter
  • Assignee, key word to include in the list the issues's assignee
  • ProjectLead, key word to include in the list the concerned project lead
  • Component Leads, key word to include in the list all the concerned Component Leads
• <groups>
  
  • Group, any Jira Group name
• <roles>
  • Project Role, any Project Role Name
• <user-pickers>
  • User Picker custom-field, any user picker custom field identifier (Example: customfield_10125)
• <group-pickers>
  • Group Picker custom-field, any group picker custom field identifier (Example: customfield_10188)
• <component-leads>
  • Project Component, any Component Name 

 This setting maintain the Component Name and not the Component Id in order to allow reusing the Approval across Approval mapping for different Projects.

You are able to specify one or more Property's values.

Property's values are concatenated via the ','.

 Example: <users>Tom Black , Nancy Green , Jack Red , Katy White</users>

Condition Tags

The syntax that allows to specify a condition enabling a set of properties expect one of the following start end tag: 

• <conditional-rule  name="Conditional Rule Name">...</conditional-rule>
• <conditional-rule name="Conditional Rule Name " is-false>...</conditional-rule>

The admissible names include all Conditional Rule names that you have created via the Conditional Rules administration screen.

An expression can include zero, ore, more conditions enabling one or more properties.

 Example: <conditional-rule  name="Priority High"><groups>Managers</groups> </conditional-rule> <conditional-rule  name="Priority High" is-false><users>Tom Black</users></conditional-rule>

How it works

Requirement

It is necessary to require the distinct approbation users that meet the following conditions:

• Case of issue priority is High
  • All users that belong to the Project Rules Tempo Project Managers and Service Desk Team;
• Case issue priority is not High
  
  • All users that belong to the group  jira-administrators
• Case of the Issue has been categorized against the Billing Services component
  • The Billing Services Component lead 

• Case of the Issue has been categorized against the Data Center Services component
  • The Data Center Services Component lead

• Case of the issue require supervisor approval (Require Supervisor use picker is not empty) 
  • The users dynamically selected on the Require Supervisor use picker field

• Reporter and Assignee cannot approve

Configuring Auto populate user picker field based on expression

Requested Approvals on the issue

Assuming to expect the configured Approval on an issue.

The Approval Web panel displays the users that satisfy the expression,

Example of Customer scenarios

• Distinct Approvals to users in a group

• Combine user picker field and groups to come up with a single list of valid approvers
• Approval by component lead