Advanced Work Item Copy

This extension allows you to create advanced copies of work items across projects, organizations, and item types with custom field mappings. It simplifies the process of replicating work items and enables flexibility with custom field configurations, making it a practical tool for users managing work items across different Azure DevOps environments.

Last Updates:

March, 2025 (v.1.1)

New Functionalities:

• Item linking: "Related" -links between the original and new work items are added now automatically if the work items are within the same organization.

Features

• Cross-Organization and Cross-Project Copying: Copy work items between different Azure DevOps organizations and projects seamlessly.
• Custom Field Mappings: Define and configure mappings for work item fields to ensure correct data transfer between source and destination work items.
• Multiple Configurable Inputs: Specify organization, project, item type, and field mappings directly through the work item form.
• Flexible Button Text: Customize the action button text to suit your specific needs.
• Item linking: Automatically adding "Related" -links between the original and new work items if they are within the same organization.

Configuration Inputs

• Organization: The Azure DevOps organization where the work item copy will be created.
• Project: The project within the organization where the work item copy will be created.
• Item Type: The work item type for the new work item to be created (e.g., Bug, Task, User Story).
• Field Mappings: A semi-colon separated list of custom mappings for the work item fields. Format: 'NewField=SourceField;!Description'.
• Cross Organization Access Token: Access token for cross-organization operations (optional, needed only for cross-organization item creations).
• Button Text: Text to display on the action button (optional, defaults to 'Create Copy').

Field Mapping Rules

When copying a work item, the following rules determine how fields are handled:

1. Automatic Field Copying

   • All matching fields (both System and Custom) that exist in both the source and target work item types are copied automatically unless explicitly excluded.
   • Exception: AreaPath, AreaId, IterationPath, and IterationId are not copied automatically. If needed, they should be set explicitly using a static value.

2. Field Exclusion (!FieldName)

   • To prevent a field from being copied, prefix it with !.
   • Example: !Description ensures that the Description field is not copied.

3. Field Mapping (DestinationField=SourceField)

   • If the source and destination fields have different names, an explicit mapping must be provided.
   • Example: TargetField=SourceField copies the value of SourceField to TargetField.

4. Static Value Assignment ($FieldName=Some Value)

   • A static value can be assigned to a field by using $FieldName=Some Value.
   • Example: $Priority=High sets the Priority field to "High" in the copied work item.

How It Works

1. Setting Up Inputs: The user provides input fields for organization, project, item type, and custom field mappings.
2. Work Item Copying: Based on the provided configurations, the extension copies the work item to the specified organization, project, and item type while applying the defined field mappings.
3. Customizable Button: The action button text is customizable and triggers the copying operation once clicked.

Example Usage

• Organization: orgA
• Project: ProjectA
• Item Type: Task
• Field Mappings: !Description;$someField=Static value for the field;otherField=someFieldWithDifferentName
• Cross Organization Access Token: abcdefg12345
• Button Text: Copy to orgA - ProjectA

In this example:

• The extension will copy a work item to ProjectA within orgA, with custom field mappings. Specifically:
  • The Description field is excluded from the copy (!Description).
  • A static value (Static value for the field) will be assigned to the someField field.
  • The field otherField in the destination work item will be populated with the value from someFieldWithDifferentName in the source work item.
• A custom button with the text "Copy to orgA - ProjectA" will initiate the copy process when clicked.

Important Notes

• Cross-Organization Operations: If you're copying work items across different organizations, ensure that the access token is provided for cross-organization authentication.
• Field Mappings: Ensure that the source fields exist in the source work item and the destination work item can accept the mapped fields.
• Button Text Customization: You can customize the button text to better suit your workflow or process requirements.
• Permissions:
  • If the Cross Organization Access Token input is provided, the token holder must have write access to the destination project and item type for the copy process to be successful.
  • If the Cross Organization Access Token input is not provided, the current user must have write access to the destination project and item type in order for the copy process to be successful.

Feedback and Issues

If you have any questions or encounter issues, feel free to leave them in the Q&A section. For feedback or suggestions on new functionalities, please provide them via the Ratings & Review section.

You can also reach us via email. We appreciate your input and strive to improve the extension based on your needs!