Concat Work Item Field Values

This extension allows users to seamlessly collect and concatenate values from multiple fields across one or more work items into a single field. This helps in consolidating relevant data without manual copying or editing.

Last Updates

March, 2025 (v.1.1)

Improvements:

• Simplified field references: Removed the need for full field path references (e.g., System/Custom prefix).
  • Now, both custom control configuration values and the field values for concatenation can be specified using just the field name.
  • Full field references (including the System/Custom prefix) are still supported for compatibility.

How It Works

1. The user specifies an input field containing a semicolon-separated list of field references.

2. The extension processes each referenced field, retrieving values from the current or external work items.

3. The extracted values are concatenated using the defined delimiter (default: newline \n).

4. The final output is stored in the specified output field.

5. Users trigger the process via the "Collect & Concat Work Item Details" button in the work item form.

Key Features

• Can collect values from specified fields in multiple work items.
• Supports both system and custom work item fields.
• Allows the use of a custom delimiter to separate concatenated values.
• Works with rich text fields as the input field, stripping HTML formatting if necessary.
• Fetches values securely using the Azure DevOps REST API and Work Item Form Service.

Inputs

Input Field:
The field containing a semicolon-separated list of fields to be concatenated (e.g., Title;Notes).

Output Field:
The destination field where concatenated values will be stored (e.g., Description, Comments).

Delimiter Field:
A customizable delimiter for separating values (\n by default). Supports other characters (e.g., ,, ;, <br>).

Input Field Syntax

To specify the fields to be concatenated, use the following syntax:

1. For fields from the current work item: Simply reference the field using its name or full work item path.
   Example:

   • concatTestField3
   • Description

2. For fields from external work items: You must specify the organization name, project name, work item ID, and the full work item path. This format allows access to fields from any work item across any project or organization.
   Syntax:
   organizationName.projectName.workItemID.fieldName
   Example:

   • automatismo.Dev-sample-project.24.concatTestField1
   • automatismo.Dev-sample-project.38.concatTestField1

Note: When referencing fields from external work items, be sure to use the correct format and include the full path to avoid errors. You can mix and match fields from both current and external work items in the same input field.

Important Notes

• This extension requires read access to work item fields via the Azure DevOps API. It only retrieves and processes data from work items the user has permission to access.

Feedback and Issues

If you have any questions, 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 always reach us via email. We appreciate your input and strive to improve the extension based on your needs!