Issues (GitLab)
In GitLab, "issues" refer to a feature that helps track, manage, and discuss tasks or problems related to a project. Issues serve as a centralized place to coordinate work, discuss ideas, and keep track of progress. Here are some key aspects of GitLab issues:
About issues
Creation and Management
Issues can be created by team members or project contributors to address tasks, bugs, new features, or any other kind of work. Users can assign issues to themselves or others, set due dates, and label them for categorization.
Discussion
Each issue has a discussion thread where team members can communicate and collaborate. Users can comment on issues, provide feedback, and discuss the details of the task at hand.
Labels and Milestones
Labels can be applied to categorize issues (e.g., bug, feature, enhancement) and provide additional context. Milestones help organize issues into broader project goals or releases.
Integration with Source Code
Issues can be linked to merge requests, making it easy to see the relationship between code changes and the tasks or problems they address.
Workflow
GitLab issues typically follow a workflow with states such as open, closed, in progress, or under review. This helps to track the status of tasks.
Reference in Commits
Issues can be referenced in commit messages using special syntax, creating a connection between code changes and the related issue.
Customization
GitLab allows customization of issue templates, enabling teams to define specific structures and required information when creating new issues. By using issues in GitLab, teams can maintain an organized and transparent workflow, facilitating collaboration and communication among team members. Issues are an integral part of the project management features provided by GitLab, helping teams plan, execute, and track their work effectively.
Weights
Various
Numbering for each project
Each project has its own numbering for issues!
Issue & milestone
When you open an issue, there is a control on the right side of the screen, to associate an issue with a milestone.
Move an issue to another project
- Open the issue
- Click on the button Move issue down-right corner
Tasks vs. issues
The terms "tasks" and "issues" are often used interchangeably, but they can have different meanings depending on the context, and the distinctions may vary between different project management tools and version control systems. In the context of GitLab, "issues" have a specific meaning, as explained in the previous chapter. However, let's explore the general distinctions between "tasks" and "issues":
Tasks
- Generic Term: "Task" is a broad and generic term that can refer to any piece of work that needs to be done
- Scope: Tasks can encompass a wide range of activities, including both technical and non-technical work.
- Project Management: Tasks may be used in project management to represent work items, whether they are coding tasks, documentation tasks, or other types of work.
- No Standardized Structure: The term "task" doesn't imply a standardized structure or specific features, and its meaning can vary between different tools and methodologies.
Issues
- Specific Meaning: In GitLab, "issues" have a specific meaning related to the project management features within the GitLab platform, as described in the previous response
- Structured Elements: GitLab issues come with structured elements such as discussion threads, assignees, due dates, labels, milestones, and a defined workflow
- Version Control Integration: GitLab issues are tightly integrated with version control, allowing linking with code changes through merge requests
- Reference in Commits: Issues in GitLab can be referenced in commit messages to establish connections between code changes and the tasks or problems they address.
Interface
From Group
Make sure you're on the right place within the breadcrumb path. E.g., when you're at
Your work » Projects
there are some weird demo issues included. I think I need to be at the top-level location for this customer. I think it's called group (I tend to think of it as a workpspace).
From there, I can access all major issue-related entities:
- Pinned » Issues
- Plan » Issues (same as through Pinned)
- Plan » Issue board
- Plan » Milestones
From a project
From the Group page, you can select a project. The menu on the left is quite the same as for Group, except for the scope that is now limited to the selected project only:
- Pinned » Issues
- Plan » Issues (same as through Pinned)
- Plan » Issue board
- Plan » Milestones
- Plan » Wiki (this menu item is not available at Group)
Issue boards
Issue boards can be greated at Group level or at any project. They are a means to organise issues in different ways - Just give it a try.