Related tasks and task chains
Task relations in Taska set the order of work. A next task starts after the previous one, and parallel tasks are done together. Related tasks can sit on different boards of the same space.
Next and parallel tasks
- A “Next task” starts after this task is done. Such relations add up to a chain, for example design, then development, then testing.
- A “Parallel” task runs together with this task. Parallel tasks form a group of up to 12 tasks.
You can link tasks from any boards and projects of the same space. A chain can't loop back on itself, and two tasks can't be both one after another and parallel.
A relation doesn't forbid anything. You can start and even close a next task before the previous one, and Taska only shows that the order is broken. If the order must be strict, turn on the “All previous tasks are closed” condition for the column, as described in “Status automations”.
What the card shows
- “Waiting” and a task title. The previous task isn't closed yet.
- “You can start”. All previous tasks are closed.
- A colored badge with a number. This is the step of the chain, and clicking it shows the whole chain in the quick look panel.
If a task is closed before the previous one, the card shows “Closed before the previous one”. When the last previous task is closed, the assignee of the next task gets the “You can start: the previous task is closed” notification.
When you point to a card with relations, the board draws the lines of its chain. The “Task relations” view, the curved line button in the board header, shows all chains of the board on one diagram.
The Related tasks section in the task window
- Arrows along the chain and a caption such as “Step 2 of 3”. The arrows open the previous and the next task.
- The status line. It says what the task is waiting for or that you can start.
- The “Previous tasks”, “Next tasks” and “In parallel” groups. Each task shows its status and board.
- “Link with a task” adds a new relation.
Clicking a related task opens it in the same window, and the back arrow in the header takes you back. If there are unsaved changes in the fields, Taska first asks what to do with them. See “How to save changes to a task” for details.
If a relation leads to a board you don't have access to, you'll see “A task you have no access to” instead of the title.
How to link tasks
- Open the task and click the “Link with a task” button with a chain link icon in the window header. If there's no such button, click “⋮” in the header and choose “Link with a task”.
- In the “Link the task” window, choose “Next task” or “Parallel”.
- Find the task by its title or by a link to it.
- Click the task in the list.
Taska shows the “Tasks linked” notification. If the task you need doesn't exist yet and the window is open on a board, the list ends with an item for a new task: “Create the next task” (“Create a parallel task”), or “Create a new task ‘…’” with that title if you've typed in the search.
There are other ways to link tasks.
- On the board, point to a card and drag the handle from its lower-right corner to another card. This makes a next task, or a parallel one if you hold Shift. Esc cancels.
- Right-click a card and open “Relations”. It has “Link with a task…”, “Create the next task” and “Create a parallel task”.
- Select several tasks and click “Build a chain” or “Make parallel” on the panel at the bottom of the screen. The chain follows the board from left to right and from top to bottom. See “Selecting tasks and bulk actions” for more about selecting tasks.
- In the “Create” menu in the board header, choose “Task chain” to create several linked tasks step by step.
Example
Amy is finishing “Onboarding screen” on the Design board. The next task, “Test onboarding on Android” on the Testing board, is linked to it. Until the screen is ready, the test card shows “Waiting” with the name of the design task. Amy closes her task, and Sophie, the assignee of the test, gets the “You can start: the previous task is closed” notification. The test card now shows “You can start” instead of “Waiting”.
How to remove a relation
In the “Related tasks” section, click the “Remove the relation” cross in the task's row. For a parallel task, this cross is called “Remove from the parallel group”. Taska shows “Relation removed” with an “Undo” button. “Remove all relations” in the card's “Relations” menu removes all relations of the task at once.
How to hide relation lines on the board
Click “⋮” in the board header, open “Task relation lines” and choose “Hide lines”. The relation badges stay on the cards.
On a phone
Related tasks open as a separate tab in the task window. Phones have no drag handle and no quick look panel, so link tasks with the “Link with a task” button in the window.