YouTrack Issue & Bug Tracker

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Latest Update (as of October 29th, 2010): Early Access Program for the next version has started, and your feedback is absolutely welcomed! We are happy to invite you to download and evaluate Energy EAP builds to get access to the future right now.

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Did you know the next YouTrack release only a few months away? The new version is code-named Energy, and we’ve been working on it for some time already. We think we may be on the right track to making the perfect bug tracker! Of course we don’t want to leave you in the dark, so here is the roadmap for YouTrack Energy.
As roadmaps go, plans may change in terms of timing and functionality. However, this is generally the way we see the next YouTrack release.
YouTrack Energy is expected to release some time between the end of 2010 and Q1 2011 and provide the following functionality:

• Customizable workflow. Considering that an issue tracker is a tool that helps users follow a certain process, it should provide a comfortable and effective way to establish a custom workflow. For example, you may want to restrict the set of issue attributes available to issue reporter by default, or you may need to reset the “fixed in build” or “assignee” attribute value when an issue is reopened. In general, you should be able to establish any dependencies between issue attributes and set up the notifications just the way you need. Customizable workflow was initially planned for 2.0 but just didn’t make it there. This time we’re already into it.
  Related issues:
  • 1. Support custom workflow and custom issue fields schemes
    2. States settings per project
    3. Somehow force developer to set fix version on issue resolve
    4. Provide a separate role to reopen issues
    5. Do not set “Fixed in build” field for Won’t Fix and Obsolete issues
    6. The example of custom workflow with time management received from the customer
    7. Automatic assignments in YouTrack
    8. Closing x as a duplicate of y should increment the vote-count of y (or else-wise reflect that y has been encountered again and therefore more painful to continue existing).

• New types of custom attributes. The main idea behind this is to convert all the predefined issue attributes (Priority, Type, State, Assignee, Subsystem, Affected Version, etc.) into customizable attributes. This requires adding new custom attribute types, such as User, Group, Version, State, and Build. As a result, you are free to populate any issue attributes with the exact values you need. For example, you’ll be able to define your own states, types or priorities, highlight attribute values with different colors (just like it’s currently done with the Priority attribute), or even allow multiple selection of assignees. Of course, all custom attribute types will be supported in search queries, commands and matrix reports. In combination with customizable workflow, fully customizable attributes should give you complete control over your issue tracking process.
  Related issues:
  • 1. New Custom Fields Type
    2. Include custom fields in a matrix report
    3. Set custom fields value from the command window
    4. Customizable defaults for new issue
    5. Provide combo-/multi-box type for ‘users’ custom fields
    6. Custom field type with wiki content
    7. Add Ability to Search for Values in Custom Fields
    8. Enum with colors

• Add watchers. Sometimes it’s crucial to notify another user of an issue that was created or updated. Now you’ll be able to add users to the list of watchers at any time. This will help prevent duplicate issues and keep everyone involved aware of any changes made.
  Related issue:
  • 1. Ability to add user to watchers of a particular issue

• Import from other bug trackers to YouTrack. We’re extending the list of popular issue trackers from which you can migrate to YouTrack with no additional effort. You can import all or selected projects with any issue attributes you need. A Python script that supports migration from Bugzilla, Mantis, Trac, Google Code and CSV is actually available right now from the YouTrack web site.
  Related issues:
  • 1. Import issues from Bugzilla
    2. Import issues from Mantis
    3. Import issues from Trac
    4. Import issues from FogBugz
    5. Import issues from CSV
    6. Import from Google Code issue tracker
    7. Enhance the REST API to allow importing issues from an existing issue tracker

• Applying commands from VCS commit comments. Currently you can specify an issue ID in a VCS commit comment to associate the commit with a specific issue. With YouTrack Energy, you’ll be able to type a command right in the commit comment, and this command will be applied to the issue. For example, should you commit files with a comment like #JT-1787 fixed tag to be documented, issue JT-1787 will be closed and tagged as “to be documented”.
  Related issue:
  • 1. Parse VCS commit comments for commands and execute them automatically.

• Applying commands via Jabber. Currently YouTrack can chat with you via Jabber by sending you notifications. With YouTrack Energy, you’ll have your say in the discussion by being able to send it commands via Jabber. No really, ain’t it cool? Say you receive a notification about a new reported issue and you straight away assign it to another person by simply replying to YouTrack jabber bot. Neat!
  Related issue:
  1. • Commands via jabber

• OpenSearch support. Type your search query right in the address bar in Google Chrome or in the search bar in other browsers and navigate straight to your search results! This feature will be available in all browsers which support the OpenSearch technology: Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome.
  Related issue:
  1. • Support OpenSearch

• Integration with POP3, IMAP. Submit new issues without even opening the bug tracker! With Energy, you’ll be able to report issues right from your e-mail client.
  Related issue:
  1. • Submit issue via email

• Mobile browsers support. Full Issue Screen view and Login page are optimized for mobile platforms, and the commands are applicable from the issue menu.
  Related issue:
  1. • Provide support for mobile browsers (iPhone & Android) for Full Screen Issue view & Login page.

• Administration improvements. YouTrack Energy brings a number of improvements to make YouTrack administration as comfortable as reporting and processing issues. Specifically, we’ve added the list of users and groups with their access rights on the project tab, enhanced the custom fields auto-attach mechanism, etc.
  Related issue:
  1. • Enhance custom fields auto-attach mechanism
     • Ability to change “Filter & Notifications” for group
     • Add ‘assignee group’ section to Create Project screen
     • Show list of users and groups and their access to project in project’s tab

• Search syntax improvements. Here’s a new pack of goodies in YouTrack search queries: in Energy, you’ll be able to search for and between specific dates, as well as include any custom attributes and values into search queries.
  Related issue:
  1. • Search between specified dates
     • Limit text search by issue fields/comments
     • Search for issues fixed after a version
     • Support wildcards for TeamCity builds
     • Using specific dates in search syntax
     • Upgrade highlighting of text search results

• Improvements for commands. YouTrack Energy will give you more freedom in working with your issues from the command window: you’ll be able to notify users, vote for issues, clone issues, copy issue text, delete multiple issues, undo commands, and much more.
  Related issue:
  1. • Proper Linking of duplicates
     • Repeat last command
     • When linking issues I would really like to be able to search by keyword for the issue to link to.
     • Undo command
     • Apply command window commands for selected issue in links list on FIS
     • Command aliasing
     • Send issues to user
     • New command for issue: “notify #user”
     • Quick Commands
     • Provide “+1″ command for voting via command window
     • Copy issue text
     • Suggest recent commands at any position in current command
     • Clone issue
     • New Issue: Inline Command Window
     • “Visible for” command
     • Provide field validation for issues.
     • Command Window as a Separate Webpage
     • Shortcuts for tags/commands
     • A way to delete multiple issues
     • Prohibit to create empty comment via CW
     • After all recent commands suggestion list can be fill out by popular commands: add tag, fixed etc
     • Modify limits for command bulk updates
     • Support dependency enumeration with commas in the Command window
     • Add option not to send notification for rest api method, that changes issues

• Usability improvements:
  Related issue:
  1. • Visually distinguish my searches and shared searches
     • Implement floating toolbar for selected issue
     • “Issues” global button at top could be drop down with my saved searches.
     • Use saved search as context, just like project now is.
     • “Issues in HTML” should adhere to currently selected details level
     • Show FSI if search result contains only one issue

You can take a look at the full list of features planned for Energy. We encourage you to vote for features you like, submit new feature requests and get more people to vote for them.
A portion of the feature set announced in this Roadmap will be available for you to evaluate during our upcoming Early Access Program that we’re committed to launching pretty soon, so keep an eye out for more news!

It’s been almost 2 months since YouTrack 1.0 release — a sufficient term to make up our minds regarding how we need to extend YouTrack capabilities further. Having combined external feedback with our own ideas, we feel we’re ready to reveal YouTrack roadmap for the upcoming version code-named Daring. As any roadmap, this one may change in terms of both functionality and deadlines. However, this is how we currently want the product to evolve.

YouTrack Daring is scheduled for release in Q1 2010. It will hopefully introduce the following improvements:

1. Customizable workflow. Working with issues involves multiple steps and options, and the person who’s in charge of an issue tracker installation should have tools to establish a certain workflow for users to follow. For example, you may want to restrict the set of issue attributes available to issue reporter by default, or you may need to reset “fixed in build” attribute value when an issue is reopened. Leading issue trackers provide ways to customize workflow, and YouTrack certainly needs this feature. Of course, we’re reviewing the competition’s experience in the field in order to come up with a better, faster solution.
   Related issues:
   • Support custom workflow and custom issue fields schemas
   • Customizable defaults for new issues
   • Clear fixed in build on reopen issue
   • Somehow force developer to set fix version on issue resolve
   • States settings per project

   Update. Customizable workflow has been rescheduled for the version that will follow Daring, YouTrack Energy.

2. Custom attributes. YouTrack currently provides a predefined set of attributes (Priority, Type, Assignee, Subsystem, Fix version etc.) that covers common software developers’ needs. However, sometimes, you need your own typed attributes for scheduling, references, hardware specifications or whatever else you require to efficiently track your issues. YouTrack Daring gives you the freedom to define which attributes to use to describe your issues, and which type each of them should have.
   Related issues:
   • “Due Date” feature for new tasks
   • Please add attribute “Operating System”.
   • Support custom fields.
   • Issue Time tracking capabilities including summary reports.
3. Upgraded search. Customer feedback and actively tracking our own products helped us reveal a number of limitations in YouTrack search query language. Fortunately, none of them are design-bounded, and we’re intending to safely resolve them in YouTrack Daring. Specifically, we’re enabling search by ranges so that when you want to display all issues fixed for, say, five versions, you don’t have to explicitly enumerate all of them. Other search improvements will include search by user groups (”find all issues created by external users last week”), subsystem search over multiple projects (important when several projects have subsystems with the same name - IntelliJ IDEA contributors should feel relieved), enhanced suggestions etc.
   Related issues:
   • Search by custom date range
   • Add ability to search issues not having tag A nor B
   • Organize states in filters into two groups: resolved and unresolved
   • Text-based search finds something unrelated
   • If few projects have the same Subsystem, query should contain results from both
   • Search query explanation
   • Limit text search by issue fields/comments
   • Subsystem Search over multiple projects should be possible
   • In case of search terms collision (#aaa can refer to several entities), display this to the user and allow to refine the search query
   • Completion list should list project-specific items first
   • Support search by ‘link type’ or get results by ‘link type’
   • Allow using group names in search requests
   • Search for issues commented by some user
   • Use saved search as context, just like now project is
   • Search before, after, between specified dates
   • Show “did you mean” suggestion if no records found
   • Search issues after build, before build, between builds
4. Improved commands. In addition to supporting custom attributes, YouTrack Daring is set to introduce a command to notify other users of an issue or a set of selected issues, and “undo” command to revert latest changes (pretty useful after inadvertently setting all existing issues to “can’t reproduce”). Besides, we’ll make sure that when you try to apply commands that you don’t have permissions to apply, the Command window warns you about that instead of just silently pretending that it doesn’t understand you, as it currently does.
   Related issues:
   • New command for issue: “notify #user”
   • On mark issues as duplicate automatically suggest issue with the smallest number as a main
   • Undo command
   • Support “untag” command on an issue
   • Commands should recognize everything (but do not suggest) and shows “access denied” message
5. More flexible TeamCity integration. Seems like customers use TeamCity in more ways than we’d thought possible. That means, YouTrack Daring should provide more paths of TeamCity integration - specifically, allow mapping multiple TeamCity build configurations to a single YouTrack project, and integrating multiple TeamCity installations with a single YouTrack installation.
   Related issues:
   • Allow multiple TeamCity integrations with a single YouTrack Project
   • Integrate YouTrack with more than one TeamCity installation
   • Integration with teamcity mapping should be visible as tab in project edit to let project admin to change it
6. Recent Activity view. It’s become commonplace to provide a way to see who’s done what lately in an application, so this is a bit of a mainstream feature: for all issues that you watch, you’ll be able to view who commented, voted, or updated them in another way.
   Related issue: Provide Recent Activity Tab
7. Permissions per issue and per issue type. YouTrack currently provides per-project and per-installation security but many public tracker administrators would like to be able to set custom access permissions for specific issues that contain private data. There’s also demand for per-issue-type security which could be more relevant with custom attributes.
   Related issues:
   • Set permissions per issue
   • Permissions per issue type
8. Jira 4.0 integration. YouTrack currently integrates with JIRA 3.x but since JIRA 4 is on the market for a while now, we’re up for an update.
   Related issue: Support JIRA 4.0
9. Improved REST API. Lacking any documentation, few of you know that YouTrack provides REST API with methods for creating, searching, and modifying issues. In YouTrack Daring, we’re going to take the curtain off this wonderful functionality, and extend it - with sufficient permissions, you’ll be able to manipulate users, groups, roles, and execute other administrative actions programmatically through the API.
   Related issues:
   • Document REST API
   • Plugins support
10. Easier installation. Installing YouTrack is in many cases as tough a hurdle as double-clicking a JAR file. However, we’re not completely satisfied with the current state of affairs in this area. First, we currently ask users to request an evaluation license right after downloading and installing YouTrack. This is not without sense but considering the additional difficulty that this step brings to evaluators, we’re going to integrate a common evaluation license directly into YouTrack installation and give evaluators an option to prolong it. Second, we’re currently asking YouTrack root administrator to log in on first YouTrack start. That’s going to trash can as well. Finally, we’re going to provide a third distribution option in the form of a Windows exe file for a true one-click installation experience.
    Related issues:
    • Distribute YouTrack as Windows exe file
    • Integrate evaluation license into installation package
    • Show message about license is about to expire
11. Check for updates. You’ll no longer need to keep an eye on your RSS feed to monitor YouTrack updates — the product will remind you itself whenever there’s a new release available.
    Related issue: Implement check for updates

You can glance through the full list of features scheduled for Daring. Of course, you’re encouraged to vote for features you like, and submit new feature requests.

Some of the features highlighted in this Roadmap should be available for you to evaluate in our upcoming Early Access Program that we’re committed to launch soon (hopefully before the New Year), so stay tuned for further news!