September 29, 2016 at 12:33 YouTrack 7.0 Release: New Agile Whiteboard Concept, Gantt Chart and More
Hello! We recently released YouTrack 7.0, a new version of the bug tracker from JetBrains.
What's new in YouTrack 7.0?
Other improvements:
Now I will tell in more detail about each of the innovations.
We completely redesigned the concept and design of the Agile board - made it more flexible and easily customizable and simplified task management. We also changed the behavior of the sprints:
In version 7.0, we significantly changed the backlog management process, making it as close as possible to working with a list of tasks. The new backlog makes it easier and faster to plan tasks: set sorting manually, edit task fields, create tasks and subtasks, filter, build a task tree, use commands, shortcuts and search, as well as distribute tasks by sprints.
In previous versions of YouTrack, you could only create drafts on the main task creation screen. Drafts are now saved right on the board. Regardless of where you create the task, in a column or inside swimlane, its draft will be saved. Now it’s not scary to accidentally close the browser or window in the process of creating a task - you can easily restore the task to the board. Drafts created on the board are also available in the standard task creation mode.
YouTrack 7.0 supports real-time updates on the whiteboard and backlog. This functionality is useful in teamwork, it eliminates the need to continuously refresh the page. All changes that occur on the board or in the backlog are instantly reflected in you, as well as in your colleagues.
In the new version, we also made some changes to the Burndown and Cumulative flow diagrams that are available on the board. Now, for both graphs, you can set search queries to exclude or add tasks, swirlains or subtasks to the result. For example, to build a graph only from subtasks, excluding swirlains, enter has: {Subtask of} in the query string .
You can also set up a schedule by the number of tasks, by estimating the time or by the time entered (if the project uses time tracking).
Now when creating a new board, you can choose one of the three available templates: Scrum, Kanban, or a template for manually configuring the board. The default parameters are different for each type, for example, for the Scrum board, the presence of swimlains, cards, columns and so on will be set.
We also added pre-filled settings for the new project. When creating, you can choose a standard task tracking project, Scrum or Kanban, which contain a ready-made set of fields and workflow, according to the chosen methodology. All settings can be changed at any time to better suit your workflow.
Gantt chart - one of the most anticipated by users of new products. It helps to plan what and when will be done, illustrates the dependence of tasks on each other, and also shows the current progress. The graph is built on the basis of a search query and may include tasks from several projects. Using the Gantt chart, you can calculate how much time it takes to complete tasks, depending on how many employees work on them, and predict how many resources you need to add to complete tasks faster.
In YouTrack 7.0, we improved the color palette - now it consists of primary colors and their shades. Please note that the colors of the fields that are set in YouTrack by default have also been changed. In the project settings, you can adjust the colors at any time.
Now you can add field values from anywhere - from the board, from the task list, from the backlog. This functionality is available to the administrator and significantly speeds up the project setup.
You can create multiple dashboards and share them with the team. You can also control editing rights by allowing or restricting a group of users to access your panel.
Now YouTrack supports SAML 2.0, i.e. you can use your YouTrack login when logging into other services, such as Zendesk or Google Apps for Work.
In the updated interface, the access control section is divided into applications: YouTrack and Hub. You can see which rights are associated with task management in YouTrack, and which are with the administrative part of the Hub.
The project administrator can now set the password strength level to increase server security and protect the system from attacks. This means that certain requirements will apply to the passwords of all your users.
Now users can delete their profile from YouTrack on their own. Administrators can also use this feature to remove obsolete and unused user profiles.
Finally - a small but very useful feature. When you share a link to a task in Slack, Facebook, or Telegram, it will automatically open for preview. It is worth noting that this option is available only for public tasks.
We also shot a short video (in English) to illustrate the main innovations:
We will be happy if you try YouTrack 7.0 and share your impressions. You can download a free version for 10 users or register in the cloud to use the trial version for 30 days.
If you already use the cloud-based YouTrack, then your instance will be transferred to the new version within a month. Servers are updated every Monday, so the wait is very short. If you are eager to upgrade to YouTrack 7.0, write to our technical support team and we will include you in the next update.
By the way, on October 26th we will hold a free webinar where we will talk about innovations in more detail, and also share the best practices for using Agile boards. You can register here .
Your Jetbrains YouTrack The Drive to Develop Team
What's new in YouTrack 7.0?
- New concept and design of Agile boards.
- More functional backlog.
- Real-time updates.
- Improved Burndown and Cumulative flow diagrams.
- Agile Whiteboard Templates.
- Project Templates.
- Gantt chart.
- Updated palette.
- Multiple dashboards and the ability to share them.
- Adding field values from the user interface.
Other improvements:
- Support SAML 2.0.
- Updated access rights management section.
- Password strength level.
- Delete user profile.
- Preview links in Slack, Facebook, Telegram.
Now I will tell in more detail about each of the innovations.
New Agile Whiteboard Concept
We completely redesigned the concept and design of the Agile board - made it more flexible and easily customizable and simplified task management. We also changed the behavior of the sprints:
- Sprints are no longer tied to the version field, which allows you to move tasks to any sprint, regardless of which version it is planned for. Adding tasks from different projects to the board no longer requires a common set of versions in these projects. Those who are used to the old behavior can still bind the sprint to the version so that tasks assigned to a specific version appear on the board automatically.
- In the previous version of YouTrack, the board was set by a search query. Thus, all new tasks that satisfy the request parameters automatically hit the board. But this was not always convenient, because it was impossible to add a task if it did not satisfy the request. In YouTrack 7.0, tasks are added to the board manually. If you want all new tasks to still fall into the current sprint, you can configure automatic addition.
- Now you can specify the goal of the sprint so that the whole team can focus on it.
More functional backlog
In version 7.0, we significantly changed the backlog management process, making it as close as possible to working with a list of tasks. The new backlog makes it easier and faster to plan tasks: set sorting manually, edit task fields, create tasks and subtasks, filter, build a task tree, use commands, shortcuts and search, as well as distribute tasks by sprints.
Drafts on an Agile Board
In previous versions of YouTrack, you could only create drafts on the main task creation screen. Drafts are now saved right on the board. Regardless of where you create the task, in a column or inside swimlane, its draft will be saved. Now it’s not scary to accidentally close the browser or window in the process of creating a task - you can easily restore the task to the board. Drafts created on the board are also available in the standard task creation mode.
Real time updates
YouTrack 7.0 supports real-time updates on the whiteboard and backlog. This functionality is useful in teamwork, it eliminates the need to continuously refresh the page. All changes that occur on the board or in the backlog are instantly reflected in you, as well as in your colleagues.
Improved Burndown and Cumulative flow charts
In the new version, we also made some changes to the Burndown and Cumulative flow diagrams that are available on the board. Now, for both graphs, you can set search queries to exclude or add tasks, swirlains or subtasks to the result. For example, to build a graph only from subtasks, excluding swirlains, enter has: {Subtask of} in the query string .
You can also set up a schedule by the number of tasks, by estimating the time or by the time entered (if the project uses time tracking).
Agile Whiteboard Templates
Now when creating a new board, you can choose one of the three available templates: Scrum, Kanban, or a template for manually configuring the board. The default parameters are different for each type, for example, for the Scrum board, the presence of swimlains, cards, columns and so on will be set.
Project Templates
We also added pre-filled settings for the new project. When creating, you can choose a standard task tracking project, Scrum or Kanban, which contain a ready-made set of fields and workflow, according to the chosen methodology. All settings can be changed at any time to better suit your workflow.
Gantt Chart
Gantt chart - one of the most anticipated by users of new products. It helps to plan what and when will be done, illustrates the dependence of tasks on each other, and also shows the current progress. The graph is built on the basis of a search query and may include tasks from several projects. Using the Gantt chart, you can calculate how much time it takes to complete tasks, depending on how many employees work on them, and predict how many resources you need to add to complete tasks faster.
Updated palette
In YouTrack 7.0, we improved the color palette - now it consists of primary colors and their shades. Please note that the colors of the fields that are set in YouTrack by default have also been changed. In the project settings, you can adjust the colors at any time.
Adding Field Values from the User Interface
Now you can add field values from anywhere - from the board, from the task list, from the backlog. This functionality is available to the administrator and significantly speeds up the project setup.
Multiple dashboards and the ability to share them
You can create multiple dashboards and share them with the team. You can also control editing rights by allowing or restricting a group of users to access your panel.
Other improvements
- Support for SAML 2.0
Now YouTrack supports SAML 2.0, i.e. you can use your YouTrack login when logging into other services, such as Zendesk or Google Apps for Work.
- Improved access rights management section
In the updated interface, the access control section is divided into applications: YouTrack and Hub. You can see which rights are associated with task management in YouTrack, and which are with the administrative part of the Hub.
- Password strength level
The project administrator can now set the password strength level to increase server security and protect the system from attacks. This means that certain requirements will apply to the passwords of all your users.
- Delete user profile
Now users can delete their profile from YouTrack on their own. Administrators can also use this feature to remove obsolete and unused user profiles.
- Preview links in Slack, Facebook, Telegram
Finally - a small but very useful feature. When you share a link to a task in Slack, Facebook, or Telegram, it will automatically open for preview. It is worth noting that this option is available only for public tasks.
We also shot a short video (in English) to illustrate the main innovations:
We will be happy if you try YouTrack 7.0 and share your impressions. You can download a free version for 10 users or register in the cloud to use the trial version for 30 days.
If you already use the cloud-based YouTrack, then your instance will be transferred to the new version within a month. Servers are updated every Monday, so the wait is very short. If you are eager to upgrade to YouTrack 7.0, write to our technical support team and we will include you in the next update.
By the way, on October 26th we will hold a free webinar where we will talk about innovations in more detail, and also share the best practices for using Agile boards. You can register here .
Your Jetbrains YouTrack The Drive to Develop Team