Redmine

h1. HowTo import issues

"Since 3.2.0":http://www.redmine.org/news/104 Redmine can import issues from CSV files (#950).

In the issues tab there is a import link on the right. You can import any CSV-type file. The first line must contain the column names. You can freely assign them to the different fields of an issue.

h2. Notes on different Fields

h3. Parent Issue

If the field starts with an #, the issue with that id is referenced. If the field contains a number it references the index of the issue in the import. Note that it's not the line number as line 1 contains the header.

From #23396#note-2:

> Jean-Philippe Lang wrote:

>> When importing issues, the content of a the parent colum can be:

>> * a number without # (eg: 10) => the parent will be the 10th imported issue

>> * a number with # (eg: !#10) => the parent will be the existing issue with id=10

{{collapse(Two examples...)

A CSV file looking like follows (note the parent column values with the #-sign omitted):

|Subject|Startdate|Duedate   |Parent Task|

|taskA  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|      |

|taskB  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|@1@   |

|taskC  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|@1@   |

|taskD  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|@3@   |

|taskE  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|@3@   |

|taskF  |1/4/2016 |12/31/2016|@4@   |

will be imported creating the following issues tree:

<pre>

taskA

 -> taskB

 -> taskC

     -> taskD

         -> taskF

     -> taskE

</pre>

And, starting with Redmine version#119, you can even use a CSV file like:

|Subject|Startdate|Duedate   |Parent Task|

|taskF  |1/4/2016 |12/31/2016|@2@   |

|taskD  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|@5@   |

|taskE  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|@5@   |

|taskB  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|@6@   |

|taskC  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|@6@   |

|taskA  |1/1/2016 |12/31/2016|      |

which will be imported creating the following issues tree (equal to the example above):

<pre>

taskA

 -> taskB

 -> taskC

     -> taskD

         -> taskF

     -> taskE

</pre>

This extended feature behaviour is implemented through a separated issue (#22701).

}}

h3. Status

If we want to import existant issue status (not import all as New) we have to go to Adminstration -> Workflow and then check the "New Issue" field for the status, trackers and roles we want to import.

Otherwise we won't be able to import issues marked as closed for example.

h3. Assignee

This must be the username. (Name and lastname works, tested on redmine 3.3)

h3. Category and Target version

During test with 3.3, the assistant allowed me to use an option to automatically create version or category. 

h3. Project

The assistant will let you choose on which project you want to import the issue. 

h2. Assistant

The assistant will help you (tested on 3.3):

# Will ask for options with the file:

*Field separator*

*Field wrapper*

*Enconding*

*Date Format*

!example_import_options1.jpg!

# Then next step will ask for the fields to match

This is very interesting, because no matter what the names of the columns are, here you map which column is which field on the issue. 

!example_import_csv.jpg!

Attached attachment:"issues.csv" has the CSV used during test with 3.3.