Adding triggers

Add trigger rules to automatically perform specific actions when users create or make changes to items. Each trigger has a rule, which is a set of criteria that specifies the filter that items must meet for the trigger to run, the change that causes it to run, and the action to perform. If all criteria in the rule are met when an item is saved, the trigger runs.

You can configure default triggers to perform actions on items that do not meet all criteria of other triggers for the same item type. For example, you may want to create a default trigger that assigns all issues that do not meet the filter used in other triggers to the project lead for review. See Adding default triggers.

1. Choose Tools > Administration > Automation Rules.

The Configure Automation Rules dialog box opens.

2. Select an Item type.

3. Click the Triggers tab and then click Add.

The Add Trigger Rule dialog box opens.

4. Enter a Rule name.

5. Select Apply this rule to items imported from a text or XML file to run the trigger when items are imported to the project from a text or XML file.

6. On the Precondition tab, select a filter from the Passes filter list to only run the trigger for specific items.

You may want to select a filter if the project contains a large number of items. Click Create Filter to create a filter. See Adding filters.

Triggers that perform an action when an item is created do not run if the selected filter contains restrictions on the Number field because numbers are not assigned until items are saved.

7. Click the Trigger When tab to specify when the trigger runs. See About triggers.

  • Before save performs actions before items are saved in the project database. Select Do not process additional rules if this rule passes if you do not want to run subsequent rules if this rule passes.
  • After save performs actions after the item is saved in the project database.
  • Select the action that causes the trigger to run. If triggers are configured to run when an item is created, they also run when items are duplicated except when you choose to copy requirements to duplicated requirement documents

8. Click the Actions tab to select the actions to perform when the trigger runs.

You can add the following actions for before save triggers: enter event, modify, prevent, create snapshot (requirement document triggers only), and run executable. You can add the following actions for after save triggers: run executable, add to folder, remove from folder, and create snapshot. See Adding automation rule actions.

You can only configure one action of each type per trigger. For example, you cannot add two Prevent actions to one trigger.

9. Click OK to add the trigger.