Feature request: A global Area list - FogBugz Knowledge Exchange

Feature request: A global Area list

2009-12-30T07:19:50Z

We are a web studio.

We have HTML coders, flash devs, designers and server developers.

As it stated in the docs, we use areas for different kind of tasks (flash dev will never do server coding)

It's very natural for us to have Code, Flash, Design, HTML Areas. We use areas so flash developers can easely see flash tasks in all projects.

We also have many short lived projects. It's pretty irritating to create 4 areas for each of the new projects. And also be unable to filter normally by area (only via search filtering).

So here is the logical request: we need sitewide Areas!

Answer by Rich Armstrong for Feature request: A global Area list

2009-12-30T21:58:50Z

It's probably not feasible to change the basic data structure of FogBugz, along with all the design challenges that would accompany such a bold move. I think we'd do better to just address the complaints.

It is possible to create a quick little API script to create the new project and its underlying areas with just a click. I'll whip up some PHP code if there's interest.

I'm not sure if you're talking about adding a search to a filter or just actual searching, but it doesn't cost anything to add a search to a filter and the outcome is the same as filtering by area.

Answer by Ryan CTO for Feature request: A global Area list

2010-10-14T09:44:13Z

Dear FogBugz,

We too have many clients and many projects per client, all related to Web site or mobile app (a la iPhone/BlackBerry/etc.) development, and we see areas as being the main way to manage historical data related to profitability, efficiency, and long-term resource planning.

For instance, if over time I learn that 38% of a project's time is spent on the "QA" area or the "Design" area or the "Front-end Development" area (etc.), I can make smarter hiring/budgeting decisions for the long term.

Additionally, and again, this goes back to budgeting, we even have some clients that require we bill them by discipline, because we have a rate card with different hourly costs per discipline. While I could simply say that a CakePHP engineer costs $XX per hour, if that engineer is doing project management instead of CakePHP, their hourly rate will change. Again, with better use of Areas, this would be simple to track.

All that said, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a way to have a "project template," which relates to a "global area list," because if we had project templates, or heck, even the ability to just clone a project's settings, we'd no longer have to go through the tedious task of entering in the areas each time. Although, even as I write this, I actually will go back to wanting global areas too, just for reporting purposes on an aggregate scale. But again, that's a nice to have. Project templates/project cloning is the key I think.

-Ryan

Answer by Paul for Feature request: A global Area list

2011-03-22T14:09:31Z

We will have many, many projects, we need a global areas list as the functional areas are consistent across all projects. And when they change, we need to change them globally.

Answer by Tim for Feature request: A global Area list

2011-04-07T02:29:04Z

I also agree, global areas are very important. We would definately be interested in an API to create a new project with global areas.

Answer by Tom for Feature request: A global Area list

2011-05-08T10:20:38Z

Agree. Also, for our company, global areas would make more sense.