Create sub-tasks list using an external data source

This article describes one of the common use cases, where you can apply dynamic list options with an external REST API datasource.

Introduction

Use the Table Grid Editor for Jira Cloud as a storage of simple sub-tasks with the sub-task assignee and status change.

You will learn how to set up a grid to track sub-tasks and update assignee and status.

You can easily connect an external data source with Jira statuses and another one with Jira users group. You don't need to add the data manually into the grid configuration.

Every time the user group connected as the external data source will be updated with new users, they will appear as options in the grid assignee column.

Once you add a new status to your Jira, it will be displayed as an option in the list.

The Grid where the sub-tasks are created

Grid configuration

Create a grid to add subtasks and configure the grid columns.
Connect a data source to your grid.
In our case we are connecting 2 external data sources (Jira REST API data sources).

Use your Jira as data source (statuses and user groups) and load it with the help of Jira REST API.

Jira statuses data source configuration

Jira user group data source configuration
In both cases the REST API data source requires authentication.
We use Headers data source configuration option to add authentication.
Set a Key as Authorization and a Value as the encrypted access credentials.
Access credentials before encoding
username:password
Access credentials after encoding
YWRtaW46dGVzdHBhc3N3b3Jk
Value format with encoded credentials
Basic YWRtaW46dGVzdHBhc3N3b3Jk
You can encode the credentials using any available encode tool such as Base64.
Configure dynamic list options in the column.
In our case there are 2 columns of type list. You need to configure the list options for both stutuses and assignee columns.