Forum Discussion
Query DevOps for Feature duration
We're using the Feature Timeline to create a high-level planning of Features across Iterations. Some are single-iteration features, but some span multiple Iterations.
I want to get the Feature information into Excel with the Team addin, including the beginning and ending iteration. However, when I query, I get a single Iteration for each Feature. Which Iteration is returned seems to depend on the first Iteration where the Feature was planned. So I cannot see from the query data whether a Feature spans multiple iterations, and not even if the Iteration returned with the Feature is the first or last Iteration the Feature is planned in.
I've included all available Date/Duration/remotely relevant columns to see if I can find out if the information I need is available somewhere. Apparently not: all Date columns except Created/Changed are empty, and there's nothing Duration-like.
Since the Feature Timeline 'knows' that some features span multiple Iterations, the information must be stored somewhere.
But WHERE?
Screenshots included: Feature 26417 in the Feature Timeline, spanning sprints 6 and 7; and the same Feature in a Team query in Excel, showing no date information and only the Iteration Path to sprint 6.
1 Reply
There is a workaround would suggest:
1. Query Child Work Items:
- Pull all child items (User Stories, Tasks) linked to each Feature.
- Extract their Iteration Paths and calculate the earliest and latest.
- You can do this in Excel using Power Query or a custom script.
2. Use Analytics Views:
- If your tenant has Azure DevOps Analytics enabled, you can use Power BI or OData to query child work items and roll up iteration dates.
3. Set Start/Target Dates Manually:
- If you manually set Start Date and Target Date fields on Features, you can query those directly.
- These fields are used by the Feature Timeline extension to span across sprints.
4. Use the Feature Timeline Extension UI:
- Open the Feature Timeline in Azure DevOps.
- Click the info icon on a Feature to see its inferred start/end iterations based on child items.