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I would love a public API for Tracker
I started to ask this as a more specific question, but decided to generalize it. It would be nice to be able to integrate tracker with other processes/tools we are using (or will be soon in some cases). I'm not sure what you have on the docket, so here is my wish list for your perusal:
- email submission of stories -- this would open a lot of options for how to get data into tracker. Something similar to how iwantsandy.com works would be huge. After this step (and probably enabled by it) would be the ability to create a quick-entry quicksilver action, IM/SMS entry, etc so you could just get stuff collected quickly and efficiently.
- scm integration -- It is sometimes very useful, especially when a bug gets rejected, to be able to see exactly what was changed to fix it. Having it directly integrated with svn (ala trac, or git style) would allow this.
- customer support app -- tracker is great during development, but not geared to support bug tracking/submission by the masses during a large public beta. My dream setup would be using something like lighthouseapp.com for users to submit bugs. Then somebody could coordinate the bug/suggestions that collected there, and somehow send the ones that needed development attention directly into tracker so they become part of the normal development cycle. Having to use two different tools will not only dilute velocity in tracker, but will add the risk of things getting dropped forgotten from one side or the other.
I don't think these necessarily need to be things worked on directly by the tracker team. If there were a published API that opened up some of these interfaces, then we could work on some of the integration pieces and could better fit it into our work processes. If Basecamp can be used to support the myriad of applications it has spawned, imagine how much more useful tracker could be integrated into a development work process.
- email submission of stories -- this would open a lot of options for how to get data into tracker. Something similar to how iwantsandy.com works would be huge. After this step (and probably enabled by it) would be the ability to create a quick-entry quicksilver action, IM/SMS entry, etc so you could just get stuff collected quickly and efficiently.
- scm integration -- It is sometimes very useful, especially when a bug gets rejected, to be able to see exactly what was changed to fix it. Having it directly integrated with svn (ala trac, or git style) would allow this.
- customer support app -- tracker is great during development, but not geared to support bug tracking/submission by the masses during a large public beta. My dream setup would be using something like lighthouseapp.com for users to submit bugs. Then somebody could coordinate the bug/suggestions that collected there, and somehow send the ones that needed development attention directly into tracker so they become part of the normal development cycle. Having to use two different tools will not only dilute velocity in tracker, but will add the risk of things getting dropped forgotten from one side or the other.
I don't think these necessarily need to be things worked on directly by the tracker team. If there were a published API that opened up some of these interfaces, then we could work on some of the integration pieces and could better fit it into our work processes. If Basecamp can be used to support the myriad of applications it has spawned, imagine how much more useful tracker could be integrated into a development work process.
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Inappropriate?I have to agree. I would love to have a dashboard widget that shows the current iteration's story. Simply exposing some of that json the application pushes around with a public interface would be a great start. -
Inappropriate?A couple thoughts:
1. We settled on using JIRA and Tracker in tandem on a couple projects, so coordination between them would be useful. On one project, we did our iteration planning in one tool (not tracker, but the same function), and then when we started the iteration, we put the stories into JIRA, each as its own task. JIRA provides workflow and commenting that tracker doesn't need. So facilitating this, coordinating IDs, automatically linking things would be nice.
2. We almost always have a Confluence wiki page backing a story or set of stories. People want somewhere to write more, upload lots of images, etc. Tracker has this, but it is more "comfortable" in a wiki, and people are just used to it. Also, often several stories have a shared wiki page, which tracker doesn't handle.
So some sort of automatic linking would be convenient... we just copy and paste URLs from the wiki into Tracker. We never have pasted tracker links into the wiki.
3. Finally, I don't think having a simple RSS feed of the current iteration would hurt. I don't mind keeping tracker up all day in a tab, but I bet some people would dig the RSS feed more.
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this is one of the best points
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This is one of the best points
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I would really be interested in knowing and discussing thoughts around integrating JIRA and pivotal tracker especially since the tracker API is going to be released pretty soon. -
I think the RSS feed of all the different lists, should be a first priority. Its simple but powerful, so that lists can be simply published to wiki and intranet sites - even calendars.
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Inappropriate?I want to be able to import lighthouse tickets into tracker.
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this is one of the best points
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Inappropriate?We're working on an API, and should have something out there within a month or so. The first version will be basic, but it should allow you to access and update story information using REST and XML or JSON.
1 person thinks
this is one of the best points
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Inappropriate?The API is still under development, we're hoping to have the first version out within a few weeks.
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Inappropriate?I am also interested in API support (REST, JSON), but integration with other tools is not necessarily high on my list. It's been pretty straightforward to run projects from idea to delivery with Tracker without integrating with anything else. A git or github hook would be nice, but a simple REST/JSON API would make that trivial to implement (i.e., why clutter up the tracker with it?).
To me wiki brainstorming, shared whiteboards, outliners, paper & crayons, etc., are fine if that's what gets the ideas flowing, but ultimately the requirements for development should be specifiable in story format on a 3x5 card.
I'd rather see Tracker get *simpler* in this story collection regard and leave the brainstorming tools for external brainstorming. Be mindful, condense the knowledge into stories and let the other artifacts go. If you still need them, You're Doing It Wrong.
Once the application is launched and customer trouble tickets, bug tracking, etc., are underway, that's a job for a different tool (JIRA, RT, etc.). The relationship between user support tickets and development stories is m:n and I've never seen automated or streamlined flow from support ticket to developer story work well.
Just my opinion, obviously, but turning Tracker into a tool that integrates with user support tools is going to change Tracker for the worse when what is needed is a mindful human to mediate between the world of support and the world of development.
Rick
I’m mixed
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this is one of the best points
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Inappropriate?The first version of Tracker's API is now available. For more information go to http://www.pivotaltracker.com/help/api.
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Inappropriate?We plan to move away from the "response" wrapper element, stay tuned for future releases of the API
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Inappropriate?Very excited about the API, I'm working on a flickr + tracker matrimony so I can actually show my developers WTF I am talking about. :)
@rickbradley, who said:
"I'd rather see Tracker get *simpler* in this story collection regard and leave the brainstorming tools for external brainstorming. Be mindful, condense the knowledge into stories and let the other artifacts go. If you still need them, You're Doing It Wrong."
I feel strongly the opposite, I think that being story-deterministic can be really detrimental to more visual people and teams. I would love to see Tracker support the ability for me to add a visual spec to my project.
On my project there is no "external" brainstorming.
I’m excited
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Inappropriate?Perhaps there could be an option on the project-level that allows public access (ie: without a token) to retrieve records? Obviously, we wouldn't want random people able to change anything. Basically, this request collapses into an RSS feed. Is that possible?
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Inappropriate?We're actually just finishing up public projects, which will allow you to do exactly that - enable read-only access public to your projects, via the UI as well as the API. We're hoping to roll out this feature this week.
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Inappropriate?Update on some upcoming API improvements, including a new API version (V3):
http://www.pivotallabs.com/users/dan/...
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