To enable the creation of new Items directly from the widget, it is essential to first configure the Work Item Types in the Widget Parameters. This setup defines how the Items are presented in general and which Item Types will be available for selection and creation via the “Create new” action. Each property in the configuration section plays a key role in how new Items behave, including their hierarchy and linking. This article provides a detailed explanation of all available settings for both the WIs widget and the Plans widget, to help you correctly set up available item types and ensure a smooth creation experience through the widget.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Work Item Types Configuration
In addition to controlling which Types can be created via the widget, this configuration also determines how Work Items behave and are displayed within the Gantt chart, even if you don’t intend to use the “Create New” action at all. This includes how children appear, what types are allowed in the hierarchy, and which are shown on the timeline.
To make additional types available for creation directly from the widget, you need to configure each one manually. Use the form shown below to define its behavior and structure. To add a new type entry, click the “Add type +” button at the bottom of the configuration panel.
Property | Description | Examples / Options / Dropdown Values |
|---|---|---|
Item Type | Required, select Item Type to configure | |
Gantt Presentation Mode | Controls how the item is scheduled | Item - default, scheduled based on Data mappings, has its own start/end dates Derived Schedule - parent schedule is not controlled by Data mappings (no start/end dates); derived from children Auto-Mode - automatically determines whether the Item behaves as a parent or an Item, depending on whether children are present Milestone - shows as a diamond symbol (target date only) |
Enable Create New | Determines whether this Type will be shown in the “Create new” dropdown in the widget. | |
| Additional Dialog Fields | Determines what fields will be shown in the "+New"/WI edit dialog. Fields required by the workflow need to be specified in the dialog | Find more about this dialog and its fields in this article |
Parent Mode | Defines where in the hierarchy the item can be created | No Parent (Root Item) - top-level only Parent Allowed (Anywhere) - free placement Parent Required (Child Only) - must be under another Item |
Parent Types | Restricts which Item Types can be selected as parents. Must align with the “Parent Roles” setting | |
| Sync to Plans | Automatically links items to Polarion Plans | More about syncing to plans is described in this article |
| Parent Enum Field ID | Allows creating a parent-child link based on the Enum field instead of Polarion link role. | e.g., targetRelease (custom field referencing Release items; shows items grouped under their Release parent based on this field) |
| Child Extra query | Applies an extra query filter to limit visible/linked child Items. Useful for reducing clutter or enforcing rules | e.g., status:open (only children with status "open" will be shown under parent; closed items will be hidden) |
Project | If your Gantt chart operates on a global scope or if some child items belong to a different project, you can use this field to specify the project in which new Items should be created. | |
Pre-save Init Hooks | Optional JavaScript logic executed before saving an item. Possibility of custom fields based on your defaults or parent item. Contact support if you need help with script setup | Client-side hook Server-side hook |
Plan Work Item Types Configuration
When working with Plans Gantt widget, the configuration process differs slightly from the WI widget setup. To display Work Items within Plans, you must define the Plan structure separately from the structure of standard WI Types.
The first step is to define the structure of your Plans using the Plan Types Configurations section. Here, specify which Plan Item Types you want to use (such as Release and Iteration) and how they relate to one another in terms of hierarchy. Unlike Work Items, Plans do not use parent-child and depend-on linking roles - you only specify which Plan Item Type are allowed to act as a parent to others.
Once your Plans structure is defined, scroll down to the Show Plan Work Item section. Enable Item display by toggling Enable Show Items, and then define Data mapping fields.
This section is optional - some configurations don't require WIs to be displayed under Plans
Finally, scroll to the Work Item Types Configuration. Here, define which WI Types should be displayed under Plans - the configuration is identical to how you define WI types in the standard WIs widget:
For any assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out by submitting a ticket here.
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