Manage ARN templates

 

 

Overview

 

The Templates tab enables users to generate customized templates for automated release notes and reports in multiple formats. These templates guarantee that release updates are effectively communicated to teams, customers, and partners in a clear and refined manner.

The Templates tab provides users with the functionality to create personalized templates designed for automated release notes and reports across various formats. These templates serve as a crucial tool in ensuring that the latest release information is efficiently conveyed to teams, customers, and partners in a concise and polished manner.

 

Template pop-up.png

For publishing release notes to the new Confluence editor read Checklist to Publish release notes (in new Confluence editor) using ARN Helper app

Types of templates available in ARN

  1. Email - Keep your stakeholders informed via emails

  2. PDF - Shared a structured PDF document with release updates

    1. More details on PDF

  3. Confluence - Publish release updates to your Confluence spaces

  4. Slack - Send release updates on your Slack channels

    1. Slack

  5. MS PowerPoint - Create PowerPoint presentations that talk about your releases

    1. MS PowerPoint

  6. LinkedIn - Announce your release updates on your LinkedIn’s individual/org pages

  7. Release page notification - Notify stakeholders about release updates on ARN release pages

  8. JSON - Export release notes and reports in JSON format for seamless integration with other systems

  9. HTML - Design visually appealing release notes and informative reports with flexible HTML formatting

  10. Markdown - Create clear & concise release notes and reports effortlessly using Markdown formatting

  11. MS Word - Create professional, formatted documents in MS Word format to present Jira data

  12. JSM announcement - Increase awareness of important updates by broadcasting them to JSM portal

What are template levels (Local, Global & Cross-project)?

Based on the below conditions, Edit and Delete options will be available for respective templates from in-project and cross-project screens.

Template level

Accessibility

Local

Global

Cross-project

View

Can be viewed only from the same project they were created in

Can be viewed from all the projects

Can be viewed only on cross-project screen

Edit

Can be edited only from the same project they were created in

Can be edited only from the same project they were created in

Can be edited only on cross-project screen

Delete

Can be deleted only from the same project they were created in

Can be deleted only from the same project they were created in

Can be deleted only on cross-project screen

Template creation can be controlled from the setting available on Jira admin’s ARN screen. Read more - Access & Permissions

Create templates

Navigate to Templates tab from the cross-project/in-project screen and Click on Create.

Create template.png

Select the relevant type of template from the given pop-up and then you will be taken to the template editor page. Below image is from the email template, however depending on the type of template you have selected you will view the respective template builder.

template builder.png

Fields

Field name

Description

Applicable to templates

Field name

Description

Applicable to templates

Template type

This field appears when you create a fresh template

All types of templates

Template name

This field is to define your template name within ARN for quick identification of any template. Not visible to end users.

All types of templates

Level

This field defines the level of template to define its scope for in-project or cross-project screens. Read Manage ARN templates | What are template levels (Local, Global & Cross project)?

All types of templates

Empty check (checkbox)

If checked, when the JQL sections in the given template do not return any data, the rule action will be skipped for the given template when automated.

  • Email

  • Confluence (old editor)

  • Release page notification

Email Subject

This applies to only a handful of templates where email notifications are being sent. This is visible to end users.

  • Email

  • Release page notification

Announcement subject

This applies to only a handful of templates that are used for an announcement of release updates. This is visible to end users.

  • LinkedIn announcement

  • JSM announcement

File name

This applies to the templates where some files are being created. File name applies to the respective file downloaded/attached in email actions.

  • PDF

  • MS PowerPoint

  • MS word

Confluence page name

This is visible to end users when as Confluence page title

  • Confluence

ARN branding name

If checked, it adds ARN’s branding in the release notes.

  • Email

  • PDF

  • Confluence

  • Slack

  • Release page notification

  • HTML

  • MS Word

Main content/body/message

This is the most important field for every template as here you would build/design your release notes content. The name of the field differs based on the template. For eg. Email body for Email template, Slack message for Slack template, etc. The bottom line is that it applies to all templates and is easy to identify based on template type.

All types of templates



Elements of release notes content creation

Content element

Description

Applicable to templates

More details

Content element

Description

Applicable to templates

More details

WYSWYG editor

The editor for text formatting.

  • Email

  • PDF

  • Confluence

  • HTML

  • MS Word

  • Release page notification

 

+Variables

These are the ARN variables that you can add to the template. On execution, these variables will be replaced with actual values. For eg. versionId, projectName, etc.

  • Email

  • PDF

  • Confluence

  • JSON

  • HTML

  • Markdown

  • JSM announcement

  • MS Word

  • Release page notification

  • LinkedIn announcement

+Custom variables

As the name suggests, you can create custom variables in ARN to fetch different values in release notes.

  • Email

  • PDF

  • Confluence

  • JSON

  • HTML

  • Markdown

  • JSM announcement

  • MS Word

  • Release page notification

https://amoeboids.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/createpage.action?spaceKey=ARN&title=Manage%20custom%20variables&linkCreation=true&fromPageId=4247126030

 

+JQL Section

This is the most important element of ARN templates. Using JQL section define -

  • Jira issues and content that should be fetched to your release notes

  • Layout of release notes

  • Email

  • PDF

  • Confluence

  • JSON

  • HTML

  • Markdown

  • Slack

  • MS Word

  • MS PowerPoint

  • Release page notification

+Stats & charts

Using Stats & charts, you generate reports for your releases

  • Email

  • PDF

  • Confluence

  • Release page notification

  • HTML

  • MS Word

https://amoeboids.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ARN/pages/174653565

+Users

Using this macro, you can highlight the contributors of the release

  • Email

  • PDF

  • Confluence

  • Release page notification

  • HTML

  • MS Word

https://amoeboids.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ARN/pages/4012703850

+AI Generator

This macro allows you to add a summary based on issues fetched using JQL in this macro

  • Email

  • PDF

  • Confluence (old editor )

  • HTML

  • Slack

  • MS Word

  • Release page notification

https://amoeboids.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ARN/pages/4102619144

+Add Macro

This macro supports actual Confluence macros.

  • Confluence

https://amoeboids.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ARN/pages/2126053450

Preview template content

Be it any type of template, users can preview it to check the release notes content before publishing it to end users.

In the case of templates like PDF, Markdown, HTML, JSON, MS Word, and MS PowerPoint templates the output files can be downloaded for final review from the preview screen.

Other actions on the Templates tab

As shown in the below image, there are some interesting actions and data points on the Templates tab.

  1. Filters - To filter your templates

  2. Customize the columns you want to see on the templates tab

  3. Preview template

  4. Clone template

  5. Icons to identify the template type

  6. Icons to identify whether the template is Local/Global

  7. The number of rules the template is used in. Clicking on the link will display the list of rules

 

Create template1.png