Managing Issues Across Multiple GitHub Repositories

When your product’s codebase is split across multiple GitHub Repositories it can be a challenge to use GitHub issues effectively. Codetree adds features to GitHub issues that makes working with issues across repositories much more effective.

The Challenge of Using GitHub Issues with Multiple Repo Project

Consider a simple example where a single product has code in three different repos: an API repo, a mobile app repo, and a front end repo. If you are trying to ship a new version of your mobile app and it depends on getting issues completed in the API repo, you’ll want to be able to see and manage issues across those different repos in a single place.

With GitHub Issues each repos gets its own completely separate set of issues. Having each repo’s issues be completely separate from each other makes it challenging to:

1. Do sprint planning with issues across repos
2. Ensure each repo’s issues share a common set of Milestones and Labels
3. Manage features that spans repositories

How Codetree Helps

Codetree lets you treat issues in different repos as if they were all in the same repo.

In Codetree, issues from different Repositories can be grouped together in a Codetree “Project”. Issues in a Codetree Project are displayed and managed together in much the same way as if all of the issues were in a single Repository.

Issues in a Codetree Project are displayed and managed together as if all of the issues were in a single Repository

Sprint Planning with GitHub Issues in Multiple Repos

When your GitHub Issues are in multiple repos, sprint planning is difficult because you don’t have a unified Backlog that you can use for issue prioritization. With Codetree you get a shared Backlog where each repo’s issues are displayed in a single list. For example, you’ll see all issues in the Backlog from the iOS, Frontend and API repos. You’ll also be able to drag them into the the sprint.

Ensure a Common Set of Milestones and Labels

Once repos are part of the same Codetree Project, Codetree will ensure that each Label and Milestone is available to issues across all repos.

When you add, delete or rename Labels and Milestones, Codetree will automatically update all of the corresponding Labels and Milestones in all Repositories that are part of the Project.

When a label is created in one repo all other repos that are part of the Codetree Project will also have that label created.

Manage Features that Spans Repositories

When you are shipping features that depend on code and issues that span multiple repositories it’s hard to track that status of inflight work. With Codetree you can see all of your issues in one place. You can create sophisticated filters that shows you the status of your issues regardless of what repository the issue lives in. For example, if your are working on a new feature that is shipping as part of the “Q2 milestone” that requires issues from the iOS, Frontend and API repos you’ll be able to see all of those issues in a single view.

Each issue is from a different repo but can still be filtered and displayed in the same view.