Consolidate Multiple Link Columns - Nextedy Documentation

When to Consolidate

You might have separate columns for each linked item type — for example, one column for system test cases, another for software test cases, and a third for integration test cases. When most rows link to items of mixed types, presenting them in one consolidated column keeps the grid narrow and surfaces all related work items in a single place. Use consolidation when:

Several itemLink columns share the same link role and only differ in the target work item type.
Reviewers and analysts care about “everything linked here” more than the type breakdown.
You still want a per-type breakdown available on demand through a saved view.

Define All Types on the Link Column

Configure the consolidated column to include all work item types you want to display. The typeProperties block sits directly on the link column (the column whose type is itemLink or multiItemLink) and has six sub-properties — use linkTypes (comma-separated string) and linkRole (single role name) to define which links the column resolves:

columns:
  - id: allTestCases
    bindings: linkedItems.title
    header: Test Cases
    type: multiItemLink
    typeProperties:
      linkRole: verifies
      linkTypes: systemTestCase,softwareTestCase,integrationTestCase

typeProperties Sub-Properties

The typeProperties block supports these sub-properties:

Sub-property	Type	Description
`linkRole`	string	Link role name connecting the row work item to the linked item.
`linkTypes`	string	Comma-separated list of Polarion work item type IDs allowed in the column.
`linkDirection`	string	Use `back` to traverse the link in reverse direction.
`backLink`	boolean	Render the column as a back-link (reverse-direction display).
`itemTemplate`	string	Velocity template for custom item rendering inside the cell.
`queryFactory`	string	Name of a `queryFactories` entry used to filter the autocomplete suggestions.

Note that linkTypes is a single comma-separated string, not an array, and linkRole is the correct property name (not role). Older drafts of this page used type and role inside typeProperties — those names are incorrect.

Use multiItemLink Column Type

Replace your separate itemLink columns with a single multiItemLink column. The column’s bindings property specifies the linked-item field to display, using dot notation (for example, linkedItems.title):

columns:
  - id: allTestCases
    bindings: linkedItems.title
    header: Test Cases
    type: multiItemLink
    width: 250

The itemLink type displays only one linked item per cell. If multiple items are linked, additional links are silently dropped. Always use multiItemLink when consolidating multiple link types into one column.

Configure Saved Views

Use saved views to switch between the consolidated view and individual columns. Define a view that shows only the consolidated column and another that lists per-type columns. The view property is columnIds (not columns):

views:
  - name: Consolidated
    defaultView: true
    columnIds:
      - riskId
      - riskTitle
      - allTestCases
      - rpn
  - name: By Test Type
    columnIds:
      - riskId
      - riskTitle
      - systemTests
      - softwareTests
      - integrationTests
      - rpn

You can also use "@all" to include every column, and prefix a column ID with - to exclude it from the @all set (for example, - "-rpn" to hide RPN).

Consolidating link columns into one general column combined with saved views provides a better overview for day-to-day use, while keeping the detailed per-type view available when needed.

Control Item Creation Target

When using a consolidated column, specify where newly created items should be stored. The column’s typeProperties can include document for scoping to an upstream library, while the data type entry carries project, projects, or createInDocument for new item targets:

dataTypes:
  task:
    type: systemTestCase
    role: verifies
    createInDocument: Testing/Test Specification

columns:
  - id: allTestCases
    bindings: linkedItems.title
    header: Test Cases
    type: multiItemLink
    typeProperties:
      linkRole: verifies
      linkTypes: systemTestCase,softwareTestCase
      itemTemplate: testCaseTemplate

When createInDocument (v24.8.1+) is set, newly created items from the consolidated column are stored in the specified document. To restrict autocomplete suggestions to a shared library, set typeProperties.document on the column to the library path (for example, 02 - Risk Management File/Harms Library).

Prevent Creation if Needed

If the consolidated column should only display existing links without allowing new item creation, set canCreate: false on the column:

columns:
  - id: allTestCases
    bindings: linkedItems.title
    header: Test Cases
    type: multiItemLink
    canCreate: false
    width: 250

You can also disable creation globally for the data type by setting canCreate: false on dataTypes.task — that disables creation across every link column bound to this data type.

If you reference link column IDs in levels or sortBy configuration, ensure the IDs exactly match the column definitions. Mismatched IDs cause row duplication in the grid.

Refine Autocomplete with a queryFactory

For long item lists, point typeProperties.queryFactory to a named function in the queryFactories section. The function returns a Lucene query string that further narrows the autocomplete suggestions — for example, restricting suggestions to the current document:

queryFactories:
  scopedTestCases: "function(info){ return 'document.id:' + info.documentId; }"

Reference it from the column’s typeProperties:

columns:
  - id: allTestCases
    bindings: linkedItems.title
    header: Test Cases
    type: multiItemLink
    typeProperties:
      linkRole: verifies
      linkTypes: systemTestCase,softwareTestCase
      queryFactory: scopedTestCases

Verification

Save the sheet configuration and reload your risksheet. You should now see the single consolidated column displaying all linked items from the different work item types. Each item appears as a separate entry in the cell. Switch between saved views to confirm both the consolidated and individual column views work correctly. If a linked item type is missing from suggestions, double-check that its work item type ID is present in the comma-separated linkTypes string.

​When to Consolidate

​typeProperties Sub-Properties

​Verification

​See Also

When to Consolidate

typeProperties Sub-Properties

Verification

See Also