Cannot move "remove duplicate" to top of the automation stack

[Sam]

Looking at https://wiki.almworks.com/documentation/structure/latest/data-center-and-server/inserter-extender-duplicates-filter-32223424.html

The example shows the "remove duplicates" can be added to the top of the "Add issues" generator.

I have the following:

Remove Inserter/Extender Duplicates

Add issues linked by Resolve: parent resolved-by children

Add issues linked by parent-child: parent parent-of children

Add issues linked by relates-to: parent relates to children

Add issues belonging to epics

Sort by Rank

Sort by Epic Name

Sort by Version / Delivery

Sort by Priority

Insert issues: project = …

However there is a error pop-up:  "Cannot arrange items in this order. You were moving a generator."  

When I acknowledged the pop-up, the "Remove Inserter/Extender Duplicates" revert back to the row below "Add issues belonging to epics".

Is there some restrictions listed on the sequence where "Remove Inserter/Extender Duplicates" can be added?

[David Niro · Accepted solution]

Hello @Sam ,

The screenshot from that document is misleading and I will request an update.  Generators do get placed in the in a particular order and it is only possible to re-arrange generators of a similar type.  To determine which gets run first.

That being said, Generators of a different type always follow the same order of operation, which means there is no need to rearrange them.

To your second question, the short answer is no.  

The 'Remove Inserter/Extender Duplicates' Filter has a very specific purpose, which is to remove the duplicates caused by an Insert Generator and Extend Generator.

In your example, "story 3" would have been duplicated by two Extend Generators.

There are two options for limiting duplicates, the first and more preferable, is to Limit the Generator Scope .  The second would be to use the Attribute or JQL Filter option.

Please let me know if this helps!

Best,
David

[Sam]

If the order of execution is fixed:

When multiple generators are present in a structure, they are run in the following order, based on their generator type:

1. Insert generators
2. Extend generators
3. Filter generators
4. Group generators
5. Sort generators

Why isn't the display showing that, "insert" is at the bottom.

The remove dup can be very useful in situation where different link types point to the same issue, it seems like a worthwhile feature enhancement.

[David Niro]

Thanks for the feedback!

[Sam]

I need to add one more question, does the removal only applicable to the top level of a folder? i.e.

-story 1

--story 2

---story 3

---story 3(because of multiple links of different types from story 2

Would the "remove dup" work in this secenario?