Difference between the current day and the earliest sub-task due date

Configuration

Create a Custom smart number field and use the General parsing mode.

Expression

%{max(fieldValue({issue.dueDate},subtasks())) != null ? ceil((min(filterByValue(
fieldValue({issue.dueDate},subtasks()),!=, null )) - {system.currentDateTime}) /
DAY) : null}

Display as

Number

Formatting style

Default (unformatted)

Used parser functions

• max()

• fieldValue()

• subtasks()

• ceil(number)

• min()

• filterByValue() 

Details

1. What does the expression do?

This expression calculates the number of days between today (the current day) and the earliest due date among all sub-tasks of the current work item. If none of the sub-tasks have a due date, the result will be “None” (null).

2. Step-by-step breakdown

Let’s break it down:

• fieldValue({issue.dueDate},subtasks())

  • This collects the due dates from all sub-tasks of the current work item.

• max(fieldValue(...)) != null ? ... : null

  • Checks if at least one sub-task has a due date. If none do, the expression returns null.

• filterByValue(fieldValue(...), !=, null)

  • Filters out the value of any sub-task that does not have a due date (removes null values).

• min(...)

  • Finds the earliest (soonest) due date among the sub-tasks.

• {system.currentDateTime}

  • Represents the current date and time.

• (min(...) - {system.currentDateTime}) / DAY

  • Calculates the difference between the earliest sub-task due date and today, in days.

• ceil(...)

  • Rounds the result up to the next whole number (so partial days count as a full day).

3. Examples

• If today is November 13 and the earliest sub-task due date is November 15, the result will be 2.

• If today is November 13 and the earliest sub-task due date is November 13 (today), the result will be 0.

• If none of the sub-tasks have a due date, the result will be None (null).

4. Real-life use cases

• Project tracking: Quickly see how many days remain until the next sub-task is due, helping you prioritize work.

• Reporting: Use this value in dashboards or reports to highlight work items with upcoming deadlines.

• Automation: Trigger reminders or escalations when the number of days until the next sub-task due date is low.