# JirAI: Timeline, comments and breakdown

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://edgafner.github.io/llms.txt).

> **TL;DR**
> Open: select an issue in the JirAI tool window and press `Enter`
>
>
>
> Post a comment: `Ctrl+Enter` (macOS: `⌘ ⏎`)

Each issue you open gets an editor tab named after its key, for example DEMO-123 Timeline.

The tab has two inner tabs: Timeline for activity and discussion, and Breakdown for child work items.

## Read the activity feed

The Timeline tab shows the description, comments, status changes and field changes in one feed.

To show only one kind of entry, click the filter icon and choose All, Comments, Status changes or Field changes.

To load the latest activity, right-click the feed and choose Refresh, or press the IDE's Refresh shortcut.

![Issue timeline with the description and the sprint and assignee changes](images/jirai_timeline.png)

## Comment on an issue

Procedure: Post a comment

1. Click the Add a comment… field at the bottom of the timeline.

2. Type your comment.

3. Optional: type `@` and choose a person to mention them.

4. Optional: click the paperclip to attach files.

5. Click Post, or press `Ctrl+Enter` (macOS: `⌘ ⏎`).

Press `Enter` to start a new line in the comment.

Files you attach to a comment are added to the issue's attachments and shown in the comment.

To delete one of your comments, click the delete icon on it and confirm.

Jira has no undo for deleted comments, and you can delete only the comments that Jira permissions allow.

Existing comments cannot be edited.

## Edit the description

You edit the description in place, on the description card at the top of the timeline.

JirAI converts Jira's description format to Markdown for editing and converts it back when you save.

Procedure: Edit the description

1. On the description card, click the pencil icon (Edit description).

2. Edit the Markdown text.

![Description being edited in place with the Save and Cancel buttons](images/jirai_description_edit.png)

3. Click Save, or press `Ctrl+Enter` (macOS: `⌘ ⏎`).

To discard your changes, click Cancel or press `Escape`.

After you save, the timeline shows an Updated the description entry.

Click Show changes on it to see what changed as a diff.

![Timeline entry showing the description change as a diff](images/jirai_description_diff.png)

### When someone else changed the description

Before saving, JirAI checks whether the description changed in Jira since you started editing.

If it did, the card reads The description was changed in Jira while you were editing.

* Click Load theirs to replace your text with the version from Jira.

* If the new version can no longer be edited in the IDE, click Copy my text and close to keep your text on the clipboard.

The check catches a change made between loading and saving; it is not a lock.

### Descriptions you can edit only in Jira

Some Jira content has no Markdown equivalent, and saving it from the IDE would lose it.

A description that contains such content is shown but cannot be edited in the IDE.

The card explains why, for example This description contains a table, so it can only be edited in Jira., and offers Open in browser.

This applies, among others, to descriptions with:

* tables and panels

* images and attachments

* smart links

* @mentions and emoji

* checklists and decision lists

* quotes and dividers

* expandable sections

* status lozenges and dates

* column layouts and synced blocks

* app extensions

* underline, text color, subscript and superscript

* inline comments

## The Breakdown tab

The Breakdown tab lists every direct child work item of the issue, sub-tasks included.

Its title shows the count, for example Breakdown (6).

* More children load as you scroll.

* Click a child to open it.

* Click Parent: KEY ↗ at the top to open the parent of the current issue.

* Click Add child to create a child work item with this issue as its parent. See [Create a child work item](jira-create-issues.html#add-child).

An issue without children shows No child work items.

An issue type that cannot have children shows This work item type can't have child work items.

Breakdown lists direct children only; grandchildren appear in the Breakdown tab of their own parent.

## See also

### Related topics

[JirAI: Issue details and editing](jira-issue-details-and-editing.html) [JirAI: Create Jira issues](jira-create-issues.html) [JirAI: Work with Jira issues](work-with-jira-issues.html)

### Useful resources

[JirAI on JetBrains Marketplace](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/33954-jirai)