Instructions are unclear, about what features are available when creating a task via email

Which exact instructions / where?

That's the point. There are no instructions to be seen apart from

You can also create tasks by sending an email to: task@phabricator.wikimedia.org

at https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/maniphest/task/create/

Basically, is this only about title and description, or is there a format to add at least Projects, maybe also priority and assigned?

Mail parser is defined in https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/master/scripts/mail/mail_handler.php

-> https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/d6639b68d5a32a579251fb1d87a1c3a44f40ad4a/src/applications/metamta/storage/PhabricatorMetaMTAReceivedMail.php

-> https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/c9fe16247005eb864781fd6185eb51926f397fb7/src/applications/maniphest/mail/ManiphestCreateMailReceiver.php

then, I think, to https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/a3a72c1c7da54f2f2c67161d6bfedcdb1bd22f5c/src/applications/maniphest/mail/ManiphestReplyHandler.php

...and then I was lost.

and back to https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/d6639b68d5a32a579251fb1d87a1c3a44f40ad4a/src/applications/metamta/storage/PhabricatorMetaMTAReceivedMail.php

then to https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/3cf9a5820fc9887f1454decc47c234fedb134c6a/src/applications/metamta/parser/PhabricatorMetaMTAEmailBodyParser.php which parses commands, but those will be ignored.

https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/a3a72c1c7da54f2f2c67161d6bfedcdb1bd22f5c/src/applications/maniphest/mail/ManiphestReplyHandler.php#L62

then does the following:

$task = ManiphestTask::initializeNewTask($user);

$xactions[] = id(new ManiphestTransaction())
  ->setTransactionType(ManiphestTransaction::TYPE_STATUS)
  ->setNewValue(ManiphestTaskStatus::getDefaultStatus());

$xactions[] = id(new ManiphestTransaction())
  ->setTransactionType(ManiphestTransaction::TYPE_TITLE)
  ->setNewValue(nonempty($mail->getSubject(), pht('Untitled Task')));

$xactions[] = id(new ManiphestTransaction())
  ->setTransactionType(ManiphestTransaction::TYPE_DESCRIPTION)
  ->setNewValue($body);

which are the only transactions that are actually performed.

I expect CC's and projects can be added by using @ and #'s in the body, as in @Jaredzimmerman-WMF and #phabricator.org

@valhallasw, good stuff man

Sorry, yet again having this captured outside the tool isn't helpful to users (especially non-foundation users) who work only within fabricator. At minimum

For a concrete suggestion:
Please add "(details)" or "(documentation)", with a link, to the end of the line. I.e.

You can also create tasks by sending an email to: task@phabricator.wikimedia.org (documentation)

You can also create tasks by sending an email to: task@phabricator.wikimedia.org ([[https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Phabricator/Help#Using_e-mail|documentation]])

or "learn more"

@valhallasw: Thanks for your work! Do you plan further work, or shall this task be reassigned to nobody?

Text defined here: https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/3cf9a5820fc9887f1454decc47c234fedb134c6a/src/applications/maniphest/controller/ManiphestTaskEditController.php#L683

but it can be translated, it seems. I think we should be able to do that with a config setting, according to

https://github.com/phacility/phabricator/blob/63ce0e66c926222a5a805d5199c8ea98cc4bc129/src/infrastructure/internationalization/translation/PhabricatorEnglishTranslation.php#L12

Ah, good point. Yes, strings can be modified locally using the localization feature. However, I'm not sure you can add links there. (?)

See also T1077: Sending email to create tasks doesn't work for me

T1077 seems to be a weird corner case.

IMO, we should simply drop the feature. Having a single, canonical workflow that can be concisely expressed seems vastly more desirable. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice.

As far as I know, task creation via email is part of a feature required by Operations, in relation to Procurement.

Besides, I don't think we can drop the feature via configuration.

Honestly, I don't see any problem with the current status.

In T865#1015905, @Qgil wrote:

As far as I know, task creation via email is part of a feature required by Operations, in relation to Procurement.

Besides, I don't think we can drop the feature via configuration.

Honestly, I don't see any problem with the current status.

OK, understood. I didn't mean to derail the bug. Disregard my comment! :)

Change 189326 had a related patch set uploaded (by Merlijn van Deen):
Add documentation link to 'create bug by email' text.

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/189326

Patch-For-Review

@valhallasw, could you upload a screenshot of your test instance with the change, please?

I don't have my external HD with the phab VM at hand, but the link rendered
properly (I assume that's what you're wondering about)

Change 189326 merged by Rush:
Add documentation link to 'create bug by email' text.

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/189326

See https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/applications/mailcommands/PhabricatorManiphestApplication/task/ for the new, more extended, syntax.