Improve Time Tracking via API reporting

Problem to solve

Currently, time tracking via epics/issues api gets only total time spent on a given issue. For reporting purposes, the date, time and user information would be helpful.

Intended users

Data Analysts, Project Managers, Program Managers, Managers, anyone interested in detailed reporting around time spent.

Further details

Expose detailed time tracking stats through the API. From what I have seen, you can only get total_time_spent on an issue/epic, not who spent the time, or when they spent the time. It looks like this data is available when looking at issue activity, but not through the API.

Proposal

Expose those details through the API. Preferably through the epic/issues and the /issues api's.

Permissions and Security

Documentation

Testing

What does success look like, and how can we measure that?

Being able to see the who and when via the epic/issues or issues api would be a success.

What is the type of buyer?

Ultimate, I believe that is where epics reside.

Current workarounds

GitLab does have a more robust time-tracking API via the GraphQL API. For example, you could do something like:

{
   group(fullPath: "flight/flightjs") {
    timelogs(...inputs) {
      nodes {
        issue {
          ...
        }
        mergeRequest {
          ...
        }
        project
        spentAt
        timeSpent
        user {
          ...
        }
      }
    }
  }
 }

This would return all time logs within a group's scope. There are many different input parameters, and you'd need to handle pagination, which the endpoints already support.

Feel free to explore the GraphQL API via the GraphQL explorer (https:://yourglinstancedomain.com/-/graphql-explorer)