diff --git a/lib/Git/IssueManager.pm b/lib/Git/IssueManager.pm
index 5a8b78c..ac6da62 100644
--- a/lib/Git/IssueManager.pm
+++ b/lib/Git/IssueManager.pm
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ sub parseIssue
   my $d             = shift;
   my $tag           = shift;
   my $status        = shift;
-  my $subject       = $d->mypath();
+  my $subject       = $d->find("subject");
   my $description   = $d->find("description");
   my $priority      = $d->find("priority");
   my $severity      = $d->find("severity");
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ sub parseIssue
   my $estimated     = $d->find("estimated");
   my $working       = $d->find("working");
   my $tags          = $d->find("tags");
-  my $id            = $tag . "-" . substr($d->hash(),0,8);
+  my $id            = $tag . "-" . substr($subject->hash(),0,8);
   my $cd            = $d->timestamp_added();
   my $ld            = $d->timestamp_last();
   my $author        = $d->committer();
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ sub parseIssue
 
 
   my $tz=DateTime::TimeZone->new( name => 'local' );
-  my $issue       = Git::IssueManager::Issue->new(subject => $subject);
+  my $issue       = Git::IssueManager::Issue->new(subject => $subject->content);
   $issue->status($status);
   $issue->description($description->content());
   $issue->priority($priority->content());
@@ -297,7 +297,8 @@ sub delete
       {
         if (ref($i) eq "Git::LowLevel::Tree")
         {
-          my $mytag = $tag . "-" . substr($i->hash(),0,8);
+          my $subject = $i->find("subject");
+          my $mytag = $tag . "-" . substr($subject->hash(),0,8);
           if ($id eq  $mytag)
           {
              $status->del($i);
@@ -312,16 +313,20 @@ sub delete
 }
 
 
-=method close
+=method changeStatus
 
-  set a issue as closed
+  set status of an issue
 
 =cut
-sub close
+sub changeStatus
 {
   my $self  = shift;
   my $id    = shift;
-  my @statusse = ("open","assigned","inprogress");
+  my $status= shift;
+
+  die("unknown status") unless $status eq "open" || $status eq "closed" || $status eq "inprogress" || $status eq "assigned";
+
+  my @statusse = ("open","assigned","inprogress","closed");
 
   die("IssueManager not initialized") unless $self->ready();
   my $ref   = $self->repository->getReference('refs/heads/issues');
@@ -331,27 +336,30 @@ sub close
 
   for my $s (@statusse)
   {
-    for my $status ($root->find($s))
+    next unless $s ne $status;
+    for my $stat ($root->find($s))
     {
-      for my $i ($status->get())
+      for my $i ($stat->get())
       {
         if (ref($i) eq "Git::LowLevel::Tree")
         {
-          my $mytag = $tag . "-" . substr($i->hash(),0,8);
+          my $subject = $i->find("subject");
+          my $mytag = $tag . "-" . substr($subject->hash(),0,8);
           if ($id eq  $mytag)
           {
-             $status->del($i);
-             my $issue = $self->parseIssue($i, $tag, "open");
-             $issue->status("closed");
+             my $base=$root->find($status);
+             $stat->del($i);
+             my $issue = $self->parseIssue($i, $tag, $s);
+             $issue->status($status);
              my $issueTree=$issue->createIssue($self->repository);
-             my $closed=$root->find("closed");
-             if (!defined($closed))
+
+             if (!defined($base))
              {
-               $closed = $root->newTree();
-               $closed->path("closed");
-               $root->add($closed);
+               $base = $root->newTree();
+               $base->path($status);
+               $root->add($base);
              }
-             $closed->add($issueTree);
+             $base->add($issueTree);
              $ref->commit("closed issue " . $i->mypath);
              return;
            }
@@ -362,5 +370,106 @@ sub close
   die("issue " . $id . " not found\n");
 }
 
+=method assign
+
+  assign a worker to  an issue
+
+=cut
+sub assign
+{
+  my $self         = shift;
+  my $id           = shift;
+  my $worker_name  = shift;
+  my $worker_email = shift;
+  my $status       = "assigned";
+  my @statusse = ("open","assigned","inprogress","closed");
+
+  die("IssueManager not initialized") unless $self->ready();
+  my $ref   = $self->repository->getReference('refs/heads/issues');
+  my $tag   = $ref->find(".tag")->content();
+  my $root  = $ref->getTree();
+
+
+  for my $s (@statusse)
+  {
+    next unless $s ne $status;
+    for my $stat ($root->find($s))
+    {
+      for my $i ($stat->get())
+      {
+        if (ref($i) eq "Git::LowLevel::Tree")
+        {
+          my $subject = $i->find("subject");
+          my $mytag = $tag . "-" . substr($subject->hash(),0,8);
+          if ($id eq  $mytag)
+          {
+             my $base=$root->find($status);
+             $stat->del($i);
+             my $issue = $self->parseIssue($i, $tag, $s);
+             $issue->status($status);
+             $issue->worker($worker_name);
+             $issue->worker_email($worker_email);
+
+             my $issueTree=$issue->createIssue($self->repository);
+
+             if (!defined($base))
+             {
+               $base = $root->newTree();
+               $base->path($status);
+               $root->add($base);
+             }
+             $base->add($issueTree);
+             $ref->commit("closed issue " . $i->mypath);
+             return;
+           }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  die("issue " . $id . " not found\n");
+
+}
+
+
+
+=method close
+
+  close an issue
+
+=cut
+sub close
+{
+  my $self  = shift;
+  my $id    = shift;
+
+  $self->changeStatus($id, "closed");
+}
+
+=method open
+
+  open an issue
+
+=cut
+sub open
+{
+  my $self  = shift;
+  my $id    = shift;
+
+  $self->changeStatus($id, "open");
+}
+
+=method start
+
+  start an issue
+
+=cut
+sub start
+{
+  my $self  = shift;
+  my $id    = shift;
+
+  $self->changeStatus($id, "inprogress");
+}
+
 
 1;