How to manage duplicate `Component` fields and their values?

[Laura Ruusuvuori]

I've been doing some archeological digging in our Jira metadata, to streamline and simplify it and make JQL queries more reliable with consistent metadata use. There's a decade's worth of Jira tickets, so how things have been done has changed bit hither and thither

My current conundrum is the Component field and unnecessary/wrong values that have been added there over the years

• Looking at the JQL query, we seem to have three (3) different fields called "Component".
• Looking at the fields in Jira settings, I can only find two (2) of these fields:
  • A custom component field "{prefix}-components" that I can manage like any custom field
  • A locked default "Component" field that I cannot manage at all
  • The third field, which would also seem to be called "Component" based on the JQL, is nowhere to be seen

The custom field is only used in one of our Jira projects. The locked "Component" does not give details where exactly it's used.

1. I might want to align which field is used, so that all our projects are in sync. Is there a way to see where a particular field in the work item of a particular project comes from? Specifically, I'd like to know if our work items are using the locked field or the elusive third "Component" field.
2. Any ideas how to track down the whereabouts of that elusive third "Component" field? Can fields or their values be managed outside the Fields page in Jira settings, meaning I've been looking from the wrong place?
3. I'd need to remove some (wrong) values from the list of available component values. Since the values do not come from the custom component field that I could manage, how can I get rid of them? We have established that system admins can add new components directly in work items, but can they somehow delete them too?
4. Can new values be added to a locked field, like the default "Component", even though otherwise it could not be edited? Or does "Locked" exclude even adding new metadata values?

[Chitra Nagdeo]

Hey @Laura Ruusuvuori ,

Welcome to Atlassian community!

I understand the scenario here and below are my suggestions to differentiate the system "Components" field with the custom field. The one locked in Fields will be your system field

https://<your_domain>.atlassian.net/jira/settings/issues/fields

Identifying Which “Component” Field Is Used in a Project/Work Item

• The default “Component” field is a system field tied to the project’s component scheme. It’s not a custom field and is usually referenced as components in JQL.
• Custom fields (like {prefix}-components) will have a unique custom field ID and can be referenced in JQL as cf[xxxxx].
• To check which field is present on a screen or used in a project, go to Project Settings > Screens and see which fields are mapped. You can also inspect an issue’s REST API JSON (look for components vs. custom field IDs). 

• Use the REST API (/rest/api/3/field) to list all fields and their IDs for further investigation.

• For the default “Component” field, values are managed at the project level:
  Go to Project Settings > Components. Here, you can add, edit, or delete component values. Deleting a component will remove it from all issues in that project.

• For custom fields, manage values via Jira Settings > Issues > Custom Fields > [Your Field] > Contexts and default value.

• Only Jira Project Admins or System Admins can delete components from the default field.

I appreciate the manual effort here as Jira dont have a way to bulk update the field and screen configuration. I hope the above ideas will help you fix and make the Components in instance rightly configured.

Have a good day!

Regards
Chitra Nagdeo

[Laura Ruusuvuori]

Thanks, Chitra, exactly the info I was looking for :) 

Looks like we have mostly been using the default Component field, so I'll probably check with that one project if they could move to using that as well. Seems like the path of least resistance.

And thanks for pointing me to the project settings, indeed I have now located the values we have been using and can remove the unnecessary ones. I probably would not have stumbled here for a good while on me own :D 

[Chitra Nagdeo]

Happy to help @Laura Ruusuvuori