Comment field as a mandatory one when resolving an issue

[GilK]

Hi,

I want to make the comment field a mandatory one when users resolving issues.

How do I do it?

Thanks,

[Jon Sword · Accepted solution]

Hi Janiv,

The JIRA Misc Workflow Extensions plugin includes a "Comment Required Validator"

https://studio.plugins.atlassian.com/wiki/display/JMWE/JIRA+Misc+Workflow+Extensions+Documentation

I use it and it is quite easy to set up.

Regards,

Jon

[GilK]

Thanks,

I've downloaded it.

How do I use it only when users resolve an issue?

Thanks,

[Jon Sword]

You edit the workflow (you may have to create a draft), find all transitions that resolve an issue, edit the transitions:

Under Validator -> Add -> Comment Required Validator -> Enter an error message and set any exemptions -> Add

Ensure you have a transition screen for them to enter a comment and publish the workflow.

[Lynn Ahlberg]

I'm new to this program and could use some help. I've downloaded the plugin and now...I have no idea what to do. I see your instructions above, however, I don't know what the next step is after the download. Thanks for any help you can give me:)

[Jon Sword]

What version of JIRA are you using? Did you install the plugin using the Universal Plugin Manager in JIRA?

[Mark Symons]

Expanding on Jon's original answer...

Rather than simply download the plugin from the Marketplace website, it's easier to do everything from within UPM... downloaded and install in one go. The current version of UPM, v2.3 is stated as working with JIRA v4.3 and up (but I am sure that I had a pretty up to date version of UPM running with JIRA v3.13.x just 4 or 5 months ago).

Once JMWE is installed then the "comment required validator" will be immediately available when you then start to edit a workflow.

I find that the validator works very well, up to a point:

1) The "comment required" is specific to the transition so you can choose exactly which transitions in the workflow need it.. and which don't

2) The message that you display to the user can be unique for each transition.

3) Don't neglect Jon's advise "..and set any exemptions". If you do not define exemptions then bulk transitions will fail - and fail without an error message that will tell you that they failed.

4) You need to be aware that every time the validator kicks in (displays an error to the user and forces them to enter a comments) then you will get a few hundred lines of exception messages appear in your JIRA logs. This does not mean the plugin is not working... it works fine. The exceptions are caused by an underlying defect (or "design oversight" or whatever you want to call it) in JIRA itself. This is logged as JRA-8100 - which has been closed as a "won't fix" but which is linked to a very intereresting "Make field required only for one state transition" issue...which would work for comments and any other field besides.

[Lynn Ahlberg]

Sorry, just getting back to this after neglecting JIRA for a bit. The version we're running is 5.0.5. I don't know how I installed the plugin. I just clicked "Install" and nothing happened. I don't even know where to start...I'm a Mac user trying to work in the JIRA PC world, and new to all of this, so my questions might be severely stupid.