How do I set a read only custom field value?

[Marcio Ghiraldelli]

How it's possible to update a value of a read only custom field through JIRA UI?

[Marcio Ghiraldelli · Accepted solution]

JIRA Core does not offer this by default. You can use JIRA Utilities Plugin https://marketplace.atlassian.com/plugins/com.googlecode.jira-suite-utilities/server/overview. This will enable a set custom field value in a post function in your workflow.

[Hung Nguyen]

Why do you call a field a read-only field if you want to update it through UI ? Or is it currently a read-only custom field and now you want to turn it to en editable field ?

Your answer for this may shed some lights on how you can do it in a meaningful way.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

The description does say "value can only be set by code" when you go to add one.

[Hung Nguyen]

Hmm, I may not have enough permission to see all of the info in this ticket or what? 

I saw only the title to be: "How do I set a read only custom field value?" and one line description "How it's possible to update a value of a read only custom field through JIRA UI?"

Do you mean that there is more description than that one liner here for this ticket? Just curious to know if I miss something here.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It's not a ticket, it's a question.

I think Marcio is trying to ask and answer a question that comes up regularly so that questioners get an authoritative and simple response when they start typing their question.

[Hung Nguyen]

Oh, I see what you mean. Thanks

[Marcio Ghiraldelli]

Yes, Nic, it's exactly that. I understand that a read only custom field should not be update through UI, but I was wondering what would be the purpose of it if I could not updated it at all.

The only way JIRA Core offers this out of box is while importing from CSV through JIM, but setting them in the workflow looks a good alternative.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

From memory, it's a hang-over from the old Mantis importer, which has been absorbed into JIM now.  Might be one of the other old importers though - it's been a while since I looked.

Nevertheless, it's a useful field for any importer, as you usually want to keep at least the old system's reference number and never change that.  It also has a lot of other uses too, as long as you are willing to do the coding (or use an add-on that has coded for you, such as JIRA Suite Utilities, as you say)