How to handle the "Resolution" field in Jira to make it editable but not mandatory?

[MidnightExe]

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working on a Jira configuration and need some advice regarding the Resolution field. Our business team has requested that this field should not be mandatory, but still editable, and it should be automatically set to "Done" when the issue status is transitioned to either "Done" or "Obsolete".

I’ve already handled the automatic update part using post functions – that works well and is well documented.

I’m using three separate screens for the issue type: Create, Edit, and View. To avoid making Resolution mandatory at creation, I’ve removed it from the Create screen, which works fine.

Here’s the problem:
If I include the Resolution field on the Edit screen, it becomes mandatory when users try to update the issue later.
If I remove it from the Edit screen, it’s no longer mandatory, but also not editable anymore.

So my questions are:

What is the best practice here?

Is it recommended to let users manually update the Resolution field at all?

Has anyone dealt with a similar setup, and do you have any suggestions?

Thanks a lot in advance!

[Priyanka Khare · Accepted solution]

Hello,  

1. If the Resolution field is on any screen, Jira will force users to fill it — even if they’re just editing something else.
2. The safest option is to let Jira handle it automatically using post functions when an issue is marked as Done or Obsolete.
3. Also use a post function to clear the Resolution if the issue is reopened.
4. To avoid problems, don’t show Resolution on the Edit screen.
5. If you really need users to change it, create a special transition (like "Set Resolution") with its own screen just for that.

[Walter Buggenhout · Accepted solution]

Hi @MidnightExe,

Don't put the resolution field on create nor edit screens.

If you want it to be editable, create a transition screen with the field on it. This is just a screen like the create / edit / view screens you use in your screen schemes, but don't add it to a scheme.

Instead, add the screen to the transition(s) in your workflow where you would like your users to pick a resolution. It will only be required if you add a validator to that transition as well to make it as such.

If you want to allow people to "correct" a set resolution at some point in your workflow, you can add a transition that goes from a status to the same status. This may sound a bit strange, but it is as simple as dragging a transition line from one connection point of a status to another one on the same status in the diagram view of your workflow editor. You can add your transition screen to such a transition as well, thus allowing people to make the screen appear to do the update (without changing the work item's status). Working with workflow transitions and associated screens also allows you to add e.g. permission conditions, so you can control who is authorised to do such updates.

Hope this helps! 

[Walter Buggenhout]

@MidnightExe,

So now how do I find the option in my workflow to add the "Set Resolution Screen", so that people are getting a popup.

 Click on any line from ALL to a status and in the popup on the right hand side choose edit. A dialog will pop up where you can change the name of your transition as well as select a screen to go with the transition.

Do I really need a post function that clears the "Resolution" field, altough I dont have a reopen transition?

If you want your Jira data to be consistent: yes. If you add a resolution to the resolution field, Jira will consider that work item as complete. You can even use that to search for incomplete issues - regardless of their status. The following query:

Resolution = Unresolved

would return all work items that don't have a resolution set and can be considered as incomplete work. But that does require you to remove the resolution from the work item any time you transition work into a status representing 'requires work'.

[MidnightExe]

Oh now I see, I was searching for it but did not realize that I could add the screen if i click on "edit" ... 

So Step 1 --> "Adding the new screen do transition 'Done' is completed"

Step 2 --> Do I just use the Status "Reopened" and add it to my workflow? So when the issue is in status "Done" users are allowed to "reopen" the issue and if so the "Resolution" field gets cleared right?

[Walter Buggenhout]

The way your workflow is designed now, you can move from any status into any other status. That's what the ALL -> [status] is doing. Unless you remove all these global transitions (that's what they are called) and replace them with direct transitions from status to status, adding a reopened status would not add any value to your current workflows. People will still be able to move from done into any other status as well.

If you leave it as it is, you should add a clear resolution post function to every global transition that you don't consider as a done status. That would normally be all the statuses that have a blue or grey background color.

[MidnightExe]

Thank you so much @Walter Buggenhout I consider this topic as done. It's working fine now. 

Also thanks to @Priyanka Khare and @arielei for helping me out here!!

[arielei · Accepted solution]

Hello @MidnightExe 

You first need to understand the intent of using Resolution.

Resolution is considered by the system if a work-item is IN FLIGHT / OUT OF FLIGHT.

The system are doing automatic index run and its based on the resolution field.

So with that, its best to remove resolution from create/edit screens and set it by post-functions when closing the work-item.

If you want to give the users the option the set the resolution by them self, create a screen that will pop when someone will transition the work-item to Done and then it will ask the user to select the resolution.

see here for more info:

https://support.atlassian.com/jira/kb/best-practices-on-using-the-resolution-field-in-jira-cloud/

[MidnightExe]

Hei @Priyanka Khare @arielei @Walter Buggenhout 

Thank you guys so much for your help.

1. So basically I will remove the "Resolution" field from the screens.
2. I created a Screen named "Set Resolution Screen" but I did not add it to a scheme.
3. So now how do I find the option in my workflow to add the "Set Resolution Screen", so that people are getting a popup.
4. Do I really need a post function that clears the "Resolution" field, altough I dont have a reopen transition?

Here is my config: