How to move issue when workflow does not allow

[Gui Ávila]

Hi,

How can I reopen an issue that has status "Accepted"? Its saying I don't have permission.

Workflow does not has a transition for a "reopen" step, but this workflow here http://prntscr.com/uzej2f also doesn't has a transition for reopen, but there's the option to reopen: http://prntscr.com/uzej2f 

I did not understand what's exactly the setting to block/allow an issue returning to the board after it has a resolution.

Thanks,

Gui.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

You will probably need to get your admin to grant you permission by adding you to a role or group that has permission to use the "reopen" transition.

This is most likely to be happening because the workflow for the project/issue has a "condition" on it that limits the use to certain users (usually a role in the project), but it could be some other things.

[Gui Ávila]

Hi @Nic Brough -Adaptavist- . I am the admin of the account.

Thanks.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

That's fine and gets us further, but Admin means you can do Admin stuff.  Not that you can do anything.

Admin means you can open up the workflow in (draft) edit mode and take a look at the "condition" on the transition.  That should show us why you can't use the transition, probably because it'll say something like "only people in the role of user" or "the reporter" can use it.  You'll be able to add more conditions (such as "or admin", or "or group I am in"), or you can modify your account so it matches.

[Gui Ávila]

Thanks, Nic.

1. Edit the workflow: http://prntscr.com/uzf33j

2. What I see is this: http://prntscr.com/uzf3fc

I did not found the condition you said.


So the ability to reopen an issue depends only if there is/not a transition in the workflow?

When I saw this, I thought it was set up for each status: http://prntscr.com/uzf5sg

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

This is the point of the workflow - it defines the process for Jira to follow.  You have to have a transition to "change status".  It's not a simple edit, there is a whole load of process that needs to be done during that.  It's a bit like saying "drive from Wellingborough to Kendal".  I can't just change my location (status) from one town to another - there's a whole load of stuff that needs checking and doing before I can.  The transition might be just "drive to", but there are conditions like "having a car and a driving licence" as well.

In your second screenshot, you are looking at the steps in a workflow, and the transitions out of them in the right-hand column.  You need to find the "reopen" transition in there and click on it to see all the details of it.  One of them will be "conditions" and that's where to go next.

Your last screenshot is of permissions.  This is one of those Jira oddities that should really have been changed years ago, but persists for no good reason I can see, other than Atlassian needing to write code and warnings for people to update it and never actually bothering.  The original Jira had a fixed workflow, which includes a "reopen" and they wanted to protect that with permissions, so they did.  Once workflows were editable, it became possible to change the workflow so that they did not use the "reopen" permission at all.  So it's a hangover from a really very old version of Jira and rather misleading.  I'd not have done it this way, and given that it became a problem 17 years ago, I'm still quite annoyed it's continued to be baked in instead of fixed properly.

[Gui Ávila]

Wow, thanks a lot for your message @Nic Brough -Adaptavist- 

[Jack Brickey]

a few things to consider....

1. if you want the ability to reopen issues then edit the workflow to create the transition if it does not exist.
2. if you have the transition to reopen but it isn't allowing you to then there may be a Condition on the transition that is preventing that. Inspect the workflow transition properties.

note: the two images (links) you provided appear to be the same to me.

[Gui Ávila]

Thanks.

But if I really need to reopen? If I'm admin, is there a way to proceed? The only way is temporarialy editing the workflow, or creating a new issue?

Thanks!