Resolution status and time tracking question

[Nick]

How to change the resolution field so it follows the status?  And also how to I get the Dates field to have a little more information that relates to time tracking? 

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[Shannon Davis]

One possible answer to your question - let's say Resolution has a ton of values you just don't care about.  You only want your users to choose "Closed" or something.  Then, what you have to do is set that up in your workflow configuration. If there is only one value, then it will default to that, assuming resolution is one of the fields you have on your Close transition screen (assuming you have one - most people do.)

You can include resolutions or exclude resolutions..See this doc for more info.

https://confluence.atlassian.com/jira/workflow-properties-189949.html

You could also set up, I believe, in your workflow configuration to set certain fields.  I do that in my workflows if someone goes from Closed to Open - in that case it's really important to set the Resolution field back to Unresolved None.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm not sure that's an answer to the question.  The question is about setting the resolution, not limiting what can be chosen.  But it's a good follow up if Nick is suffering from an admin being a bit eager with too many resolutions.

Also, it's not "set the resolution to unresolved".  As we've already said, it's "clear the resolution".  It's important to be precise here because too many people add "unresolved" as a resolution and hence make a complete dog's breakfast of their JIRA installation.  Always try to say something like "clear" instead of "set it to"

[Shannon Davis]

Interesting. Every JIRA system I've worked with (all in the 6.x range) have had Unresolved as a resolution, and the method to search for open issues was to search for Resolution = Unresolved. Every new issue has its resolution set to Unresolved, and the system knows that this is to be shown without a strikethrough. This experience has been consistent across servers, even with brand new issues types and workflows, which means to me it wasn't a customization.

These were set up by different people initially, not even from the same company. One was a JIRA system we had in house that I inherited, and the other belonged to a consulting firm.  But both had "Unresolved" as a resolution.

I just accepted it as a fact of JIRA life.  But I guess I've been working with a lot of dog's breakfasts.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

No, they didn't have unresolved on the list.  But I understand why you're saying it because you are seeing it.

JIRA is coded to display unresolved when the field is empty, and JQL understands unresolved as a key word.  Take a look at Admin -> Issues -> Resolution - that's the list of actual resolutions available.  In a healthy JIRA, that list will not contain anything resembling "unresolved".  When you add the standard "set resolution" post-function, it offers "<none>" at the top of the list, not "unresolved", and it displays it as "clear the resolution".  And, if you were to look in the database, the resolution column is empty for issues that JIRA displays as unresolved.

[Shannon Davis]

Oh this was informative: http://jira.10933.n7.nabble.com/How-to-clear-issue-resolution-field-td28286.html

JIRA shows "Unresolved" if no resolution is currently selected, so yes, you clear the resolution field - in order for it to show Unresolved.

[Shannon Davis]

OK here's the deal (for posterity's sake).

You set it to "None".  After saving it, the post-function displays that you have "cleared" it, but it's not like there's a clear function.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

<sigh>  That is what I already said.

It's nice that you dragged up one of my previous posts from years ago to confirm what I already said.

[Shannon Davis]

You said "be sure to clear it".  since clear field is not an option and the person has to choose Update Field, I thought it was best to explain it further for future readers who might miss that little detail.

You're the expert though, and I guess you don't really need anyone else to help you answer all the questions on the board.  Since you have everything covered, I can just focus on reading and not participating.  For the record, I didn't see your answer before I posted the link to the other thread, which was yours too!  You're so good at this!  Thank you!

Seriously, thanks for your help, because someone who had set up my system HAD put "Unresolved" on the list, and I have now renamed it so that I can better identify it and taken steps to clear the resolution in those cases.  

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ah, good.  I'm just being fussy about the language because people have read "set it to unresolved" and not understood that you need to clear the value.  I can name at least three places who have added "unresolved" because they've read "set it to unresolved".   "Clear" also helps explain what they see when they have added the "set resolution to none" post-function and it seems to help with what's happening in the database, as it strongly implies an empty field.

This particular case is just one where it pays to be absolutely precise about what is happening and be careful about language.

Please, don't stop contributing because I've picked up on your language and got grumpy about it, that's absolutely not what I want. 

[Shannon Davis]

Hey, thanks .... you were a bit grumpy but I'm glad we talked it out. 

I learned something new today, that "Unresolved" shouldn't have been on the list in the first place, and I was able to catch it before too much damage was done (of 5000+ issues, only 30 had the bad "Unresolved" resolution). Hopefully it helps the original poster Nick as well!

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Yes, I am sorry for that, and I hope you'll accept my apology.

I put some of it down to being a naturally grumpy old man, some of it down to being stressed out by a JIRA that just won't import properly for the last three days, and the rest down to seeing that problem so many times (You can probably tell that my 8 year old post wasn't the first on the subject!)

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

For the resolution, change the workflow so that each transition sets or prompts the user for a transtion, or clears it, as appropriate for the landing status.

The dates area is just a collection of the date fields for the issue.  If you're using time tracking, another pael will appear in that column when there's data for it (but it is time-tracking, not transition data)

[Nick]

I'm not sure about this.  If I create a transition it creates a button.  I have created a field for the resolutions but its not reading my choice.  I have three choices Fixed, resolved, workaround.  Its not seeing any of these when I select them.  

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

  You need to be looking at the built-in system field called Resolution, not adding new fields.

I'm not sure why you are adding transitions either.  Look at the existing transitions. 

When they go into a status you want to be an "end status" (status like done, cancelled, ended, complete, closed etc), then you need to amend the transition so that it does one of two things:

• Has the post-function called "set field" which should be configured to set resolution to an appropriate value
• Has a "screen" which includes the resolution field, so that the user sets it

When a transition is a "reopen" type thing, going from an "end status" to an open one, then it needs the post-function called "set field" which should be configured to set resolution to <none> (you'll see it as "resolution will be cleared" in some places)

[Nick]

So that Resolution field is associated to other projects.  How do I set it up so that the resolution field is associated only to my project. And it reads the fields that I want it to read? 

[Nick]

So is there a way to set up two Resolutions? 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You don't.  Resolution is a global field, it is always there, even if you hide it.

I don't understand what you mean by "resolution field reads the fields that I want it to read"

You can set up a custom field as an alternate resolution, but it will not tell JIRA that an issue is resolved or not, JIRA uses the resolution field for that.

[Shannon Davis]

To get more information on time-tracking between statuses, you might look at the paid plugin "JIra Enhancer Plugin" or JEP.

[Nick]

Is there a way to get rid of the "resolution" field? 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You can hide it in the field configuration.

But don't.  JIRA Core relies on it as the indicator of whether an issue is open or done with.  If you hide it, all the default reporting will show everything as unresolved all the time and you won't get the "this is done" strikethroughs on links.

[Steven F Behnke]

As Nic says, don't. For the love of all that is holy, just learn how you're supposed to apply Statuses and Resolution.