Service desk - automated copy field value on link

[Nikki]

Hi all! I'm so grateful that you're all so generous with your responses; I've been able to find a lot of info by hunting through the archives. 

I'm using Cloud-hosted Service Desk. I have a few custom link types, ie "is employer for" and "is employed by."

I would like to automate copying data from 2 custom fields from the employer to employee when files are linked. 

We don't use Epic or Parent-Child (I don't think the latter is an option without portfolio) -- not that it would be a huge issue, it just hasn't been relevant for us so far. 

I've been using Automation for Service Desk, but I'm getting stuck about how to make this work -- probably worth mentioning that I get confused about which issue is the Trigger (::sheepish face::) 

Thank you in advance! 

[Jack Brickey]

@Nikki, welcome to the Community. I'm not quite clear on your situation and goal. I get that you are trying to copy values from custom fields but not sure where you are trying to copy them to and under what condition. You mention copying from "employer to employee" can you explain that in Jira terms? You mention "when files are linked", what files? 

Regarding automation, it is basically a "when this condition occurs", "if this condition exists", "then do this" situation.

[Nikki]

Thank you @Jack Brickey! Love your avatar. 

There's a custom field we use - a type of ID number. 

We use a custom link type -- one issue type is employee, the other is employer. 

I want to automate copying the value of the ID from employer to the employee when we link the files. 

So when this condition occurs: 2 issues are linked as Employer/employee 

Then do this: copy custom field (ID) from employer issue to employee issue

Does that make better sense? 

[Jack Brickey]

@Nikki, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. TBH, i'm still not following.

You have a custom field, understood. "type of ID number" not sure what that means as there isn't a custom field type call "ID number". Maybe this is a "number field"?

Custom link type? What is this in Jira terms? Do you have another custom field? Is it a URL field?

Finally, i still don't understand the linking of "files".

sorry, i'm just confused here. Maybe some screenshots of what you have will focus me.

[Nikki]

OK, scratch all that, I think the customization is muddying the waters. Let's try this: 

Issue 1 is blocked by Issue 2.

Custom Field 10001 has a value filled out in Issue 2 but it is empty in Issue 1.  

When I link Issue 1 to Issue 2,  stating that Issue 1 is blocked by Issue 2, 

I would like Custom Field 10001 in Issue 1 automatically populated with the value it has in Issue 2.

So I want an automation that copies the value from Custom Field 10001 from Issue 2 to Issue 1 when they are linked as issue 2 blocking issue 1. 

Does that make better sense? 

[Jack Brickey]

ah....now i'm catching on. :-)

So basically...

If ABC-123 is blocked by XYZ-123

Then copy value of XYZ-123 "Custom Field 10001" to ABC-123 "Custom Field xxxxx"

Granted maybe some additional qualifiers are required but ultimately it seems you just want to mirror the custom fields between the linked issues. For this you are going to need an addon.

Here are two that I'm sure would work: Scriptrunner, Power Scripts

Here is one that might work: Automation for Jira and you may wish to start w/ the "Lite" version as it is free and you can see if you can set up the necessary rules. BTW, I'm pretty sure that the OOTB Automation will not achieve this unless they have added some new capabilities recently that I have not yet experienced.

[Nikki]

I have Automation for Jira and I love it! That's where I'm getting stuck. 

I can set up an automation so that, when 2 files are linked, it will copy the value of Custom Field 1001 from:

Current Issue

Parent Issue

Trigger Issue

Epic Issue

So I'm getting really perplexed about whether to select current or trigger. Neither seem to work. I don't think Service Desk Cloud allows for Parent issues (unless we're getting into Subtasks, which we don't really use) and we don't use Epic issues. 

[Nikki]

Of course it's entirely possible that, as you posited, I'll need additional capabilities from Scriptrunner or Power Scripts, I just want to be sure I'm not getting unecessarily confused about which is Trigger and which is Current between the issue Blocking or issue that is Blocked By.  :-/ 

[Jack Brickey]

So i suspect you want to set this up using the Trigger issue. That is, try something like this:

trigger: when field value changes

condition: link exists

action: copy value from Trigger issue

if you provide a screenshot of your current automation I can try to play w/ it and get it to work but it may take me awhile to get to it...busy day.