Is there a certain strategy to the handling of 3rd party custom fields in Jira Cloud?

[Sascha H_]

Hello everyone,

I'm a Data-Center-going-Cloud-guy and right now evaluating cloud apps of the DC apps we use. The custom fields i can create in Stagil Tables or Teamworx Issue Picker seem to no longer integrate with the native field admin UI. And up until now I haven't found the right cockwheels to place these fields on any screens, let alone on any tabs on screens. The fields happen to be just there, somewhere in the work item view. Is this the official line in Jira Cloud, that nativ Jira fields stick with each other and 3rd party custom fields can no longer be provided via screen config? Or is this just a coincidence of unlucky implemented integration? Or is it me? 

Any enlightenment here would be very much appreciated. I also gladly take fingerpointing to the relevant Atlassian articles, that are relevant.

Thanks in advance!

Cheerio,

Sascha

[Matteo Vecchiato · Accepted solution]

Hi @Sascha H_

Those apps built using Atlassian Connect, the majority by the moment, that doesn't allow to interact with custom field in a standard way, but are like external things to be activated or called, like you are experiencing.

Atlassian has started encouraging the apps vendor to migrate to Forge, that allows more integrated apps inside the work item life; but it will require time.

So, to reply to your question, it depends on how the app is built.

Thinking of future migration, I would like to suggest to try to don't add complexity to your future migration adding apps; the apps are the more complex things to migrate, add them only if is strictly necessary.

I hope it helps 

[Sascha H_]

Hi @Matteo Vecchiato thank you for your reply. The complexity is already present, unfortunately. It is about replicating functionality in Cloud we have in DC. I hope it is ok, that i accept Trudy's answer (:

[Sascha H_]

Ah... ok, i can accept both...well, then, the Forge info is valuable info.

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @Sascha H_ 

To clarify, when you say "they no longer integrate" are you referring to finding those third party app fields in the Custom Fields administration for Jira Cloud?

The architecture of Jira in Cloud is very different than Data Center, and apps may not be able to do the same things in Cloud that they could do in Data Center. In DC the app was often being installed on the same host system as Jira, and so could modify the underlying UI code and interact directly with the Jira database. That is not the case with the Cloud environment. The third party apps are more limited in what they can do and how they can interact with the Jira app and data based on APIs that Atlassian makes available.

Whether or not a custom field created by a third party app will be visible in the Jira Cloud Custom Field administration will have to be evaluated on a case by case basis. For instance I know that the BigPicture app creates custom fields that do appear in the Custom Fields administration for Jira Cloud, and can be selected for addition to screens.

[Sascha H_]

Hello @Trudy Claspill ,

thank you! Even though case by case might be the worst possible scenario and yes, your clarification is correct.