Solution Field Management

[Robin Bendfeldt]

Hello community,

I have some issues with the solution field. I set up the option in my workflow ( I got my advice from here: https://confluence.atlassian.com/cloudkb/best-practices-on-using-the-resolution-field-968660796.html ). 

Every layout mask got the solution field and if I set a issue to done and skipping several steps I can set a solution. Very nice! That was what i wanted. But if I creat a new issue there is a solution field too and I have to choice in option from the dropdown otherwise I can not creat the issue. If I remove now the solution field from the layout of the issue mask and set the issue to done its marked two times as done and I can't choose another option out of the solution field with the reason that I can not work with this field.

What I have to do, that the solution field ONLY appears if I set a issue/ticket directly to done AFTER I just reagulary created the ticket/issue? 
It makes no sense to set any resolution to a fresh/new ticket/issue. 

Thank you for your help and advice.

best regards,

robin

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

Jira doesn't have "masks" and "layouts" refers to how cards are structured on boards, not issue views.

I am therefore very uncertain about what you are really talking about when you use those words.  I also think they're confusing you as to what you are really seeing.

You also talk about a "solution" field, while referring to documentation on "resolution", so I am stuck there too.

So, some clarification and additional questions to help me understand:

1. Could you confirm whether you mean the system "resolution" field, or if you are talking about a custom field you have added called "solution"
2. Can you tell us whether you are in a "team managed" or "company managed" project?  Go to the project and look to the bottom of the left-hand side bar, it should tell you there.
3. You say "it's marked two times as done" - can you tell us what you mean by that?  Two identical status displays?  Two identical resolution displays?  Something else?

[Robin Bendfeldt]

@Nic Brough -Adaptavist-  Hi Nic! I'm really sorry. My company is using Jira in german language and the names of the views and functions is not fluant.

1. I'm talking about the Resolution Field.

2. All important projects are company managed.

3. One time its the resolution field and the other is the status (see screenshot 1)

________________________________

1 Screenshot

I deleted the resolution field out of the issue screen and now I can't choose anything from the resolution field. But a value of the resolution field is displayed.

2 Screenshot

In this screenshot the resolution field is not deleted out of the screen and if I want to creat a new issue I have to choose an option out of the resolution field otherwise I can not creat a new issue. (see last field "Lösung" its german for resolution).

3 Screenshot

The resolution field is still in the screens but this is an old issue, but the behavour is the behavour I want of the resolution field without the problems on the other screenshots.

If I mark an issue directly as done I can choose a resolution out of the field.

I hope this screenshots and informations help you to understand my problem and maybe you have a (re-)solution for me. 

best regards

Robin

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ah, translation is always "fun", especially when we're in a field that has its own jargon.  Your answers and screenshots are perfect, solve all the translation problems I was having.

Resolution is a "fun" field, but to start off simply - Status is an indicator of where an issue in its process flow. 

Jira mostly uses resolution to think "this issue is done with", it only really uses status when you're working in Scrum or Kanban, where the status are mapped into columns, and "the last, rightmost, column on a board is 'done'"

Note that resolution and status have no direct technical relationship with each other.  For the sake of human understanding, they should work together in an obvious way, but technically, they are independent.  Administrators have to remember to tie them together, mostly by configuring the workflows!

Resolution is "fun" because it sounds simple, but, but, but...  The basic idea is "Resolution <empty> = issue needs attention" (and by empty, I really do mean a null in a field in a database table), and "Resolution has any content = issue is done" 

We strongly encourage people to use resolution to say broadly why an issue is done - words like fixed, duplicate, withdrawn, not-approved, done, complete - all broadly good words to say why it's been done.  You should never never set a resolution that suggests an issue is not ended, like incomplete, needs more work, not-done, blocked, unfinished, etc.  The worst one is when people add a resolution called "unresolved" - because there is a value in the field, the issue is resolved, but the value is lying and telling you it's not.

So, I think what you've done is not quite got the resolution in the right place on the screens involved.  A "screen" in Jira is "a list of fields to put in front of a human when a certain action needs to ask them questions"

.  For a company-managed project, there are four places screens are used - Create issue, Edit Issue, View Issue and Transition issue (you could be using many different screens there)

The trick with resolution is to understand that if the resolution is on an editable screen (create, edit or transition), then it will be defaulted to a value and hence set when the human says "save changes".

I think that's what you've run into - it sounds like you've added "resolution" to a single screen, but it is the only screen you are using for create and edit.  This means that you end up with resolved issues when you create or edit a screen.  

So, the short version - remove the resolution from your create/edit (and view screen, it does nothing there).  You only want to put the resolution field on transition screens used by transitions from not-done status to done status.  (Or automate it with a post-function)

[Robin Bendfeldt]

@Nic Brough -Adaptavist- In the manual ( https://confluence.atlassian.com/cloudkb/best-practices-on-using-the-resolution-field-968660796.html ) there was no step to "code" something for the resolution field. Did I miss something?

In the following I have again some screenshots. This are the screens where I change the fields of the issues. If I change some there it will appear on all screens (= creat/edit)

1. Screenshot

On this screen I choose which typ of issue I want so change, but the changes are shown on the creat and edit screens.

2. Screenshot

In this screen I change the appearance of an issue just for a single project.

3. Screenshot

If I need more or other fields for the screen in screenshot 2 I have to go to this screen to add fields. 

Can you tell me where I can change/add fields for just the creat or the edit screen? 
If the resolution field only appears on screens that are edited everything would be working like I'm looking for.

Thanks for your support!

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Your project has an "issue type screen scheme" which tells it "for issue type X, use 'screen scheme' Y"

Screen scheme Y then tells the project which screens to use for create, edit and view, and I think you'll find that is currently set to the same screen for all three.

You could change that, but it is not actually a problem.  You must make sure the resolution is not on the chosen screen for create and edit (you can ignore the view screen, Jira ignores it for system fields anyway)

 You only want to put the resolution field on transition screens used by transitions from not-done status to done status.  (Or automate it with a post-function - there's a standard "update field" one built into Jira that can set and clear the resolution)

[Robin Bendfeldt]

@Nic Brough -Adaptavist- Maybe you have some option or menu names for me where I can set this settings? Or maybe you have a screenshot for me?
Would be a huge help for me to find the right board for the settings which I have to made to fix my problem.

Thank you for your great support and your time!

best regards

Robin