Possibilities of customizing the functionalities of JSM via script languages (e.g. Java Script, VBA)

Question

Hello,

We are currently looking into the possibility of using Jira Service Management in the Data Center version.
On the topic of customizing, we would like to know if it is possible to customize functionalities of the tool (Jira service managment) within the application.
For example, via an integrated scripting language by application administrators possible? (For example with Java Script or VBA)

Thank you very much in advance.

Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Answer

Yes, you can modify how Jira works, but I'd stay away from javascript (Jira's javascript is already a mess) and VBA (Jira does not use any form of BASIC, you'd need to be coding and installing stuff in client applications your users are using to talk to Jira, or inject a whole BASIC runtime into Jira somehow)

There are two broad ways to modify it:

* Change the core code in Jira* With a Server/DC, you can access the source code, modify it, and recompile your versions.
* Atlassian won't support modified core Jira code; if you have a problem, you must revert to their version.
* Jira's core code is big.  Surprisingly big.  And it does some things in bizarre ways, and it needs you to understand many technologies - Java, webwork, velocity, javascript, HTML/CSS, and and and...  I have been known to hack Jira core code to improve things, but I've always got lucky with it - my improvements were all done within a couple of self-contained classes.  And were adopted by Atlassian later, so I could throw them away (There was a time when you couldn't log work in fractions!  3 hours was okay, 2.5 hours could not be entered)

* Write apps that inject code.* Also unsupported, but in case of a problem, you can disable or remove the app and become supported again.
* Self-contained and a lot easier to write than hacking the core of Jira.  Most of the apps I've written provided "clever" fields that were more functional than the existing custom field types, and I did a lot of gadgets and reports too.  I also wrote a lot of workflow functions, but I stopped that when I got my paws on Scriptrunner (the first version of it let me write the 5-25 lines of code for my post-function logic without needing the other 600ish lines of app wrapper)

But I would recommend not bothering with either of these.  I would look first at the marketplace to see if any apps might do what you need - try to avoid re-inventing (what could be a horribly complex) wheel!

This inevitably leads to:  "What are you looking for?".   If you can describe what you need, someone here might be able to point you at a good app that does a lot of it or confirm that you will need some coding!

Morten Dieckmann-Keden · Answer

Hello @Joseph Chung Yin

I mean the general possibilities to customize functionalities of the tool (Jira service managment) within the application as a system administrator but not using normal functionalities.

I mean if we want to do something that is not mapped via jira by default and we want to code it in the system itself for this (via java script for example)

Joseph Chung Yin · Answer

@Morten Dieckmann-Keden -

I would recommend that you to review - https://developer.atlassian.com/server/jira/platform/rest-apis/  Which you may already know about Atlassian's REST APIs for both Jira software/JSM on developing custom programs.

The question that I have for you is - what do mean by "customize functionalities of the tool (Jira service management) within the application"?

Hope this helps.

Best, Joseph Chung Yin

Jira/JSM Functional Lead, Global Technology Applications Team

Viasat Inc.