automation to edit a custom field using json (newbie alert)

Question

I'm trying to get my head around json and failing miserably.

I have a custom field which is a drop-down list, that contains the values 0-36 & "> 3 years"

I want to run an automation comparing today's date with the date in another field and update the field with the calculated value.

customfield_12047 is the field holding the date to compare to.

customfield_12095 is the field I need to set 'Months open after agreed remediation date'.

It's easy enough with the gui to have the if "{{issue.customfield_12047.diff(now).months}} is greater than 36" then set the field value to ">3 years"

Less than 37 requires the JSON. This is as close as I've got but I'm obviously doing something fundamentally wrong.

{ "fields": { "customfield_12095": "customfield_12047.diff(now).months" } }

When run, the audit trail throws the error

Specify a valid 'id' or 'name' for Months open after agreed remediation date (customfield_12095))

Tips, tricks, pointers gratefully received (and yes, I think I have the logic right to cope with less than zero :)  )

tks

Trudy P Claspill · Answer

Oops! Yes, of course a smart value needs double-curly-braces while the JSON syntax needs single curly braces.

Thanks, @Bill Sheboy !

Peter Degotardi · Answer

Thank you Bill and @Trudy P Claspill, between the two of you I have it working.

Yes, the extra brackets on Trudy's suggestion were required.

Bill Sheboy · Answer

Hi @Trudy P Claspill and @Peter Degotardi

I believe your suggestion is missing some curly brackets around the smart value expression:

{
  "fields": {
    "customfield_12095" : {
      "value": "{{customfield_12097.diff(now).months}}" }
  }
}

And...

I believe this could all be done with JSON using conditional logic to handle the case for "> 3 years" and there is no need for the if / else block:

{
  "fields": {
    "customfield_12095" : {
      {{#if(customfield_12097.diff(now).months.le(36))}}
        "value": "{{customfield_12097.diff(now).months}}"
      {{/}}
      {{#if(customfield_12097.diff(now).months.gt(36))}}
        "value": "> 3 years"
      {{/}}
    } 
  }
}

Or better still, use a lookup table with "key" values of true and false, and "values" of the two possible values.

Kind regards,
Bill