How to retrieve version release date to copy to a date custom field?

Question

I am working on a user request to copy the version release date to a date custom field. I was able to retrieve the date(s) using Jira automation smart value (shown below) and then publish the value(s) as a comment successfully.

I have attempted to use the same smart value for a date custom field in Jira automation, but the field remains blank.

How can I publish the same value to a date custom field?

David Nickell · Answer

Hello again.  I think you are getting good information on Date Handling in Automation. I'm not trying to necessarily spin up a new answer for the sake of having a new answer, but as I mentoned in my comments above, I think you have a real "why would you do this" question looming.

* Since there can be multiple versions on the item, I include some date description in the actual fix Version / Release name.  If the Release date changes, I just change the name and the actual date that goes with it
* And then the other points realitive to maintenance of a "field" when the date may change or the scope of the release may no longer include the work item in question.
* Added to that bullet above, the last thing you want is confusion about when an item is going to shift should your special date field and the actual release date aren't in synch.
* You may be using automation executions for this purpose.
* And any seasoned Admin will tell you, the more custom fields you have, the slower your performance tends to be.

Sorry to kick the proverbial "dead horse".  But since the discussion is still ongoing, I wanted to get a second shout-out to see why this new field is needed.

Thanks

Thomas Anderson_yzceys · Answer

You can read the release date with fixVersions.releaseDate, but Jira Automation won’t write it to a date field unless you format it exactly the way Jira expects. Date fields require a strict yyyy-MM-dd format. Use something like {{fixVersions.releaseDate.format yyyy-MM-dd }} when setting the custom field. Once formatted, the automation will populate the date field correctly.

Chris Rogers · Answer

As @David Nickell mentioned above, you can use some of the time zone functions to make that conversion, something like:

{{fixVersions.releaseDate.jiraDate.convertToTimeZone("America/Chicago")}}

The list of supported time zones is linked off of the page above (see Java time zones)

I find it easiest to play with the date conversion until you've got it right in audit log actions or a test issue and then lock it in when it's right.