Why does Jira Premium give me an error when the Time Tracking field is set to required?

[Beth _External_ Kelly]

I really think this is a bug, and would love to figure out how to log that...

But just in case I'm just seriously misunderstanding how this is a feature and not a bug... here goes my case...

Please keep in mind, I inherited this configuration and did not design it. So while "is this a rational setup?" is a legit question, the answer is "my org is learning as we go, and may well change things".  

The situation:

- I have a Task ticket type set with a custom field configuration that sets "Time Tracking" to required.

- I'm working in a Jira Plan, and setting some fields through that planning interface window (in particular, the Teams value, which isn't on any of our regular ticket screens).

- when I save, I get an error "The issue cannot be updated as required fields are missing"

- when I turn the "Time Tracking" field to optional, the exact same cached change can save successfully.

Weirder still - the Time Tracking value doesn't appear to be a value anywhere on any screen.  When the ticket gets made, there's a required field "Original Estimate" - which gets filled in and can't ever be blank.

I've also tested with entering values for Time Spent (which is optional) - just in case that helps.  It doesn't.

I can, however, edit the ticket directly.  Just not through the plan.

Can anyone point me to any details related to this strange logic?

[Kathy Hart · Accepted solution]

Hi, @Beth _External_ Kelly And welcome to the Community

Short answer -  isn't a bug. This is not surprising behavior. Time Tracking should not be a "required" field.

Long answer - Time Tracking isn't exactly a field in the traditional sense. 

If you want to require the capture of time during a transition or in a plan then you will need to use the Time Spent field in the transition screen. 

If you make Time Tracking required, you will get weird errors. 

If you put Time Tracking on the screen for your Task issue type AND make sure it is added in the Layout for tasks in your project, then it will show on your ticket view. It will show amount of time used against the original estimate. See the "more fields" screenshot below. 

But if you click on Time Tracking on the screen, rather than having a single entry, it opens an interactive window. See Time Tracking screenshot. The screen captures a lot of information not just one value and Time Tracking is updated if multiple entries are made. This makes it inappropriate for adding to a transition screen or for being a required field. 

Does this answer your question(s)? 

[Beth _External_ Kelly]

Yeah.  Mostly.

So, I believe the original desire was to require the Original Estimate to be entered when the task was created, because the team mostly uses tasks to scope & track work, so usually the estimated time to do the work is known at the time the ticket is submitted.

In fact, someone around here went out of their way to scope out a ticket type just to make this (and story points??) required.

Is there a way to force the original estimate, but not the time spent to be required?  Honestly, my preference would be to make it required on a more per-screen or w/in a plan basis, and not across all possible ticket states, since I could see a real value in writing the ticket first, and defining the estimate later... but requiring the estimate during planning, or before the ticket is put into "in progress".

[Kathy Hart]

You can do this with transition screens attached to your Workflows. 

1. Take the Requirement out of your Custom Field Configuration. 
2. Create a Screen that will capture exactly the information you want, for example, Original Estimate, if you use the screen to move from New to Scoped or whatever Status means you have finished planning your estimate. 
3. Edit the Workflow for that ticket type. 
4. Click the transition where you want to collect the information
5. Select Edit
6. The Edit Transition popup allows you to add a Screen to the transition. (screenshot) 
7. Attach the screen you just created. 
8. SAVE
9. Next Click Validators for the same transition. 
10. Add a Validator
11. Field Required Validator. 
12. Select the field you want required
13. Fill in the Error message you want displayed if the field is not filled in.

Do the same thing with the Log Work field. Create a screen. Update the workflow for the transition where you want to collect the work log, and add a Validator requirement. 

[Kathy Hart]

If all this answers your question, please click Accept Answer above. This will help others who have the same questions. 

[Beth _External_ Kelly]

Absolutely!  Thank you!!!