Filters not saving custom columns

[Deleted user]

I have a user who is creating filters, but when he add's a column to the filter, he is unable to save it so everytime it refreshes the column disapears from his view.

Any ideas?

JIRA 6.1.4

[Larry Shatzer · Accepted solution]

I would suggest looking over the following documentation and issue, since I ran into the same issue, which turned out to be this:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRAKB/Custom+Field+Column+not+Visible+in+Issue+Navigator

https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRAKB/Custom+Field+Not+Appearing+in+Issue+Navigator+Search+Criteria

https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JRA-9367

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I don't think that's the problem - the report is about not being able to save the column order, not whether the field actually appears or not!

[Marc Minten _EVS_]

I did not only limit the custom field to the particular project, but also to one issue type. When I started the filter with "Project = XYZ AND issuetype = abc...", I was indeed able to add the custom field in the filter output.

I understand now. But we have 500 people using Jira, THEY do not know (and can not know) how exactly the custom fields are defined, and so how they should construct their filters. Very complicated to explain them all the cases.

Thanks anyway for your quick clarification!!! (you should join Atlassian lol)

[Marc Minten _EVS_]

Hi Nic, thanks for your answer. Indeed, these columns do not have a "global" context. They are only used in 1 project, the filter starts with "Project = XYZ...".

It's nice you call this a "long-standing and frustrating design failure"... I would call it a rather basic high priority DEFECT. Very, very very.. frustrating indeed.

Is this "behaviour" documented somewhere ? Do you know if issues are already registered for this (so I can add my useless vote to them :-)) ?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Yeah, I'm trying to be nice, avoiding the bad words I really think about it, and call it a "design failure" because I'm not sure it's technically a "defect" (it's designed that way. I reserve my bad words for whoever thought that was a good idea) Watch/comment/vote on https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JRA-9367

However if you're using Project = XYZ, it's not that problem.

Could you step through exactly what steps you're doing though, as you change the columns? I had a user who was going "add column, click save to return to the filter, click refresh to reload it, then complain that columns were missing" - because he'd not saved the changes to the filter, he was effectively reloading the current copy, which, of course, didn't have his column changes in it. (He needed "add column, click save to return to the filter, click save to save the filter, click refresh to reload it, then not complain that columns were missing" )

[Juan Gabriel Mejia]

It's not a "design failure" nor a "defect" but a hook to make money. Now, instead of complainnig against JIRA and report incidences, everybody can buy the solution to "Show Saved Filter with Columns" ( https://marketplace.atlassian.com/plugins/com.ja.jira.plugin.searchrequest).

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

That addon is by a third party, not Atlassian, and it does NOT address the problem reported in the slightest.

[Marc Minten _EVS_]

I have the same issue. I have a filter owned by me. I can modify the query definition and save the modified filter. I can add and remove columns, but for some columns, as soon as you refresh the filter (click the "Search for Issues" icon), the added column dissapears from the filter, and so impossible to save the filter with these columns.

I added the columns to "Filter", not to "My Defailts" or "System"

I have the impression adding columns works with 'system' columns, but not for (some type of ???) custom columns. Did not find out yet what kind of columns cause problems.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

This could also be that the columns aren't valid for part of your query, so Jira is hiding them. Can you check that fields that are vanishing have a "global" context? They belong to ALL issue types and ALL projects? (Even if they aren't on screens)

This is a long-standing and frustrating design failure in Jira.

[Jason Plumhoff]

Thanks for posting this... I saw the same problem and wasn't able to figure out why columns were sometimes saved, but not other times. Once I started referencing the columns in the query (even if I didn't really want to filter by those columns), they persisted. Bad design...

[Błażej O_]

Jason, if you would like to convert your comment to an answer I would vote it up. That's a first working workaround for this issue I have seen. Thanks.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It's not a good answer though. You don't need to use the columns on the filter to get them to appear.

[Jason Plumhoff]

@Nic - are you sure? I got the tip off this: https://answers.atlassian.com/questions/12360/custom-field-columns-not-showing-up-in-filter-columns

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Referencing the field in the query excludes issues for which the field is not valid. They will, of course, always show up then, but you could be losing issues from the filters intention. You need to check the validity of the columns - they ARE being saved, but because of this flaw in the design, they get hidden.

[Błażej O_]

Nic, sure, you SHOULD narrow the search only to issue types and projects that the field is valid for. But we do often do wide searches, including many issuetypes. It seems that in such case adding "AND (your_column is empty OR your_column is not empty)" is the only way to have your column in the filter AND show wide issuetypes palette.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Yes, and that's why the answer is wrong - you could lose issues from the result because the field is not valid.

[Błażej O_]

I tested it. Darn it, you are right, I'm wrong. So there is no way to see a column both for issues that it is valid for and for those for which it is not?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

No, it's a right pain. Atlassian recently finally relented after years of complaints and said they might fix it, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Your user needs to save the filter with a distinct name, then use "options -> Set filter column order" to save the layout.

[Deleted user]

I can't see the Options button (is this because I'm running 6.1.4?)

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm really sorry, I meant "tools", with the little cog.

Have a look at https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRA/Using+Filters- there are some screenshots there along with better written guidance than I can give.

[Deleted user]

This isn't a learning problem because I can do the same thing on mine and it will save the column layout, but it won't save it for his.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You need to be very careful here - are you sure you are trying to save the *filter* column order? On a filter that is owned by the current user?

[Deleted user]

Yeah, so he created a filter, added a column, but it won't save the extra column to the filter

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

That sounds like you are saving the users current config, not going in to the filter column edit list.

[Susan Williams]

I am having this same problem, and I don't know what you mean by "going into the filter column edit list". I can't find any way to edit my filter. I tried adding the new column and then saving as a new filter, and that didn't work either.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm not sure how else to say it. There's a significant difference between "what user has chosen to see" and "filter column order".

Try a look at https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRA/Using+Filters#UsingFilters-Definingafilter-specificcolumnorder

[Susan Williams]

Here's a quote from the page you linked to:

To add a column layout to a saved filter:

1. ChooseIssues>Manage Filters.
2. Click theMytab. This tab displays all the filters that have been created by you.
3. Locate the filter you wish to update; click the filter's name to display the results. Be sure you are viewing the filter in theListview so that you see the columns.
4. Configure the column order as desired by clicking on the column name and dragging it to the new position. Your changes are saved and will be displayed the next time you view this filter.

If I do this, and add a column that happens to be a custom field, it is not saved as #4 says it will be. It disappears as soon as I refresh the page. I also don't think the sorting works on a custom field (at least, not if you try to refer to the field by its name).

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

All of this is working for me, so I really don't understand what's happening for you.

Which version of Jira are you on?