Changing the default custom field value None to Select an option

[Komal Parate]

Hello,

We have multiple custom field configured and we wish to rename the NONE value which is a default Jira Value to Select an option.

We have tried  the options as stated below

1) Making server side changes replacing the None option configured to Select an option.
common.words.none = Select an option

Issue faced in above approach: We are not able to change the value from all the custom fields .The none option is still visible in some projects and custom- fields . 

2) Making changes in the java-script by changing Notification banner 

Issue faced in above approach: The changes made did not change the value of the None option.
https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirakb/how-to-hide-elements-in-jira-using-css-or-javascript-958774526.html

Is there any other option which we could try in order to fulfill the above requirement and customize the None to " select an option" any code script or any other functionality by which this can be achieved.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, you don't actually want to do this.

"Please select an option" is the wrong phrase to put in there.  The reason it is "none" is because that is telling the human using it exactly what will go into the field.  "Please select an option" is a lie and misrepresents the value.

[wesley_geddes]

As of right now, I disagree.

How about for a question like: 
"Choose a backpack option:"

With responses like: 

• Shoulder Bag
• Over the Shoulder Bag
• Fanny Pack

In this example "None" is not a valid selection but yet makes sense in this instance. Being able to change the "None" selection as "Please select an option" (from the customer portal view) is perfectly valid in my opinion. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm afraid it does not.  It's unhelpful, because it misrepresents the value that the user wants to put in.

There are four cases.

Mandatory	Defaulted	What the user should see for "nothing selected"
No	No	None, pre-selected
No	Yes	None. But the default will be pre-selected when the screen renders
Yes	No	None, pre-selected But with a note that they need to change it
Yes	Yes	The default value pre-selected so they can change it, and no "none" type option in the list

There's something I think you might not be considering here. 

I think we can agree that for non-mandatory fields, "none" is completely accurate, it is what will go into the data (well, technically, it won't.  The database leaves system fields null, and does not create a line in customfieldvalue for unpopulated fields)

But for mandatory fields, this selection is being done during the the creation of an issue.  "None" accurately represents what the user has currently entered while creating the issue.

[wesley_geddes]

I, as a Jira admin, understand that "None" accurately represents what is being sent to the database (i.e. nothing). But that isn't universally understood (nor does it need to be since we shouldn't expect everyone to be fluent in all things "Jira"). I don't think it's unreasonable to say that there are instances where "None" legitimately looks like a valid response to a customer.

We've attempted to make that clearer by (in my previous example) included an option called "Not needed." So, if someone doesn't need a backpack, they can choose "Not needed" instead of "None." But there are instances where that just doesn't work as well. 

The biggest frustration I have is that Jira even represents a "no value" with a "None." Everything has something already selected (radio buttons and select lists default to "None"). I've never seen that behavior in anything other than Jira. In everything else I've come across it just doesn't have anything selected in the first place. The radio button doesn't have a selection, thus making it VERY clear to the user that they haven't selected anything. In my opinion, that is much clearer than a "None" selection. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

In your example, you should simply set a default and make it mandatory.  Your "not needed" breaks the search for "Backpack is empty"

[wesley_geddes]

Can you explain that further? 

Setting a default is something I avoid as much as possible. It increases the complexity of a custom field contexts, screens, etc. 

In my example, an answer is required. So, if a user doesn't need a backpack, my search is simply "Backpack = 'Not needed'" Simple. A search for "Backpack is empty" (I know this is a poor example given If this were real, I'd expand this query to be more specific... but...) is going to give me tickets that have nothing to do with the backpack question.