Automation for Jira: JSON copy People custom field

[Daniel Boling]

We would like to copy a People custom field, Collaborators, when cloning an issue using Automation for Jira.

Referencing the documentation below, we created the following JQL:

{
    "fields": {
        "Story point estimate": {{triggerIssue.Story point estimate}},
        "Collaborators": {{triggerIssue.Collaborators.accountId.asJsonObjectArray("id")}}
    }
}

The Story point estimate custom field sets as expected.  The Collaborators field remains blank, although the Trigger Issue has multiple Jira Accounts selected.  The Audit Log reveals a Status of SUCCESS.

We continued testing by issuing the following comment:

{{triggerIssue.Collaborators}}
{{triggerIssue.Collaborators.accountId.asJsonObjectArray("id")}}

The text returned from the fist line contains the Collaborator account detail, as expected.  However, the text from the second line is "[]" (without quotes.  That leads us to believe the JQL for the second line is initializing an empty array.

What is the proper JQL required to set the new People custom field from the data in the trigger Issue?  Thank you!

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Automation Screenshot

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References

• Atlassian Documentation: Advanced field editing using JSON | Cloud automation Cloud | Atlassian Support > "Using smart values" > "For fields that take an array of single field object:"
• Atlassian Community: Solved: Automation for Jira: JSON Update People Custom Fi... (atlassian.com)

[Bill Sheboy · Accepted solution]

Hi @Daniel Boling 

In the JSON you provided:

{
    "fields": {
        "Story point estimate": {{triggerIssue.Story point estimate}},
        "Collaborators": {{triggerIssue.Collaborators.accountId.asJsonObjectArray("id")}}
    }
}

You are both referencing the "accountId" field (which produces a CSV list of values) and then trying to look for the "id" field, so it is finding nothing: the keys are all gone at that point.

One way to do this is to parse on "accountId", and then replace() with the "id" key which the Collaborators field probably wants.  Perhaps try this:

{
    "fields": {
        "Story point estimate": {{triggerIssue.Story point estimate}},
        "Collaborators": {{triggerIssue.Collaborators.asJsonObjectArray("accountId").replace("accountId", "id")}}
    }
}

Kind regards,
Bill

[Daniel Boling]

That worked!  Thank you, @Bill Sheboy for the fix and the additional explanation so that we can better understand the process.

[Nic Thiele]

For anyone else pulling their hair out with this failing when the object you're trying to copy is null I had to do a more complex comparison as isEmpty did not work for me (Jira Server?).

Additional fields:
{
    "fields": {
        "customfield_13421": {{#if(equals(triggerIssue.customfield_13421, null))}}null{{/}}{{triggerIssue.customfield_13421.asJsonObjectArray("id")}}
    }
}

[Pramodh M]

Hi @Daniel Boling 

Not Sure why this logic

You could follow just editing the cloned issue right there, why branching and all!!

Let me know if this works for you

Thanks

[Daniel Boling]

Thanks, @Pramodh M.  The branch was required for a previous iteration of the automation.  I removed the branch, as it is redundant for this test.

We are unable to select this, or any, custom field from the Choose fields to set... dropdown menu:

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I moved the JQL to the Clone Issue action and am getting the same result.