Finish-to-start dependency between 2 user stories

[Tammra Sheldon-Davis]

I am new to Jira Software and trying to setup a Finish-to-start dependency between 2 user stories and am not seeing how to accomplish this. 

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @Tammra Sheldon-Davis 

Welcome to the Atlassian community.

Are you using the Roadmap functionality?

What do you expect to happen if you are successful in setting up this dependency?

Using the Roadmap functionality you can create a finish-to-start relationship between issues. However, that does not necessarily cause any other action/event to occur automatically. Jira does not automatically change the start date of one issue based on the finish date of another.

[Tammra Sheldon-Davis]

Thank you!

I am using the Roadmap and by no means do I know all its functionality.

What I am trying to accomplish - while creating new stories for the backlog that are not currently being assigned to a sprint, is that one story (predecessor) has to be completed before the successor/dependent story can be started.  I am currently not interested in setting up a timeframe, but want to create the dependency while I am creating them and not have to make a manual note to remember this.  I did add a "link" but that doesn't tell me which one needs to be done first and see the Dependency dropdown, but I only see "Option 1" in the list and not sure what that means.

Thank you for your help!

[Trudy Claspill]

Can you show us a screen image that shows the link between the issues and what you see for the Dependency drop down?

[Tammra Sheldon-Davis]

Here is the screenshot 

[Trudy Claspill]

Thank you for that screen image.

What you are seeing as the Dependency field is a custom field that was added to your Jira system/project. That is not the field that is used to indicate a dependency between issues for the Roadmap function.

For the Roadmap function, a dependency between issues is indicated in the Linked Issues field, and it uses the blocks/is blocked by link relationship. Here is a link to more information:

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/manage-dependencies-between-epics-on-the-roadmap/

In this example, CK-5 is dependent on CK-15, because CK-5 "is blocked by" CK-15.

[Tammra Sheldon-Davis]

Thank you, I believe I have that figured out with Linkages.

How does the dependency work?

[Trudy Claspill]

I believe your "Dependency" field is a custom field specific to your environment. I don't know what it is for or how it works.

Are you working with a Company Managed project or a Team Managed project?

If you are working with a Company Managed project you can confirm it is a custom field by going to the Custom Fields screen (under Settings > Issues) and searching for the field. I have a Free Jira subscription and I don't see that field in my Custom fields.

[Tammra Sheldon-Davis]

It is a team managed and I did add the custom field, but I am not sure how it works.

[Trudy Claspill]

If you added it as a custom field then you define how it works.

You start by defining the type of custom field you are adding. It appears that you added it as a Drop Down field. You can learn more about the types of custom fields that can be added to a Team Managed project and what each type does here:

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/available-custom-fields-for-team-managed-projects/

If you want something to happen besides simply adding data to the field, then you have to implement the customizations needed to accomplish the additional functionality.

What did you want to do with that Dependency field?

[Tammra Sheldon-Davis]

I was trying to use it similar to the the Link Issue that we just discussed.  I will look at it again and see if it we need it.

Thank you for your help!

[Trudy Claspill]

In that case you would need to be able to pick Issues in that field. Currently Team Managed projects don't support a custom field that allows you to select an issue like the Linked Issues feature does.