custom issue edit/change field type

[Jadranka Perc]

How can I change field type for the custom field? We have Target environment type that is a single choice and we need multi values like checkboxes or select list with multiply choices. Do I need to create a new custom field or I can edit the current one?

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

You cannot change the field type for an existing field. You will have to create a new custom field.

[Jadranka Perc]

Thank you Trudy! really fast answer

[Nic Brough _Adaptavist_ · Accepted solution]

You cannot change field types.

On Server, there's a database hack you can use, but you don't have database access on Cloud.

Your only option is to create a new field, and then use bulk-edit to populate it for existing issues.

[Bryan Guffey]

Hey @Nic Brough _Adaptavist_ - what's the Server hack? Thanks!

[Nic Brough _Adaptavist_]

You can hack the database.  Each type of custom field is handled by a class in the java code, and if you look at the custom field header table, you'll find the system simply names the class it's going to use to handle the field as the "type"

If you're going to do that, you have to be aware that:

• There is significant downtime required
• The data in the source and target types must be compatible. 

You can't convert text to select, date to number, and you can't go multi-thing to single without some thought (a single select can be flipped to multi-select, but you can't flip multi to single unless you've checked and cut down any field that currently has more than one value selected).  Short text can go to long text, but not vice-versa.  You can get away with converting date/time to just date, but it will work very oddly unless you amend the data to blank out the time element.  And so-on.