Bug description template in JIRA

[Deleted user]

To make sure Customer Support does not forget essential info during bugreporting, we have a bugreport template working well in all systems ... except JIRA. It contains the following:

• Where were you and what happened?
• Which operation system?
• Which browser version?
• Which system?
• What is the link of the support issue?

I tried to add them as custom fields and replace the default "Description" field, but all custom fields appear on the right, shallow part of all "View" screens. The developers, specially on laptops can not read properly the data listed there. At the same time the left, wide side of all views is empty, as "Attachments", "Subtasks" and "Comments/Activity" do not use it up.

Can it be changed which side the custom fields appear?

Alternatively can I add a template text to the default "Description" field in JIRA?

Any other suggestions to make the data visible and/or give a guideline to the reporter? 

And no paying options please. I hardly managed to buy JIRA and so far it seems not providing the most basic bugreporting feature since 1996.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm afraid this is the wrong approach.  You should be recording operating system, browser, link, etc as separate fields, otherwise they're useless for reporting. 

You really don't want defaults in a description field - you will end up with between 20% and 99% of your description fields containing the default and nothing else (20 years of default text fields, trust me, people will mess it up)

[Anna Széles]

Exactly this is why I added them from day 1 as separate custom fields. The problem is, that custom fields are hardly visible for anyone reading the ticket as custom fields are on the right, shallow side wrapped to a few centimeters, when the left side of the screen is technically empty. These details should be in the middle of the attention in a bugreport, not hidden on the side (where scrolling is invisible unless you hover over).

So I would prefer finding a solution for the layout than default text in the description. Do you have any advice on that?

[Anna Széles]

Thank you for your replies. Based on them I asked the question again with printscreens here: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-questions/Why-are-custom-fields-on-the-right-side-of-the-view-sceen/qaq-p/917221#M294127

[Dave Theodore [Coyote Creek Consulting]]

While I agree with @Nic Brough -Adaptavist-, I can appreciate the desire for this functionality.  As Nic eluded to, you should use some careful thought before going this route.  One of the things people really like about Jira is that it has a wide range of custom fields. By using custom fields, you can search really easily and not be at the mercy of ineffective text searching.

A simple example is English.  Your UK, AUS, SA, etc counterparts spell colour with a "u," while we here in the colonies spell it color with no "u." I've certainly been guilty of spelling errors, so it's reasonable to expect that others will too.  In short, text searching is not a scalable method for reporting.  It would be far better to create a Select List custom field for "OS" and have your options be static values that users select from a list, for example. Your searching will be far more reliable this way.

Having said that, you will either need to use a 3rd party App to add default text or a bit of javascript, but it's not hard to do either way.

[Anna Széles]

For me it doesn't matter is it a Select list or freehand, the result, the filled custom field is hardly visible in JIRA on the right of all views. Default description filed is on the left, in the middle of the attention, why custom "description (=these fields)" can be only on the right side?