How to make a custom field appear in the view-mode screen of an issue/bug?

[Sohail Ahmed]

I've successfully added a custom field called 'Reproducible?' for issues of type 'Bug'.

If I try to create a new issue or edit one, I'll see this new field, as I've associated it with the 'Default' and 'Resolve' screens.

However, I cannot get this field and its current value to show up anywhere in the simple view-mode browsing of an issue. How do I enable that?

[Jobin Kuruvilla [Adaptavist] · Accepted solution]

Is it available on the view screen associated with Bugs in that project?

[Jobin Kuruvilla [Adaptavist]]

The field will be visible on the screens only if it has some values. I would confirm 2 things:

1. Field has value on the issue you are viewing

2. You project uses 'Default Screen' for view issue operation. http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRA/Associating+a+Screen+with+an+Issue+Operation

[Sohail Ahmed]

That's exactly the issue I'm trying to solve - it is *not* visible on the view screen associated with Bugs in that project. If I can get it to be, than my problem is solved. It is visible on editing screens for bugs in my project.

I'm probably missing something basic, as I've been setting up JIRA for just a couple of hours now...

Here's a screen shot of screens it is configured with.

See: https://skitch.com/starbaseweb/83u2y/custom-fields-jira

[Sohail Ahmed]

Thanks Jobin. It was simply #1 that you mentioned. I thought it would display the default 'None' value if not specified, but it seems to be suppressed in view mode unless explicitly set from the default 'None' value.

I'm all set - you solved it!

[Ioannis OIKONOMOU]

Hello,

I'd like to ask the following:

In older versions of JIRA (for sure versions < 4) it was NOT possible to make a custom field appear in the view-mode screen of an issue, unless you adapted manually the velocity templates.

In recent versions of JIRA (at least version 5 that I tried) I see that this functionality is offered by default, provided of course, as you have indicated, that your custom field has some value on the issue you are viewing and that the project uses 'Default Screen' for view issue operation.

I'd like to know since when, i.e. which JIRA version exactly, is this functionality offered by default.

Can somebody help me with this? I already did a lot of Googling and also checked the release notes after version 4 but I haven't found anything so far.

Thank you,

Ioannis

[Renjith Pillai]

Is it 3.2 ? See release notes And also depends on the type of installation u have (Standard/Professional/Enterprise)

[Ioannis OIKONOMOU]

Thanks Renjith, but I don't think so.

Improvements for fields in JIRA 3.2 are about issue operation (e.g. Edit Issue) and workflow transition screens, NOT for "View Issue" screen.

Thanks,

Ioannis

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ioannis - that doesn't make sense to me. I started working with Jira when it was on version 3.0 (actually, 2.something, but the first job was an upgrade).

I am 100% certain custom fields appeared on issues view in 3.0, as long as they had data. There was less flexibility around configuration etc, but I never had to amend a .vm to get a field to appear.

I suspect I've misunderstood what you're posting, but I am absolutely 100% sure that "custom fields appear in the view-mode screen" without amending any .vm files in all versions of Jira since 3.0

[Ola Przydryga]

Is there a way to make a custom field visible (on a View Screen) if there's no data in it?

[Daniel Siegel]

Good question, any idea?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It doesn't happen, that's how Atlassian designed it.

[Edward Russell]

As Ola asked above, has anyone figured out a way to make a custom field visible (on a View Screen) if there's no data in it? This is so stupid. I created my own CC list and if there is no value, you must go to edit issue and add someone. After that, it shows up on the view issues screen AND you can edit the field (in my case, add more CC users) right on the view issue screen. Why can't I do that from the start?

[Claudio Acciani]

I have the same problem. Did you find a solution for your problem?

[JS Neveu]

Did you ever find out how to do this?

[Matthew Morrison]

Same problem here. Even if I have a default value it doesn't appear.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

This is by design - empty fields do not appear on the issue view. You need to do a full edit on the issue to add data to it. I'm not saying it's well thought out. In older versions of Jira, before quick inline edits were implemented, it was a really good way of keeping the screens ess cluttered and fussy. I still like the simplification principle, but I would prefer to see something to say "by the way, there are more fields here that have no data", so that at least the users would know they need to click edit. Ideally something to click so that you can show them in place would be better than a simple note to click edit.

[Michael Prewitt]

Is there any way to change this ? I would really like to have the view screen showing all of the custom fields I set up.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

As before - it's by design, it's not an option, and it hasn't changed.

[Ed Russell]

Yeah, Nic, we got that. What everyone on this page has been asking for years is if Atlasssian would PLEASE change it.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

The request has been raised several times, and shut down in much the same way - because of the potential complexity of a screen full of empty fields + the complexity of a JIRA view screen, they hide and simplify as much as possible. This year's Summit had an underlying thread of making views (across all the products) more simple and less fussy too. So I think the answer is going to be "no" for the foreseeable future.

[Michael Prewitt]

Giving your customers what they want is another option. Are you building the views for yourself or for the customer? You have the capability to make the view screen so that the customer can tailor it to their needs . Why not allow the customer to decide what they want their view screen to look like without forcing the end user to go into a separate edit screen to enter information? This software gets used in ways you haven't even imagined . In my organization we use this system as a maintenance work order system. Having the custom fields on the view screen makes it immensely easier to use. While you are at it make the recurring task add on easier to use with a way to enter intervals other than cron expressions.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

This is something you need to take up with Atlassian, not me. I'm just pointing out what I've seen from them on the subject. I personally prefer more simple screens, so I'm generally on their side, but I'd like a tweak to enable empty fields so I can get to them with in-line edit (which is another thing a number of people here have railed against but is not going away)

[Rowan Page]

An optional override to display empty custom fields on the view screen would be ideal

[aasha kathamuthu]

Hi Team,

We have a field name called description which is showing in create,edit and view screen, we wants to disable the field name in create screen and enable it in view and edit screen is it possible?

[Deleted user]

Use a workflow transition to populate the field with a default value...

[Robert Cronk]

It could be as simple as adding a "Show when empty" checkbox next to the field so you could keep all of the empty fields off the screen except for those that the user wants to show in order to facilitate in-line editing.  In our case, we want the Sprint field to show when it's empty so we can suck a ticket into a sprint (in line) while viewing it without having to edit the ticket first.

The false dichotomy of showing all or none of the empty fields is disappointing to behold.

[Cindy Chiang]

Does anyone know if this issue is being actively addressed from Atlassian? It seems like poor user assessment an admin would select specific fields that need to be filled out but not have them show up in default view. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

No, there's no issue in their view, it's working as intended.  Has been that way since Jira 2.

[Chris Annal]

Believe it or not, I thought my custom field of type "User-Picker" wasn't showing up on the View Screen. It was placed near some other custom fields that I had grouped together and assumed it would appear on the View Screen in the same place. However, User-Picker type custom fields appear under the People section of the View issue screen. (Where other "People" like "Assignee", "Reporter", "Watchers", etc appear). 

If your custom field is a User-Picker it only shows up under People area of the view screen when it is populated.

[Ramakrishna d]

Hi ,

I have a requirement like below.

I need to copy custom fields from related story and bug upon creation of new subtask using validation at the stage of "done"

As well as need to display custom field values on the view issue screen upon creation new sub task.

1.If i select 'a' it will display related custom field including their values in the created new subtask view issue screen.

So basically i am taking example to explain clearly;

The custom fields are follows:

1.A (Select list multiple choice)

Values are follow

a

b 

c

d

Related custom fields are:

aa(Select list multiple choice)

(values are

i

ii

iii)

bb(Select list multiple choice)

cc(Select list multiple choice)

dd(Select list multiple choice)

What i done :

1.Added all fields to related view issue screen and edit issue screen for subtask issue type

i need to display , if i select "a"  to display related custom field("aa") with value "i ii" in newly created subtask.

This is working fine for story and bug, but  not getting values in created subtask. 

Any one please help on this , if i am missing anything?

Thanks in advance.

[Aaron Cooke]

I have the same issue.  It's silly that with all the options JIRA has that this isn't one.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I sort of agree, I like @Robert Cronk 's suggestion of having a "show when empty" flag for each field, but my "keep it simple" instinct wants to rename it as "throw even more irrelevant wording that people shouldn't have to think about on screen, making an already busy screen worse".

I think there's a better option - put something on the view screen saying "there are empty fields"  Maybe mentioning the first x names of them if there is space.  A click on that message should go to the edit screen.

[Xavier Burais]

@Nic Brough -Adaptavist- : Hi Nic, I've a question for you. I've noticed a strange behaviour: I've added a tab on a issue view screen whith several fields, and if only one custom field have a value (numeric field), it is displayed whith the other fields in "informations" area, not in his tab. 

But if there is one more field af this tab whith a value, the tab is dispayed and the two fields are in there.

Why? Is it possible to always display this numeric field in his tab even once it has a value, even if it is the only field to display in this tab?

[Xavier Burais]

In fact, it's not exactly that.

When you have several tabs on an issue screen, tab's field are displayed in this tab only if previous tabs are displayed (and a tab is displayed if at least one of its fields is filled).

I notice this behaviour with Jira server 7.2.8.