Jira Cloud for Excel - copied Excel files linked somehow - changing JQL in one file changes both

[rogier.schouten]

1. Create excel file with jira cloud for excel plugin;  give it a JQL query 
2. Save excel in Sharepoint
3. Copy the excel in Sharepoint
4. Open the second excel file, Edit the JQL query, Save
5. Open the first excel file - JQL query has changed??

How do I break the link between these files, so that I can have a different query in both?

[Robert Manthey]

I believe that I have detected the same problem.

It seems the JQL query is stored in some external resource outside the Excel spreadsheet file (my technical intuition).

I have one spreadsheet with a JQL query.  I copy that in File Explorer to a new named copy.  Open that new file.  Change the JQL query to get different data.  Close that new file.  Open the original untouched file.  Look at the JQL query.  Surprise! It is now the same as the query in the new modified file!  Change it there in the old file back to the old value. Save and close the old file.  Open the new file.  Surprise!  The JQL query in the new file is set back to the old JQL query!

Initially I saw this kind of behavior inside one spreadsheet, between two tabs attempting to have their own JQL queries and I thought "ok, only one JQL query per spreadsheet file", but this sharing the one JQL query across all spreadsheets on my OS?  That's really very limiting.

I also think that I saw this "shared" behavior with the "Fields" settings, but I haven't performed a controlled test as I did with JQL Query.

[Robert Manthey]

And I think that this gives a clue to this behavior, apparently this is a known behavior - if you copy spreadsheets there is a link between the two excel spreadsheets under the covers in the Jira Cloud data link.  They are saying here to only use "Create New" if you want to use Jira Cloud for Excel, otherwise the data link definition is shared between the cloned spreadsheets (menu "Save As" or explorer File Copy").

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-articles/The-add-in-you-ve-been-waiting-for-Jira-Cloud-for-Excel/bc-p/1595549#M3844

So apparently the Jira Cloud for Excel query definition (and probably the fields definition) is not stored inside the Excel sheet, but in some external OS/Cloud resource, and it gets carried over and shared when you copy a spreadsheet.

Possibly tabs inside a spreadsheet are equally affected, as I recall similar odd behavior, but I haven't tested that.

[Robert Manthey]

(I had another reply here, but it seems to have disappeared.)

This reply indicates that there is a known behavior of this order.
https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-articles/The-add-in-you-ve-been-waiting-for-Jira-Cloud-for-Excel/bc-p/1595549#M3844

You have to use "Create New" to start a new JQL query definition, if you use "Save as" or copy the file, the JQL query is shared between Spreadsheets.

[Robert Manthey]

Ugh. This is a disaster.  Creating a new sheet, adding a new Jira Cloud tab, then copying the non-Jira-Cloud analysis sheets from the old spreadsheet leaves the formulae in the new sheet pointing to the old spreadsheet and MS is bitterly resisting any attempts to repoint those formulae at the local tabs in the new sheet.  :(
It would be sooo much better if you could just copy the spreadsheet file (or Save As a new name) and then repoint the JQL query (and Fields) at the new desired data set and have that stay with the new spreadsheet and leave the JQL query alone in the old spreadsheet.  This is really quite suffocating being unable to "copy" a spreadsheet and have the Jira Cloud link copy and become independent of the old spreadsheet.

[Riley Venable]

It seems that the files are linked and changes made to one file may affect the other. To break the link between the files, you can try copying the data from the first file and pasting it as values in a new worksheet or file. This will remove any formulas or links that may be causing the issue. Then, you can apply a different JQL query to each file without affecting the other. Additionally, you can also try to unlink the data in Excel by using the "Break Link" feature. Go to the "Data" tab, click on "Edit Links", select the link you want to break, and click on "Break Link".

[rogier.schouten]

Thank you for your answer.  The "Break  Link" functionality is not the solution yet, I'm afraid. I broke all links as you indicated, but still have the same behavior.  

Copypasting all data, macros and charts would be a lot of work. I'm thinking this is a bug in the plugin.