Sharing Issue with Field Configurations and Field Configuration Schemes

[Christopher Rickard]

I am having an issue with Field Configurations and Field Configuration Schemes.  I have three projects and two field configurations (let's call them Standard Field Configuration and Custom Field Configuration) and one field configuration schemes (Custom Scheme).  Each project uses only 1 field configuration (as indicated on the Fields page). 

Each project indicates the Field Configuration in use with a DEFAULT block following similar to this:

• Standard Field Configuration DEFAULT SHARED BY 2 PROJECTS       pencil icon
• Custom Field Configuration DEFAULT                                                  pencil icon

This is consistent with my settings.  Projects A and B share the Standard Field Configuration (as indicated on the Project Settings -> Fields page) and the System Default Field Configuration. 

Project C uses the Custom Field Configuration and the Custom Field Configuration Scheme.

When I click on the edit pencil icon on the Fields page described above, I am taken to the ISSUES --> View Field Configuration page.  These pages lists every field and any associated screen assignments.  This works for both Field Configuration pages.  The Issues page associated with Standard navigated to the View Field Configuration page that displays SHARED BY 2 PROJECTS and displays the following text:

The table below shows all fields configured in Jira and their properties for Standard Field Configuration.

The Issues page associated with Custom navigated to the View Field Configuration page that displays SHARED BY 1 PROJECT and displays the following text:

The table below shows all fields configured in Jira and their properties for Custom Field Configuration.

Now for the weird part: both View Field Configuration pages modify the same Field Configurations.  If I modify a field and remove or add a screen, the change rolls through all three projects.  For example, if I use the Screens link to remove the "Assignee" field from the Custom Field Configuration, it is removed from all three projects instead of Project C.  I can also do the opposite and try adding the Assignee field back to the Standard Field Configuration and it adds it back to all three projects not just A and B.

Can anyone please tell me what I am doing wrong?

[Christopher Rickard]

The answer to my original question of "what I am doing wrong" is, well, nothing.  This UX was confusing to me.

Here is the navigation path for convenience:

Select Jira icon --> Jira settings --> Issues --> Field configurations --> Click the Configure on Field Configuration Scheme for a given scheme --> Make a field Required or Add/Remove Screen

It appears that the good folks at Atlassian just decided to share the View Field Configuration screen across all projects.    

The Shared by 1 Project/x Projects under the View Field Configuration title on the page makes also causes confusion since just you navigated to this page via a project related field configuration and the View Field Configuration screen.

Bottom line: changes to the View Field Configuration page are shared or reflected across all projects.  True for Screens and making Required fields.

[Ganesh Babu]

A screen is a list of fields that will appear when the screen is called by something (transition, create, edit or view issue).  A field configuration defines behaviour of every field for an issue type.  It has nothing to do with the screens.

As far of my understanding on your question is that you have two different field configuration schemes which have been assigned to projects? If that is the case i think the screen scheme which you have used may be the same for all the projects. Try to create a different screen and associate that with the screen scheme and to your project. 

Screens can be created for issue type operations such as edit, view and create screens , even for a workflow transition a screen is created.

A field configuration defines all the behaviour of all the fields.  This is completely abstract, it has no links to anywhere, it's just a list.  A field configuration scheme tells JIRA what field configuration to use for each issue type (for example, config 1 for Bugs, Features and Insects, config 2 for Improvements, config 5 for stories and requests, and so-on).  Once you have a field configuration scheme you apply that to a project and all the issues within that project will start using the defined field configurations for their type.

[Christopher Rickard]

Thanks Ganesh - I still don't understand some things.  May I ask some additional questions?  You stated:

It has nothing to do with the screens.

I accept what you are saying at face value, but I still don't understand.  If a field configuration has nothing to do with screens, then why do you modify the associated screens when you edit the Field Configuration? 

Also, why does adding/removing a screen from one View Field Configuration page cause reflect that change for the other Field Configuration screens?

Finally, you stated:

you have two different field configuration schemes which have been assigned to projects? If that is the case i think the screen scheme which you have used may be the same for all the projects.

I have separate screen schemes for each project.  What else can I look at?

[Ganesh Babu]

Hi @Christopher Rickard 

For more understanding may be this link might help.

A screen scheme tells JIRA what screens a field will appear on for a particular issue type.

A field configuration tells JIRA some configuration details about the field when it is applied to an issue type - mandatory, type of input, and also if it is hidden.

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-questions/field-configuration-or-screen-configuration-help-please/qaq-p/587218

Might this help you...!!1

[Samuel Valdez]

@Christopher Rickard, this just happened to me.  Were you ever able to understand why this happened in your case?

I do not think that @Ganesh Babu understood your inquiry in the first place.  I was under the impression that field configurations were insulated from each other but that is not what I experienced.  Removing screens for one field in field configuration #1 resulted in those screens also being removed for that same field in all of the other field configurations!  I just filed a support ticket with Atlassian.

I would appreciate any insights that you might have to share, so thank you in advance.