Why creating a field mandatory in a screen is affecting other screens.

[Avik Mukherjee]

I have created a new field and attached it to a screen. I also made the field mandatory for the screen it is associated with. It works perfectly for that screen. 

However, as I have made the field as mandatory, it is affecting many other screens where the field is not present. 

Can anyone help me in solving the issue. 

[KAGITHALA BABU ANVESH]

Hello @Avik Mukherjee ,

Can you please check with the custom field context.

1. Go to settings --> issues --> custom fields --> enter the field name --> go to contexts.

Enable it only for required issuetypes and projects only.

2. Check the field is used on any other screens for other issues.

3. Check the field configuration scheme, if the change is applied to a shared field configuration, and is used for other issuetypes. for other issue types also it will be shown as mandatory while you creating/editing the ticket.

Thanks,

Kagithala Babu Anvesh 

[Avik Mukherjee]

Thanks a lot Kagithala for your quick response. 

When tried to dig into it I found the field is getting mandatory only if I make it mandatory in the Default Field Configuration. 

When I am doing that it is affecting many screens. How I can remove the field from Default Field Configuration which is shared with other projects. 

Thanks,

Avik Mukherjee 

[KAGITHALA BABU ANVESH]

Hi you can go to --> issues --> field configurations --> default field configuration --> now make the field is optional in default field configuration.

Steps for new

1.  Settings --> issues --> Field Configuration Schemes --> Add field configuration scheme  from right side top user.

2. Create new field configuration --> Settings --> issues --> field configurations -->  Add field configuration

3. Make the required field mandatory in step "2"

4. Now go to "1", newly created Field configuration scheme and add step 2 with issue type. 

5. Assign "1" to Jira Project.

Please follow the above and let me know if any difficulties.

Thanks

[Avik Mukherjee]

If I am following 

issues --> field configurations --> default field configuration --> now make the field is optional in default field configuration

It affects other projects as well. even though the field or screen is not used for them. In the default field configuration, it is showing shared with 46 other projects. So, I am getting worried if I am making a field mandatory where it will affect. I had done it once, but may people in the organization is saying they cant create the new issues, as it is asking to fill-in some field which are not even in their screens. 

Thanks,

Avik

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, there's an assumption you've been making here that is wrong.

There is no way of making a field mandatory in a screen in Jira.

The field configuration where you are setting the mandatory flag has no connection to a screen.  If you make a field mandatory with a field configuration, then it is mandatory for all actions (create, edit and transition).  Mandatory means "must not be left blank", not "must be entered when you do something"

What you need to do here is

• Rethink where you are making a field mandatory, given that mandatory means "the issue cannot have this field blank on any create, edit or transition action"
• Separate out field configurations - you can set up many of them, and associate each one with individual project and issue types.  (So you can do stuff like "field X mandatory in project X for Bug issue types, but optional for Features in X, but mandatory for all issue types in project Y")
• If you do need to have fields that become mandatory later in the life-cycle of an issue (imagine an incident for example - your "root cause" field can't be filled in until you've investigated the problem, but you don't want to close the issue without it being filled), then you should make the field optional, and use a workflow validator to force people to enter it when they go through certain transitions