What trigger the calculated field calculation / how it can be integrated with automation plugins

[Léo Dellouve]

Hi,

We would like to have an automated "calculated priority" calculated using JIRA Misc Custom field at issue creation.

We want to use this calculated priority to be used to set some of the fields of the issues (for example the standard priority, target date,...) using an automation plugin.

To pipeline/order the processes, we would like to know

* what trigger the "calculated priority" calculation (issue created JIRA postfunction? Another postfunction?)

* if you know some tricks what can be used to pipeline the jobs (if the calculated customfield raise an event, or if this is possible to set a properties / field of the JIRA issue)

Thanks you,

[David _old account_ · Accepted solution]

Calculated custom fields created by JMCF are updated when the issue is reindexed, which happens when the issue is modified or transitioned. 

However, you will also get a newly calculated value when you access the field using a JMWE (JIRA Misc Workflow Extensions) post function. So you could use JMWE post-functions on your create transition to do the other changes required (using Groovy scripts as value or condition). You might just have to push the post-functions down the list of you get errors. 

To access the Calculated field from a Groovy script, use issue.get(field name). 

David

[Léo Dellouve]

Alright, thanks for explanation,

"JMCF are updated when the issue is reindexed, which happens when the issue is modified or transitioned"

"So you could use JMWE post-functions on your create transition to do the other changes required"

We tried with JIRA Suite Utilities postfunction. It works in Workflow transition, but not for issue creation (even when this is the last postfunction = after reindexation.

Have you already tested if this work with JMWE at issue creation? (it seems to be the same functionnality, but maybe not the same implementation..)

[David Fischer]

Unfortunately, you are right. Recent versions of JIRA caches an invalid null value for all calculated fields during issue creation, instead of waiting for the field to be accessed to calculate its value. This actually has nothing to do with the index (which is only used for searches and the tabular search results view).

There are two possible workarounds:

1. you use the same formula in the Set Field Value post-function's Groovy value or condition code as you use in your calculated field (instead of accessing the calculated field)
2. you reload the issue in the Set Field Value post-function's Groovy value or condition code before accessing its calculated field:

import com.atlassian.jira.component.ComponentAccessor
import com.atlassian.jira.issue.Issue

Issue myIssue = ComponentAccessor.getIssueManager().getIssue(issue.id)

if (myIssue.get("my calculated field") == [...]

The second solution requires that the Set Field Value post-function be placed at the bottom of the list.

[Sergio Freire - Xblend]

Hi @David _old account_ , 

can you please clarify something?

Here you mention that the calculation occurs " when the issue is reindexed, which happens when the issue is modified or transitioned". But in another post (https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-questions/Can-other-field-values-be-changed-when-the-calculation-occur/qaq-p/431990) you mention that the calculation occurs whenever the "view issue screen" is displayed.

Can you please clarify exactly in which situations the calculated field will be refreshed/calculated?

Thank you :)

[David Fischer]

Hi @Sergio Freire - Xblend ,

calculation occurs when:

• the issue is displayed (issue view)
• the issue is modified (edit / inline edit)
• the issue is transitioned

but the index is not updated when the issue is simply displayed.

[Sergio Freire - Xblend]

Thanks @David Fischer . However I've noticed that the calculation is also made in the Issue Search page, right?

[David Fischer]

If you are showing the results in the "Detail View", then yes because it is equivalent to viewing the issue.

[Sergio Freire - Xblend]

No, actually I'm using the standard Issue search page without the details; I'm using the List View mode... and it still calculates it :)

[David Fischer]

Are you using JMCF 2.x, and are you an admin of your Jira instance? In that case, it will indeed recalculate the value for each issue on the result page (so that errors, if any, can be displayed). But note that the search itself will still use the (old) index.

[Marta Lopez Reyes _UOC_]

I can't find at the list of fields the calculated fields at automation for Jira? why?

[Léo Dellouve]

See: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/JIRA-questions/Can-other-field-values-be-changed-when-the-calculation-occur/qaq-p/431990

First of all, calculation only occurs when a "view issue" screen is displayed - never during a transition. [...]

Then, calculation occurs during indexing - at which time you cannot modify an issue.