Don't allow choosing closed epics

[Arkaitz Bastida]

Is there any way to prevent assigning a closed epic when editing an issue?

I know there is an option to show/hide closed epics, but users has the choice to select them. Is there no way to deny this option?

Thanks

[Pete Singleton]

The JMWE addon (Jira Misc Workflow Extensions) allows you to add a workflow validator which will do this, called "Linked Issues Status Validator".  They will still be able to select a closed Epic, however when they try to create the issue it will error saying the Epic is closed, and they will have to choose another.

Add-on is here: https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/292/jira-misc-workflow-extensions

[Arkaitz Bastida]

Thanks @Pete Singleton, I'm gonna try this add-on.

[Arkaitz Bastida]

I have used the following SQL in Condition ScriptRunner condition when closing the issue:

issueFunction in issuesInEpics("'Epic Status' = 'In progress' OR 'Epic Link' is EMPTY")

And finally it worked!

[Aisha M]

@Arkaitz Bastida Hello. I am looking for a solution to the same problem. Can you please help me with the steps of how you added this condition. Simply adding this line to a Scriptrunner Condition shows error :( Thank you

[Arkaitz Bastida]

The steps I followed were:

1) Add a condition

2) Script Condition [ScriptRunner]

3) Allows the transition if this query matches a JQL query

4) Add the following query: issueFunction in issuesInEpics("'Epic Status' = 'In progress' OR 'Epic Link' is EMPTY")

And it worked for me :)

[Aisha M]

@Arkaitz Bastida 

Thank you for replying back :)

But this condition is not letting me move the epic to DONE. My requirement was to not allow adding new issues to an already closed epic :( Could you please help me out here. Thank you 

[David W.]

Hello @Aisha M ,

Epics have two different statuses, the normal workflow status and the Epic status.

To prevent Epics from appearing in the Epic list when creating or editing an issue, you have to set the Epic status to Done.

In the following screenshot you can see how to do that.

Please not that this does not completely prevent users from association issues with closed Epics. The Epic list in the issue edit view just hides closed Epics by default, but there is a checkbox inside that list that lets you see and associate closed Epics as well. However, I think hiding by default is enough in most cases, hopefully in your case as well :).

Kind regards,
David

[David W.]

Hello @Aisha M ,

sorry, I just realized that you probably already knew about the possiblity to hide closed Epics.

However, for people like me who didn't know there was a difference between Epic status and normal workflow status of an Epic this is a helpful info, so I am leaving it here.

@Pete Singletonand @Arkaitz Bastida : One remark regarding the solutions including validations/conditions on workflow transitions. I am not really sure whether those are really a solution to the problem. You could always just associate an already existing issue to an Epic. In this case no workflow transition is executed. Hence, no validation/condition is executed and can help prevent adding an issue to a closed Epic. Or am I missing something?

Kind regards,
David

[Arkaitz Bastida]

Hi @David Waldhans

I would prefer not to be able to select closed epics, but that's not possible in Jira (at least, nobody has told me how to do it). With validations/conditions you don't avoid selecting them, but you avoid changing the workflow, so that you won't add worked hours to closed epics and change epic's statistics that were closed.

It's not perfect, but it works for me :)

Arkaitz

[David W.]

Hi @Arkaitz Bastida ,

I understand, thanks for the clarification :)

Best,
David

[Luca Calderone]

Hi @Arkaitz Bastidaand team, 

Please find below a solution applicable to Cloud Jira (Premium or Enterprise, as long as you got access to Automations) which doesn't rely on third party add-ons (e.g. JSU, JMWE or Scriptrunner).

1. Create a custom number field (e.g. EpicClosure or FeatureClosure)

2. Add a "Value Field" Condition to the Done/Cancelled Epic Workflow transition to allow closing only if the EpicClosure is 1).

3. Create an automation rule to set EpicClosure to 1 when all the Stories which link up to the Epic are Done/Cancelled.

(When: Issue Transitioned - For Epic (parent) - if: Stories match Status in (Done, Cancelled) - then: Edit issue fields EpicClosure to 1).

4: Create a second automation rule to set EpicClosure to 0 when Stories aren't all in Done or Cancelled.

(When: Issue Transitioned - For Epic (parent) - if: Stories match Status not in (Done, Cancelled) - then: Edit issue fields EpicClosure to 0).

Hope this helps and have a good one.

Luca Calderone 

Jira Admin

[Andrés Guerrero]

Hi @Luca Calderone  I'm not sure if this provides a solution to the problem. As far as I can see, it only keeps a numeric field in the epics to know if they are closed or not, but you can still assign tasks to previously closed epics. Am I correct?

[Ollie Guan]

Hi @Arkaitz Bastida,

Could you disable editing to closed Issue on Workflow properties?

https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver073/workflow-properties-861253674.html

[Arkaitz Bastida]

Thanks @Ollie Guan,

The thing is that the issues are open; some epics are closed. So I don't want to show them in the "epic link" list, not to allow the user to add new issues to epics that have been closed.

[David W.]

Hello @Ollie Guan ,

unfortunately, setting the jira.issue.editable to false for the Epic's Done status does not prevent you from associating issues with closed Epics.

Kind regards,
David