Why updating an existing issue from CSV clears the issue's field 'Epic'?

vl2 February 3, 2024

Hi,

Trying to update an existing issue from CSV, I've got unexpected result - the issue's field 'Epic' is cleared.

Steps to reproduce:
1 Create issue.
2 Add Epic to the issue.
3 Update the issue's field 'Summary' from CSV mapping Issue Key.
4 Now the field 'Summary' is updated, but the issue's field 'Epic' is cleared.

Environment: Team-managed project.

Plan: free

The expected results: the issue's field 'Epic' must keep its value in case of updating the issue from CSV mapping Issue Key.

What steps must be performed in order to update the issue from CSV without losing 'Epic' field?

3 answers

2 votes
Andy Heinzer
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
February 5, 2024

Hi @vl2 

Sorry to hear about this problem.  This is a known bug that affects team-managed projects and the external system importer.  We are tracking this bug over in JRACLOUD-81933.  While you could also map the parent field as a means to work around this problem, that bug ticket also has an alternative approach of using automation to look for and correct this behavior. 

I hope that helps.

Andy

vl2 February 7, 2024

Hi Andy,

does this bug impact a restore operation from Jira backup as well? 

Andy Heinzer
Atlassian Team
Atlassian Team members are employees working across the company in a wide variety of roles.
February 7, 2024

Not as far as I am aware.   If you have an XML data backup of your Jira site, that uses a completely different means of restoring data than the CSV external system import.

0 votes
John Funk
Community Leader
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February 3, 2024

Hi @vl2  - Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

You should be using the Parent field now and not “Epic”.

If you look at the history of the issue who does it say is clearing the field?

vl2 February 5, 2024

Thank you John for reply!

 

As you can see, the CSV file is very simple, containing just two columns, and the field Parent is not in use: 

Issue Key,Summary

PRJ-10,sometextTASK10

 

Looking at the history of the issue I see that during update of issue PRJ-10 from CSV file Parent 12261 changed to None. But Why?

 

Activity
Newest first

vl2
changed the Parent 21 minutes ago
HISTORY
12261 > None


vl2
updated the Summary 21 minutes ago
HISTORY
Task 10 > sometextTASK10

vl2
changed the Parent 25 minutes ago
HISTORY
None > 12261

vl2
created the Issue 25 minutes ago
HISTORY

 

John Funk
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
February 5, 2024

I don't know - maybe that's what happens when you update Sub-tasks by CSV. I would add a column for parent and put in the existing value to be sure. 

vl2 February 5, 2024

It seems you are right about what happens when update by CSV. It's impossible just to add parent column, since in this case importer asks for additional columns in CSV:

You have to define which CSV column maps to Issue Id if you want to import parents.
You have to define which CSV column maps to Issue Type if you want to import parents.

 

After adding asked columns Issue Id and Issue Type importer just reports error:

Unable to retrieve issue key for parent : 12261

 

Could you, please, inform how to report that there is a bug in Jira updater by CSV?

Like John Funk likes this
John Funk
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
February 5, 2024
John Funk
Community Leader
Community Leader
Community Leaders are connectors, ambassadors, and mentors. On the online community, they serve as thought leaders, product experts, and moderators.
February 5, 2024

For Free plan, I will see if someone can come help you. 

0 votes
Nic Brough -Adaptavist-
Rising Star
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February 3, 2024

Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

There are two ways to do this - either your CSV has an Epic link or parent field that you have mapped to the link, and then left blank in the CSV, or you have an automation or listener that is blanking it out on the "edit" event.

vl2 February 3, 2024

Thank you Nic for fast reply!

The CSV file is very simple, containing just two columns: 

Issue Key,Summary

PRJ-10,sometext

It doesn't seem that Epic field may be erased from CSV.

And I don't have any automation on site: "No rules set up yet". As well no any global rules.

May is it a bug that Epic field is lost after updating from CSV?

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-
Rising Star
Rising Star
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February 5, 2024

I think it probably is a bug, given your file structure!

vl2 February 5, 2024

May I report this bug in Free plan?

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