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Jira Workflow Toolbox provides a set of special fields called Virtual Fields, making accessible the most interesting properties of issues, projects and users to every feature in the plugin. Virtual fields may be read and written by the plugin the same way ordinary custom fields are.
Writable virtual fields
When a value is written into these fields, a feature or system field of the issue the field belongs to will be modified. These fields are also readable.
| Field Name | Effect of Writing | Allowed String Values | Allowed Numeric Values | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | Sets issue Summary | text string trimmed to 255 characters | numbers are cast to string | - |
| Description | Sets issue Description | unlimited text string | numbers are cast to string | - |
| Assignee | Assigns the issue to a user | user name (not user's full name) or name of project role. You can also use string unassigned to make the issue become unassigned. | n/a | |
| Reporter | Updates issue Reporter to a different user | user name (not user's full name) or name of project role | n/a | - |
| Due date | Sets issue's system field Due Date | date-time in format defined at jira.date.time.picker.java.format, or as in JQL (yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm, yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm, yyyy/MM/dd, yyyy-MM-dd, or relative to current time using "w" (weeks), "d" (days), "h" (hours) or "m" (minutes) | number of minutes relative to current time. | 2014-03-25 : date example2015-01-31 14:35 : date with time example- 4d 1h : 4 days and 1 hour before current time.2w, 3d, 4h, 5m : 2 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours and 5 minutes after current time. |
| Priority | Updates the issue Priority | name of a Priority (e.g., Blocker, Critical, Major,...) | (0 = highest priority, 1 = second highest,... n = lowest | |
| Original estimate (minutes) | Sets original estimate | cast from string to number will be attempted | number of minutes | 30 : sets Original estimate to 30 minutes.Original estimate (minutes) can be increased or decreased using post-function Mathematical and date-time expression calculator with formulas like: {00024} + 60 for increasing remaining estimate in 1 hour, or {00024} - {10000} for decreasing remaining estimate by the amount of minutes stored in custom field with code {10000}. |
| Remaining estimate (minutes) | Sets remaining estimate | cast from string to number will be attempted | number of minutes | 30 : sets Remaining estimate to 30 minutes.Remaining estimate (minutes) can be increased or decreased using post-function Mathematical and date-time expression calculator with formulas like: {00024} + 60 for increasing remaining estimate in 1 hour, or {00024} - {10000} for decreasing remaining estimate by the amount of minutes stored in custom field with code {10000}. |
| Total time spent (minutes) | Sets time spent. | cast from string to number will be attempted | number of minutes | 30 : sets Time spent to 30 minutes.Total time spent (minutes) can be increased or decreased using post-function Mathematical and date-time expression calculator with formulas like: {00024} + 60 for increasing remaining estimate in 1 hour, or {00024} - {10000} for decreasing remaining estimate by the a mount of minutes stored in custom field with code {10000}. |
| Add to time spent (minutes) (since version 2.1.20) | Adds a number of minutes to current value of field "Total time spent (minutes)" | cast from string to number will be attempted | number of minutes | 60 : increases time spent in 1 hour.- {10000} : decreases time spent by the amount of minutes stored in custom field with code {10000}. |
| Components | Sets issue Components | Comma separated list of component names. Prefixes + and - can be used to add or remove (check or uncheck) single values or set of values. | n/a | + Web Site, User Management : adds the components Web Site and User Management to current issue, provided they exist in the project.- Library A, Component B : removes the components Library A and Component B from current issue, provided they exist in the project. |
| Fixed versions | Sets Fixed versions | Comma separated list of version names. Prefixes + and - can be used to add or remove (check or uncheck) single values or set of values. | numbers are cast to string | + 1.0, 1.1 : adds versions 1.0 and 1.1 to field Fixed versions.- 2.0, 2.2 : removes versions 2.0 and 2.2 from field Fixed versions. |
| Affected versions | Sets Affected versions | Comma separated list of version names. Prefixes + and - can be used to add or remove (check or uncheck) single values or set of values. | numbers are cast to string | + 1.0, 1.1 : adds versions 1.0 and 1.1 to field Affected versions.- 2.0, 2.2 : removes versions 2.0 and 2.2 from field Affected versions. |
| Environment | Sets issue Environment | unlimited text string | numbers are cast to string | - |
| Issue status | Will make the issue progress through the workflow to the written status, provided there is transition in the workflow from current status to the written status. It requieres that all conditions and validations in the transition are satisfied. | name of a Status (e.g., Open, In Progress, Resolved,...) | n/a | Resolved : will search for a transition from current issue's status to Resolved status. If conditions are satisfied, it will try to execute the transition. Then if validators are satisfied in that transition are satisfied, it will be executed, resulting in moving issue to Resolved status. Every post-function in the executed transition is also executed. |
| Issue status (delayed writing) | Same as virtual field Issue status, with the only difference that actual writing is carried out after transition has finished in current issue. It's very useful when you need to make progress linked issues or subtasks blocked by "Sub-Task Blocking Condition" or "Condition/Validation on linked issues" due to current issue's status. | name of a Status (e.g., Open, In Progress, Resolved,...) | n/a | |
| Execute transition (since version 2.1.20) | Execute the transition whose name is written into this field, provided conditions and validators are matched, and the transition is available for current status. This field is an alternative to "Issue status". | name of a transition (e.g., Open Issue, Start Progress, Resolve Issue, Close Issue,...) | n/a | |
| Execute transition (delayed execution) (since version 2.1.20) | Same as virtual field "Execute transition", but execution is done once current transition has finished. This field is an alternative to "Issue status (delayed writing)" | name of a transition (e.g., Open Issue, Start Progress, Resolve Issue, Close Issue,...) | n/a | |
| Resolution | Sets issue Resolution | name of issue Resolution (e.g., Fixed, Won't Fix, Duplicate, Incomplete,...) | n/a | - |
| Labels | Sets Labels | Comma separated list of labels. If label doesn't exist it is created. Prefixes + and - can be used to add or remove (check or uncheck) single values or set of values. | numbers are cast to string | + jira, plugin : adds labels "jira" and "plugin" to the issue.- scrum, web : removes labels "scrum" and "web" from the issue. |
| New labels (since version 2.2.1) | Adds new labels to the issue | Comma separated list of labels. If label doesn't exist it is created. | numbers are cast to string | - |
| Attachments (only new attachments will be added) | Adds new attachments coming from another issue keeping current attachments. Rejects duplicated attachments. Can be set by post-functions Write field on linked issues or sub-tasks and Update issue fields | Comma or blank separated list of issue keys whose attachments will be copied to current issue. | n/a | CMR-1 : adds to current issue the attachments in issue CRM-1 except if attachments are already in current issue.CRM-2, HR-34, HR-50 : adds to current issue the attachments in issues CRM-2, HR-34 and HR-50 except if attachments are already in current issue. |
| Attachments (current attachments will be replaced) | Replaces current's issue attachments with those coming from another issues. This field can be set by post-functions Write field on linked issues or sub-tasks and Write Field On Issues Returned By JQL Query | Comma or blank separated list of issue keys whose attachments will be copied to current issue. | n/a | CMR-1 : copy attachments in CRM-1 to current issue, replacing the existing ones.CRM-2, HR-34, HR-50 : copy attachments in CRM-2, HR-34 and HR-50 to current issue, replacing the existing ones. |
| Security level | Sets issue Security Level | name of a Security Level | n/a | Public : sets security level to Public, provided this security level exists in the Security Scheme of the project.Reserved : sets security level to Reserved, provided this security level exists in the Security Scheme of the project. |
| Last comment | Updates the last comment added to the issue if it exists | unlimited text string Optionally parameter visibility can be added for setting comment visibility. To do it add : {visibility=visibility_value} at the end of the text. This parameter admits the same values as "Last comment's visibility restriction". (See example)Since version 2.2 | numbers are cast to string | WARNING: When writing into this field, please add your writer post-function AFTER "Add a comment to an issue if one is entered during a transition." post-function, since otherwise updated comment will be the one before last, instead of the last one. Example |
| Last comment's visibility restriction Formerly called "Last comment's visibility" | Updates the visibility of the last comment in the issue if it exists. Can be used to set the visibility of a comment introduced with virtual field New comment | name of a Project Role or name of a Group. In Jira Service Desk it also admits values public and internal (without doble quotes), or alternatively jsd_public and jsd_internal to avoid name collision with existing project roles and user groups.Since version 2.2 | n/a | Developers : for setting visibility to project role or group with name Developers.jsd_internal : for setting JSD internal visibility.jira-developers : for setting visibility to "jira-developers" user group. |
| New comment | Inserts a new comment into the issue. It doesn't trigger any event for email notifications. | unlimited text string Optionally parameter visibility can be added for setting comment visibility. To do it add : {visibility=visibility_value} at the end of the text. This parameter admits the same values as "Last comment's visibility restriction". (See example)Since version 2.2 | numbers are cast to string | This is a comment only visible to developers group.: {visibility=jira-developers} This is a comment only visible to Admin project role.: {visibility=Administrators} This is a comment only visible to Jira Service Desk agents and collaborators.: {visibility=jsd_internal} This is a comment also visible to Jira Service Desk customers.: {visibility=jsd_public} |
| New comment (sends email notifications) (since version 2.2.22) | Inserts a new comment into the issue, triggering an event for sending email notifications. | unlimited text string Optionally parameter visibility can be added for setting comment visibility. To do it add : {visibility=visibility_value} at the end of the text. This parameter admits the same values as "Last comment's visibility restriction". (See example)Since version 2.2 | numbers are cast to string | - |
| Watchers | Sets watchers of an issue. Can be used to add or remove watchers to linked issues, sub-tasks or issues returned by JQL, but requires to use operator '+' and '-'. Also can be used to copy watchers between issues. | comma separated list of user names, group names or project roles names. Prefixes + and - can be used to add or remove single users or set of users. | n/a | albert, richard, john : sets 3 users as watchers replacing current ones.+ Developers, Administrators : adds every user in project roles or groups Developers and Administrators to current watchers.- Testers, Administrators, + albert, richard : removes users in project roles or groups Testers and Administrators and adds users albert and richard as watchers. |
| New watchers | Adds new watchers to an issue. Can be used to add new watchers to linked issues, sub-tasks or issues returned by JQL more easily that with virtual field Watchers, since you don't need to use operator '+'. | comma separated list of user names, group names or project roles names. | n/a | albert, richard, john : adds 3 watchers keeping current watchers untouched. |
| Ephemeral string X | There are 5 ephemeral string fields. These fields are used to hold temporary text-string values returned by a post-function, which are used as input by another post-function. Once the transition execution has ended, all ephemeral fields are cleared, i.e., these fields can't be used to pass values from one transition to another. | unlimited text string values | numbers are cast to string | - |
| Ephemeral number X | There are 5 ephemeral number fields. These fields are used to hold temporary numeric and date-time values returned by a post-function, which are used as input by another post-function. Once the transition execution has ended, all ephemeral fields are cleared, i.e., these fields can't be used to pass values from one transition to another. | String containing base 10 representation of a number, with dot character (i.e., .) as separator of integer and fractional parts | integers or real numbers, and also any Date-Time field (Date Picker, Date-Time Picker, Due Date, Created, etc.) which are stored as the number of milliseconds elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 GMT |
These fields are set by any of the following post-functions:
- Copy parsed text to a field: to set a field using a literal string or the value of another field, i.e., can be used to copy one field into another field.
- Write field on linked issues or sub-tasks
- Update issue fields
- Set a custom field "Urgency" depending on a combined value of issue's Priority and "Impact" custom field: used to update the value of a field depending on the value of other fields.
- Mathematical and date-time expression calculator: this is the better way to set Number, Date or Date-Time fields. Also can be used to set system's fields Priority, Original estimate, Remaining estimate and Time spent.
- Create issues and sub-tasks: fields are set on created issues.
Values returned when reading virtual fields
| Field name | Type | Value returned when cast to string | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | Text string | Issue summary. | - |
| Description | Text string | Issue description. | - |
| Assignee | User | The name of the user who has the issue assigned. | albert.einstein |
| Assignee's full name | Text string | Name and surname of the user who currently has the issue assigned | Albert Einstein |
| Assignee's email | Text string | Email address of the user who currently has the issue assigned | albert.einstein@yahoo.com |
| Reporter | User | The name of the user who reported the issue. This field is editable, while Creator field isn't. | albert.einstein |
| Reporter's full name | Text string | Name and surname of the user who created the issue | Albert Einstein |
| Reporter's email | Text string | Email address of the user who created the issue | albert.einstein@yahoo.com |
| Creator (since version 2.1.20) | User | User name of the user who actually creates the issue in JIRA. This field, unlike Reporter, can't be edited. | richard.feynman |
| Creator's full name (since version 2.1.20) | Text string | Name and surname of the user who actually created the issue in JIRA | Richard Feynman |
| Creator's email (since version 2.1.20) | Text string | Email address of the user who actually created the issue in JIRA | richard.feynman@gmail.com |
| Current user | User | Name of the user who is executing the transition. | isaac.newton |
| Current user's full name | Text string | Name and surname of the user who is executing the transition. | Isaac Newton |
| Current user's email | Text string | Email address of the user who leads the project the issue belongs to. | albert.einstein@yahoo.com, isaac.newton@gmail.com |
| Current date and time | Date and Time | Current date and time of JIRA server's clock. When cast to string format defined at jira.date.time.picker.java.format is used. | 19/Mar/14 1:38 PM for jira.date.time.picker.java.format = dd/MMM/yy h:mm a |
| Date and time of creation | Date and time | Date and time when issue has been created. When cast to string format defined at jira.date.time.picker.java.format is used. | 19/Mar/14 1:38 PM for jira.date.time.picker.java.format = dd/MMM/yy h:mm a |
| Date and time of last update | Date and time | Date and time of the most recent issue update. When cast to string format defined at jira.date.time.picker.java.format is used. | 19/Mar/14 1:38 PM for jira.date.time.picker.java.format = dd/MMM/yy h:mm a |
| Date and time of latest status change (since version 2.1.22) | Date and time | Date and time of the most recent status change in the issue. When cast to string format defined at jira.date.time.picker.java.format is used. | 19/Mar/14 1:38 PM for jira.date.time.picker.java.format = dd/MMM/yy h:mm aUseful to find out for how much time is the issue in current status using expression: {00057} - {000158}, where {00057} = Current date and time and {000158} is Date and time of latest status change. |
| Due date | Date | Field that can store a date with no time part, and is used to schedule issues. When cast to string format defined at jira.date.time.picker.java.format is used. | 19/Mar/14 for jira.date.time.picker.java.format = dd/MMM/yy h:mm a, since this field doesn't store time part. |
| Date and time of resolution | Date and time | Date and time of the most recent update of field Resolution. When cast to string format defined at jira.date.time.picker.java.format is used. | 19/Mar/14 1:38 PM for jira.date.time.picker.java.format = dd/MMM/yy h:mm a |
| Priority | Priority | Name of the priority in Default language configured in the JIRA instance | Blocker Critical Major |
| Original estimate (minutes) | Number | Time originally estimated for the issue expressed in minutes. It's a real number, so it may have a non-zero fractional part. | - |
| Remaining estimate (minutes) | Number | Remaining time estimated for the issue expressed in minutes. It's a real number, so it may have a non-zero fractional part. | - |
| Total time spent (minutes) | Number | Work time currently spent at the issue expressed in minutes. It's a real number, so it may have a non-zero fractional part. | - |
| Work logged in transition (minutes) (since version 2.1.20) | Number | Number of minutes logged in current transition screen. | This field can be used to enforce logging some time in transition screen. |
| Date and time of work logged in transition (since version 2.1.34) | Date and time | Date and time introduced for the beginning of the work logged in current transition screen. | |
| Components | Components | Comma separated list of component names | Web Site, Authenticator, Statistics |
| Components leaders | Multi user | Comma separated list of user names | albert.einstein@yahoo.com, richard.feynman@gmail.com |
| Fixed versions | Versions | Comma separated list of fixed versions | 1.0, 2.0, 2.1 |
| Fixed versions with details | Text string | A text with a line for each fixed versions. Each line contains the following information separated by characters '#': name of version, description, release date and archive situation | 1.0 # First release # RELEASED ON 28/Mar/14 12:00 AM # ARCHIVED |
| Number of fixed versions | Number | Number of fixed versions in current issue. | - |
| Affected versions | Versions | Comma separated list of fixed versions | 1.0, 2.0, 2.1 |
| Affected versions with details | Text string | A text with a line for each affected versions. Each line contains the following information separated by characters '#': name of version, description, release date and archive situation | 1.0 # First release # RELEASED ON 28/Mar/14 12:00 AM # ARCHIVED |
| Number of affected versions | Number | Number of affected versions in current issue. | - |
| Number of votes received | Number | Number of votes received by the issue. | - |
| Keys of subtasks | Text string | Comma separated list of issue keys. | CRM-23, CRM-26, CRM-31 |
| Number of subtasks | Number | Number of subtasks of current issue. | - |
| Keys of linked issues | Text string | Comma separated list of issue keys. | CRM-13, HR-12, SDESK-45 |
| Number of linked issues | Number | Number of issues linked to current issue. | - |
| Environment | String | Field to describe the environment where the issue has occurred. | - |
| Attachments | Attachments | Comma separated list of file names of all files attached to the issue. | file1.txt, readme.pdf, screenshot.png |
| Attachments with details | Text string | Comma separated list of file names with its mime types and sizes in Kbytes, for every file attached to the issue. | file1.txt (text/plain, 5.14 KB), readme.pdf (application/pdf, 179.8 KB), screenshot.png (image/png, 5.449 KB) |
| Number of attachments | Number | Number of files attached to current issue. | - |
| Transition's attachments | Attachments | Comma separated list of file names of all files attached to the issue in current transition's screen. | file1.txt, readme.pdf, screenshot.png |
| Transition's attachments with details | Text string | Comma separated list of file names with its mime types and sizes in Kbytes, for every file attached in current transition's screen. | file1.txt (text/plain, 5.14 KB), readme.pdf (application/pdf, 179.8 KB), screenshot.png (image/png, 5.449 KB) |
| Number of transition's attachments | Number | Number of files attacher to current issue in transition screen. It's useful to enforce attachments in transition screen, by means of Boolean condition and validator with math. date-time or text-string terms. | Update checkboxes custom field if a file has been attached during a transition |
| Recent attachments (since version 2.2.20) | Attachments | Comma separated list of file names of all files attached to current issue in the last minute (60 seconds). | file1.txt, readme.pdf, screenshot.png NOTE: This is an alternative to Transition's comments, which doesn't work for files attached in a transition triggered from JSD Portal. |
| Recent attachments with details (since version 2.2.20) | Text string | Comma separated list of file names with its mime types and sizes in Kbytes, for every file attached to current issue in the last minute (60 seconds). | file1.txt (text/plain, 5.14 KB), readme.pdf (application/pdf, 179.8 KB), screenshot.png (image/png, 5.449 KB) NOTE: This is an alternative to Transition's comments with details, which doesn't work for files attached in a transition triggered from JSD Portal. |
| Labels | Labels | Blank separated list with all the labels of the issue. | web customer java mobile |
| Number of labels | Number | Number of labels in current issue. | - |
| Issue key | Text string | Issue key | CRM-25 HR-52 SDESK-1 |
| Issue type | Issue type | Name of issue's Issue Type in Jira's default language | Bug Improvement New Feature Task |
| Issue status | Issue status | Name of current status of the issue in Jira's default language. | Open In Progress Resolved |
| Issue status category (since version 2.1.20) | Status category | Name of the category in Jira's default language. | To Do In Progress Done |
| Previous issue status (since version 2.1.20) | Issue status | Name of the status the issue was just before current one. The name is shown in Jira's default language. This field will only return the last different status. To get the last status including the current status, use the parser function previousValue(%{00016}) | Open In Progress Closed |
| Previous issue status category (since version 2.1.20) | Status category | Name of the category of the status the issue was just before current one. The name is shown in Jira's default language. The category will be read from the last previous status, so it will only read the last different status and return the category. | To Do In Progress Done |
| Current transition (since version 2.2.26) | Text string | The name of current transition. When used in post-functions, you should ensure that your post-function is inserted before JIRA system post-function "Set issue status to the linked status of the destination workflow step.", otherwise an empty string is returned. | Start Progress |
| Available transitions (since version 2.2.43) | Text string | A comma separated list with the names of transitions with origin in current issue status. | If current issue is in Open status of classic Jira workflow, then field Available transitions will return: Start Progress, Resolve Issue, Close Issue |
| Target status (since version 2.2.26) | Text string | The name of the target status of current transition. In versions previous to 2.2.42, when used in workflow conditions, this field behaves like virtual field Available target statuses. | In Progress |
| Available target statuses (since version 2.2.42) | Text string | A comma separated list with the names of target status of those transitions with origin in current issue status. | If current issue is in Open status of classic Jira workflow, then field Available target statuses will return: In Progress, Resolved, Closed |
| Resolution | Resolution | The name of the resolution currently set at the issue, or empty string if Resolution is not set. The name of the resolution is shown in Jira's default language. | Resolved Won't fix Cancelled |
| Security level | Security level | Name of the security level the issue currently has. | Classified |
| Last comment | Text string | Last comment entered in the issue. | - |
| Last comment's visibility restriction | Text string | Name of a group or project role the visibility of the last comment entered in the issue is restricted to. If no restriction is applied to the comment, this field is returns an empty string. For Service Desk's special Internal visibility restriction, string
| - |
| Last commenter (since version 2.1.33) | User | Name of the user who entered the last comment in the issue. | galileo.galilei |
| Transition's comment | Text string | Comment entered in transition screen. This field can be used to make comment mandatory in transition screen, or to validate the content of comment entered in a transition. | - |
| Watchers | Multi-user | Comma separated list of user names of current watchers of the issue. | albert.einstein, richard.feynman, galileo.galilei |
| Project key | Text string | Project Key of the project the issue belongs to. | CRM, HR, SDESK |
| Project id | Text string | Project id from the current project the issue belongs to. | 10000 |
| Project name | Text string | Name of the project the issue belongs to. | Customer Relationship Management |
| Project description | Text string | Field Description of the project the issue belongs to. | - |
| Project URL | Text string | Field URL of the project belongs to. | https://www.decadis.de |
| Project category | Text string | Name of the Category of the project the issue belongs to. | - |
| Project leader | User | Name of the user who leads the project the issue belongs to. | galileo.galilei |
| Project leader's full name | Text string | Name and surname of the user who leads the project the issue belongs to. | Galileo Galilei |
| Project leader's email | Text string | Email address of the user who leads the project the issue belongs to. | galileo.galilei@me.com |
| Rest of issues in the project | Text string | Comma separated list of issue keys in the project except current issue's key. | CRM-1, CRM-2, CRM-3, CRM-4 |
| Workflow scheme | Text string | The name of the workflow scheme of the project current issue belongs to. | - |
| JIRA base URL (since version 2.2.12) | Text string | Returns the base URL of current JIRA instance. | - |
| Customer Request Type Name (since version 2.2.28) | Text string | The name of the Customer Request Type. | Field Customer Request Type returns the key, thus this read-only field is introduced in order provide a means to get the name of the Customer Request Type. |
| Tempo Account Key (since version 2.2.28) | Text string | The key of Tempo Timesheets' Account field. | Field Account returns the numerical ID, thus this read-only field is introduced in order provide a means to get the Account's Key. |
| Tempo Account Name (since version 2.2.28) | Text string | The name of Tempo Timesheets' Account field. | Field Account returns the numerical ID, thus this read-only field is introduced in order provide a means to get the Account's Name. |
| Sprint ID (since version 2.2.29) | Text string | The internal ID for the sprint of current issue. This value can be used for setting field Sprint in other issues. | - |
| Sprint Start Date (since version 2.2.40) | Date | Sprint's start date. | - |
| Sprint End Date (since version 2.2.40) | Date | Sprint's end date. | - |
Sprint Complete Day (since version 2.9.3) | Date | Sprint's completion date. | - |
For every virtual and custom field in a sub-task, there is also another virtual field representing the same field in its parent issue, making it very easy to read and write parent's issue fields.
