What is a 'Screen'?
Screens group multiple issue fields. Using Screens, you can control which fields are displayed, and the fields' vertical display order, during issue operations (e.g. 'Create Issue' and 'Edit Issue') or workflow transitions (e.g. 'Resolve Issue'). You can also split fields on a Screen into multiple tabs.
Screens overlap slightly with Field Configurations in regards to field visibility. Note that when a Screen is displayed to a user (during issue creation, for example) the user will see only the issue fields that:
- the user has permissions to edit (e.g. the 'Due Date' field can only be edited by users with the 'Schedule Issues' permission).
- are present on the Screen that is associated with the 'Create Issue' operation for this issue.
- are not hidden in the Field Configuration applicable to the issue.
Configuring a Screen's Fields
Adding a Field to Screen
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
Keyboard shortcut: 'g' + 'g' + type 'sc'
- The 'View Screens' page will be displayed:
Screenshot 1: the View Screens page
- Click the 'Configure' link next to the Screen of interest. You will now see that Screen's 'Configure Screen' page.
Screenshot 2: the Configure Screen page
- In the Add Field form, located at the bottom of the Configure Screen page:
- Select the field/s that you wish to add to the screen from the 'Fields to add' option.
- If you wish, specify the position at which the field will be placed, by entering the position number in the 'Position' option.
If you have selected multiple fields and specified a position, the topmost field selected will be placed in the corresponding position and the other fields directly below it.
- Click the 'Add' button.
Removing a Field from a Screen
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Configure' link next to the Screen of interest.
- In the table of fields on the 'Defining a Screen page (see above), select the check-boxes next to the fields you wish to remove.
- Click the 'Remove' button located at the bottom of the table.
- The fields will be removed from the Screen and will be made available in the Add Field form at the bottom of the screen, for subsequent re-addition if needed.
The 'Summary' field is always required by the system. If your screen is being used for a 'create issue' operation, you will need to ensure that the 'Summary' field is on the screen, or your users will be unable to create issues.
Reordering Fields on a Screen
To change the vertical display order of fields on a screen:
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Configure' link next to the Screen of interest.
- In the table of fields on the 'Defining a Screen page (see above), in the table of fields on the Configure Screen page, specify the number of the position to which a field should be moved inside the field's text box within the Move to Position column. (You can repeat this step for multiple fields by specifying a different position for each field you wish to move.)
- Click the 'Move' button located at the bottom of the table in the 'Move to Position' column.
Alternatively, you can click on the arrows next to the desired field to move the field up, down, to the first position or to the last position.
Adding Time Tracking capabilities to a screen
You can add the ability to log work or specify/modify time estimates to a screen by adding the special Log Work or Time Tracking fields, respectively.
By adding both of these fields to a screen, your users will be able to log work and specify time estimates on that screen. For more information about how this works for a user, please refer to Logging work and/or specifying time estimates on the same JIRA screen.
To add abilities to log work and/or specify/modify time estimates on a screen, in the Add Field form located at the end of the Configure_Screen page (see 'Adding a Field to a Screen above):
- Select one or both of the following fields from the 'Fields to add' option, depending on your requirements:
- Log Work — adds a group of fields which provide the ability to log work
- Time Tracking — adds a group of fields which provide the ability to specify/modify time estimates
- Click the 'Add' button.
Adding a Screen
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). In the Add Screen form, located at the bottom of the View Screens page, enter the name of the new Screen (and optionally add description), then click the 'Add' button.
A newly created Screen is not usable until it has been associated with either an issue operation (via a Screen Scheme) or a workflow transition. See 'Activating Screens' (below).
Editing a Screen's Details
To change a Screen's name and/or description,
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Edit' link next to the appropriate screen.
- You will now be directed to the Edit Screen page where you can edit the name and/or description of the Screen.
Screenshot 3: the Edit Screen page
Copying a Screen
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Copy' link next to the Screen you wish to copy. You will be directed to the Copy Screen page, where you can enter a name and a description for the new Screen:
Screenshot 4: the Copy Screen page
Deleting a Screen
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Delete' link next to the Screen you wish to delete. You will be promipted to confirm your deletion
Screenshot 5: the Delete Screen page
Screens that are associated with one or more Screen Schemes, or one or more workflow transitions, cannot be deleted.
Configuring Tabs
Splitting a Screen into multiple tabs can help to group related fields. This functionality is very useful for organising complex Screens, as you can place less used fields onto separate tabs. For example, the following two screenshots show an example of configuring a simple Screen that only shows the issue 'Summary' and 'Description' on the first tab ('Main'), and 'Affected Versions' and 'Components' on the second tab ('Other Details'). You might want to put the 'Environment' field and the 'Attachments' field on their own tabs too. The final result could look like this when the screen is displayed to a user:
Screenshot 6: displaying a multi-tab screen to a user - the 'Main' tab
Screenshot 7: displaying a multi-tab screen to a user - the 'Other Details' tab
Screenshot 8: displaying a multi-tab screen to a user - the 'Attachments' tab
Adding a Tab
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Configure' link next to the Screen of interest.
- In the 'Add New Tab' form, located at the bottom of the 'Configure-Screen' page (see above), enter the name of the new tab in the 'Name' field and click the 'Add' button.
Moving fields between Tabs
If your screen contains multiple tabs, you can move fields from one tab to another.
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Configure' link next to the Screen of interest.
- In the table of fields on the 'Configure-Screen' page (see above):
- For the field you wish to move, select the field's destination tab in the Move to Tab column. Repeat this for all the fields you wish to move.
- Click the 'Move' button located at the bottom of the table in the Move to Tab column.
Deleting a Tab
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Configure' link next to the Screen of interest.
- The 'Configure-Screen' page will be displayed (see above). Navigate to the Tab you wish to remove.
- Click the 'Delete' tab link. You will be prompted to confirm your deletion.
Screenshot 9: deleting a tab
Renaming a Tab
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Configure' link next to the Screen of interest.
- The 'Configure-Screen' page will be displayed (see above). Navigate to the Tab you wish to remove.
- The 'Rename' text field is located in the top left of the Configure Screen Tab form.
- Enter the new name of the Tab and click 'Enter'.
Reordering Tabs
To configure the horizontal order of Tabs:
- Log in as a user with the 'JIRA Administrators' global permission.
- Select 'Administration' > 'Issues' > 'Screens'.
- The 'View_Screens' page will be displayed (see above). Click the 'Configure' link next to the Screen of interest.
- The 'Configure-Screen' page will be displayed (see above). Navigate to the Tab you wish to move.
- Click the arrows (next to the name of the tab) to move that Tab left or right (in the direction of the arrow).
Activating a Screen
To make a Screen available to users, you can either: