Associating Issue Types with Projects

JIRA Professional and Enterprise editions allow you to restrict the set of available issue types for each project. This is achieved through the use of Issue Type Schemes. An Issue Type Scheme represents a sub-set of issue types, with its own order and default value. An Issue Type Scheme can be shared across multiple projects, so that a group of similar projects can share the same issue type settings.

For example, in your company all projects may be one of two types, a development project or a support project. You could then create one scheme called Task with issue types Bug and Development and another called Support Issue Types, with Development Query and Support Request. You can then associate each scheme to the appropriate projects, giving your users a different set of issue types depending on which projects they decide to create issues in. Using schemes also gives you added benefit that any change you make to a scheme is made across all projects that are associated with the scheme. In this example, adding a new issue type to all support projects only requires a simple step of adding the issue type to the Support Issue Types scheme.

You can find out how to achieve this and more below.

The Issue Type Schemes can be found on the Issue Type Schemes tab on the Issue Type page. Here you can see all existing Issue Type Schemes, their related issue types and the associated projects.

The Default Issue Type Scheme contains all the issue types that exist in your JIRA system. This scheme is associated with all newly created projects by default. If some of your issue types are not relevant to all of your projects, create one or more new Issue Type Schemes (e.g. 'Development Projects' in this screenshot) as described below, and associate them with the appropriate projects instead of using the Default Issue Type Scheme.

Creating a new scheme

1. To create a new scheme, enter the name and description for the new scheme. Ensure that the name is meaningful as this will be visible to other administrators and will allow them to better reuse the scheme.

2. Click on the Add button and the screen below will be displayed.

   

3. Set the default for the new scheme from the select list. Add a new issue type to your scheme by dragging and dropping the issue type from the right hand list to the left. You can similarly reorder the issue types in the desired order by dragging and dropping them into the right positions.

   

4. If you need an issue type that does not currently exist, you can add this easily in using the add issue type form at the bottom of the page. This will add the issue type to the system and also add it to the scheme you're editing.

5. Once you've finished with your scheme. Click on the Save button to persist your changes. Note that unless you click on Save, no scheme will be created.

Editing a scheme

The process of editing a scheme is identical to the creation process. You can set defaults, reorder, add and remove issue types as before. However, if you're removing issue types from the scheme and there are issues associated with that issue type, you will be required to use the Issue Type Migration Wizard which will move your issues from the obsolete issue type to a valid one. Note that if you cancel out of this process at any time, your changes will not be committed. See below for more information about the migration wizard.

Associating a scheme to projects

You can restrict the issue types available by associating your Issue Type Scheme to various projects. Click on the Associate link and simply choose the projects that you wish your scheme to apply to. All selected projects will change from their current scheme to the selected scheme.

If the new scheme does not have an issue type that was present in the old scheme, you will be asked to use the Issue Type Migration Wizard to migrate the issues.

When updating a project you may often want to quickly restrict its issue types. However, the available Issue Type Schemes may not always be applicable, or you do not know which schemes to choose. The Select Issue Type Scheme screen makes this process simpler.

1. Click on the select link for Issue Type Scheme on the View Project page.

   

2. This will bring you the screen below.

   

3. There are three ways you can select your issue type scheme. Select the radio button that is most relevant.

   1. Choose an existing issue type scheme - If you know the name of you scheme (e.g. Support Issue Type Scheme), you can immediately choose it from the list. You will see a preview of issue types that would be available for your project as well as the description of the scheme.
   2. Choose a scheme that is the same as an existing project - If you do not know the name of the scheme you would like to use, but you do know the name of the project whose set of issue types you wish to use for the project you are editing, please select this option. You will be prompted to select a project and the scheme that is currently associated with the selected project will be used for your project as well.
      
   3. Create a new scheme and associate with current project - Select this option if you can't find any existing scheme that fits your needs and would like to quickly create a new scheme. Simply select the relevant issue types for your project and a new scheme will be created with the default name and order. You can edit the name, default value and order of the newly created scheme later.
      

4. If after you make your changes there are any issues in the selected project that will have obsolete issue types, they will have to be migrated with the Issue Type Migration Wizard.

This Issue Type Migration Wizard allows you to migrate issues from an obsolete issue type to a valid issue type. The wizard will be triggered whenever an action (e.g. editing a project's issue type scheme) results in an issue type becoming obsolete (not available in the scheme).

The wizard bears some resemblance to the Bulk Move function except for that you can't change the project of the issues. The major steps are:

1. Overview - provides a summary of the issues that will require migration
2. Choose Issue Type
3. Set new status
4. Set field values
5. Confirmation

Steps 2 to 4 will be repeated for each issue type that requires migration. After you have migrated all the issues you'll see a summary of changes that will occur. If you click on the Confirm button, the wizard will migrate your issues to the new issue types and then complete your action.

Please refer to the Bulk Move documentation for more information on status changes and setting of fields values.