Work in text mode in the old editor
Text mode is an advanced way of working with workflows, and it shows the difference between steps and statuses. In text mode, you work directly with steps.
You must have the following to do the things described on this page:
Role: Site admin, App admin
Permission: Administer projects
To open a workflow in text mode:
Select Settings (), then Work items.
Select Workflows, then find the workflow you want to update. Select More (•••), then Edit to open a diagram of your workflow in the workflow editor.
Select the Text button to edit in text mode. A list of existing steps that make up the workflow and each step's Linked status and Outgoing transitions (under Transitions (id)), is shown.
Follow the relevant procedure below to edit the workflow.
Some workflow elements can't be edited in text mode, such as global transitions. If you can't change a workflow element, try editing in Diagram mode.
Basic procedures
Edit a step
Select the following link of any step:
Add transition — to add an Outgoing transition to that step.
Delete transitions — to delete one or more outgoing transitions of that step.
Edit — to edit the step's name or Linked status.
View properties — to view and edit the step's Properties.
Delete step — only available if the step has no Incoming transitions.
Add a step
Add new step appears below the list of steps when you are editing an inactive workflow.
To add a new step to a workflow:
In the Step name field, type a short name for the step.
In the Linked status field, select the status that corresponds to this step. Each status can only correspond to one step in each workflow.
Select Add. Your new step appears in your workflow's list of steps in text edit mode.
If you do not see Add new step, this means that all available statuses defined in your Jira installation have been used in your workflow and you need to define a new status.
Delete a step
A step can only be deleted if it has no incoming transitions.
Select the Delete step link that corresponds to the relevant step. This link is not displayed if the step has no incoming transitions, or if it only has incoming Global Transitions.
Add a transition
Identify the step from which your new transition will originate, and select the Add Transition link next to the step.
In the Transition name field, type a short name for the transition. This name will be shown to users on the relevant transition button on the View work item page.
(Optional) In the Description field, type a short description of the purpose of the transition.
In the Destination step field, choose the step to which work items will move when this transition runs.
In the Transition view field, select either:
No view for transition — choose this if you do not need to prompt the user for input before the transition is executed (i.e. the transition will occur instantly when the user clicks the transition).
The name of a screen that will be shown to users, asking for input before the transition is executed. You can choose one of Jira's default screens or any other screen you have created. If no existing screen is suitable, you may wish to create a new screen for the transition.
Edit or delete a transition
In the Transitions (id) column, select the link of the Outgoing transition of the step you wish to edit.
From the Transition page, you can:
Select the buttons at the top of the page to edit or delete the transition. You will only be able to delete a transition if this step has at least one outgoing transition indicated in the Workflow browser section.
Select View properties to edit the transition's properties.
Add a new condition, validator, or post function. See Read more about advanced workflow configuration
Advanced procedures
Preventing work items from being edited
You can use a workflow step's properties to prevent work items from being edited in a particular workflow step. For example, in a copied system workflow, Closed work items cannot be edited, even by users who have the Edit work item project permission.
Keep in mind
Work items can’t be edited or updated using bulk edit.
You can only edit the properties of a workflow's step if that workflow is editable (i.e. if that workflow is either inactive or a draft of an active workflow).
To make work item uneditable in a particular workflow step, or to set any property of a step:
Select the View properties link that corresponds to the relevant step.
In the Property key field, type:
jira.workitem.editable
(or any other Property key you wish to add).In the Property value field, type:
false
(or any other Property value you wish to add).Select Add.
It is not possible to edit a step's properties on this page. To change any property's key or value, you must first delete the property you wish to change and then add the new, updated property.
You can add restrictions on steps using step properties. Read about workflow properties.
Using a screen with a transition
When someone selects a particular transition, a screen can be used to gather input from them before the work item transitions. For example, using a screen to set the Resolution field.
You might need to create a transition that moves a work item to a Closed status. To do this:
Create or edit your transition.
Select the Resolve work item screen in the Transition View field.
Select Add when you are finished editing the workflow transition. You will be back on the Text view screen of the project's workflow.
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