Admin override of current work flow step / status

[lance_lyons]

Hi, Is there an easy way to move an item back to a workflow status if that transition was not defined?

I know this can be done in the database itself but wondering if there is some way to do this in administration?

[Dieter]

No, there is no way to do that in the adminstration area of JIRA. bear in mind that you would need to keep in synch the status and workflowid in jiraissue and the various osworkflow tables. The only way to do that safely and consistently is to execute a transition defined in the wokflow. But why not just create such a transition and add a condition that just allows the jira-administrators group to do that? whenever someone comes to me with a request like yours i add such a transition and leave it, executable only for us admins. Don't worry, the definition may look bloated but the transition is not visible for the end user. To better identify these priviledged transitions you could name them [ action (admin only)]

[lance_lyons]

Here is my problem. We created the workflow to have some status/states called duplicate and rejected. We only had incoming transitions. Now if one is accidently moved to duplicate we cant move it back and we can add the transtion out since it is not set that way in the active workflow?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Exactly as Dieter and Jobin say - you need to add a transition to the workflow that will enable the move back.

[lance_lyons]

Yeah but since the active workflow does not have a transition that leaves Duplicate, you cant add a return back transition in the draft.

JIRA will not let you. Do I need to completely redo this workflow?

[Jobin Kuruvilla [Adaptavist]]

It is one of the limitations : http://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRA/Configuring+Workflow#ConfiguringWorkflow-Limitations. Copy the workflow, make changes and associate the project with the new workflow scheme that has this change.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ah, yes, that bug. I'm afraid you will need to copy the work flow and add it in and migrate.

[J Thomas]

You don't need to 'completely redo' the workflow - you can use its XML - copy the XML, edit it to add in an outgoing transition for statuses that don't have them and import the XML as a new workflow. It's still a pain to switch workflow schemes to use your new workflow but at least you don't have to start completely from scratch...

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Er, copying out the xml and fiddling with it is a LOT more complex than "click copy, give new name, add a transition in the UI"

[Jobin Kuruvilla [Adaptavist]]

Nope, Databse is the only way. Or you modify the workflow to have a transition back but one that is visible only to Admin!