Can I define issues linking direction and cardinality?

[philippos]

Hello,

We need to be able to restrcit the:

1. Links direction.
   So only bugs are linked to tests and not vice-versa, with link type X
   
   
2. Links cardinality
   One bug can be connected to up to three tests only

Is this possible with Jira or with a plug-in?

Thank you

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

That's not how issue links work.

1) A link, by definition, has two issues, one at each end.  They are directional, see https://support.atlassian.com/jira-cloud-administration/docs/configure-issue-linking/

2) No, the only thing you could do here is have a condition or validator that stops people executing transitions if there are more than 3 links on an issue

[philippos]

What is the condition or validator? Can you provide a reference? 

Thank you

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

They are workflow functions that you add to transitions.

A condition is a function that checks something is true.  If it is, then Jira offers the transition to the user so they can do it.  If it is false, it hides the transition and prevents them running it in other ways (REST, Automation etc).  They run the check anywhere that someone might trigger a transition.

Validators run after a user has tried to commit to a transition (either clicking on an "instant" one, or going through the transition screen which asks them for more data, and to confirm the change).  Again, if true, the transition carries on to the next step, if false, it returns the user to the previous screen with an error message to tell them why it has failed the test.

[philippos]

Thank you Nic