Calculated Date/Time custom field type

Search template

When creating a Calculated Date/Time custom field type, you can configure the Search template as Date range picker with or without being compatible for display in the statistics gadgets (see below) to be able to search issues within a date/time range of values for that custom field. You can also configure the search template to be compatible for display in the statistics gadgets. If you select “None” for the searcher, then you won’t see any reference to this field in the Issue Navigator search fields. Note that changing a custom field searcher requires a re-index. 

Statistics compatible searchers

Date range picker with statistics compatibility are searchers that allow calculated date/time fields to be used in statistics gadgets. Date range picker (Statistics by day), Date range picker (Statistics by month), Date range picker (Statistics by quarter), and Date range picker (Statistics by year) searchers display the field in statistics gadgets by day, month, quarter and year respectively.

Configuring the Groovy formula for a Calculated Date/Time custom field type

To write a formula for the Calculated Date/Time custom field type;

1. Locate the custom field on the Custom Fields administration page.
2. Click on the cog wheel and click on Configure
3. Click on Edit Groovy Formula
4. In the editor write a Groovy script that returns a String containing a date+time in the format specified in your Jira settings or a date object. Also, you can test you written script against any issue using the Groovy script tester.
5. Click on Save.

See the Expected Value tab of the Groovy help editor for examples on the values expected by this field. 

• A Groovy expression returning a String containing a date+time. For example, returning the current date/time

  "11/Apr/18 2:00 PM"

• A Groovy expression returning a date object. For example, the current date

  new Date()

• A Groovy expression that references any field of the issue that returns a java.util.Date. For example, storing the issue updated date/time.

  issue.get("updated")

• A Groovy expression that includes arithmetic operators as well as any other Groovy operator, and Groovy method calls. For example, adding a specific number of days to the issue creation date.

  issue.get("created") + 5

Customizing the formatting of the Calculated Date/Time custom field type value

By default, the Calculated Date/Time custom field type value is displayed using Jira's default date format (if you leave the Date Format to Default). However, you can customize it. To select a format for a Calculated Date/Time custom field type value;

1. Locate the custom field on the Custom Fields administration page.
2. Click on the cog wheel and click on Configure

3. Click on Edit Date Format.

4. Select a format from the Date format drop-down.
5. Click on Save.

Customizing the formatting of the Calculated Date/Time custom field type value in the List views

By default, the Calculated Date/Time custom field type value is displayed using Jira's default date format (if you leave the Date Column Format to Default) in the tabular views. However, you can customize it. To select a format for a Calculated Date/Time custom field type value in the List views;

1. Locate the custom field on the Custom Fields administration page.
2. Click on the cog wheel and click on Configure

3. Click on Edit Date Column Format.

4. Select a format from the Date format drop-down.
5. Click on Save.

For example, if you select the COMPLETE option in the Edit Date Format/Edit Date Column Format, and the value returned by the Groovy formula is Thu Jan 25 15:20:34 IST 2018, then the value will be formatted to 25/Jan/18 3:20 PM.

Customizing the display of the Calculated Date/Time custom field type value

You can now define a velocity template that will return the Html representation of the calculated custom field. Leave it empty to use the default template. 

To write a velocity template for a Calculated Date/time custom field type value;

1. Locate the custom field on the Custom Fields administration page.
2. Click on the cog wheel and click on Configure
3. Click on Edit Velocity Template.
4. Input the template.
5. Click on Save.

You can use the following Velocity variables in the template:

• $value: the raw field value, such as a Date object for this field
• $formattedValue: the field value formatted according to the field configuration
• and other variables described on this page

For example:

<div style="border: dashed">
  $formattedValue
</div>

displays the date in a dashed box.

Display of the Calculated Date/Time custom field type on Transition and Edit screen

Now you can control the display of the calculated Date/Time custom field on the transition and edit screens. If you select this option, the field will not be visible on the Edit and Transition screens, even if added to them.