In today's article, we'll address the age-old question: which came first, the Affects version (egg) or the Fix version (chicken)?
Both of these fields are automatically created in Jira out of the box. They are related to Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) projects and are the foundation of releases in Jira. While they are linked and work in tandem at some points, there is a best practice when using the versions inside of both of these fields. Before we delve into how they relate, let's define what each field is and how to properly utilize them.
What is Fix Version?
Fix version is the release version used to track different software developments and/or any updates. You fill out the Fix version to ensure that as you develop stories, and you can group them together when setting up a release delivery. This release could contain multiple issues created to serve different client needs, and this is designed to help each development team and PO (product owner) track all code to be released at one time.
What is Affects Version?
The Affects version allows you to track bugs or defects that exist in already-released code. The bug will have a new Fix version on it, which will designate the code release where you can find the solution. Additionally, you can query off of this field to identify which code is having problems after its development and scheduled release.
Which Comes First?
Now that we reviewed definitions of each version, we can answer the age-old question from the beginning of the post: which came first? In this instance, the Fix version (chicken) comes first. Not only does it group issues together for release, but it's also a way to use the Affects version field properly and efficiently. Without the Fix version field, the Affects version field cannot tie any detected issues back to the respective code releases.
When using these fields, start by tracking releases through the Fix version field first, then use the releases to connect any bugs you found to the Affects version field. This does not stop anyone from using a new Fix version on the bug issue and linking it to a new code release.
I hope this information will settle any office disputes about which comes first! You should now be able to communicate through examples with Jira. Think about it this way: if the egg came first, the system would be ineffective, so the chicken most definitely came first. If you want to have a friendly debate about this age-old question or discuss anything related to Jira and/or software development, reach out to us!
