Adding watchers to JIRA issues using Python API

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1

I’m working on a Python script to create JIRA tickets. I’ve got the basic creation part working, but I’m stuck on how to add watchers to the newly created issues. Here’s a simplified version of my current code:

from jira import JIRA

def make_jira_ticket(jira_client, title, content, ticket_type):
    ticket_info = {
        'project': {'key': 'MYPROJECT'},
        'summary': title,
        'description': content,
        'issuetype': {'name': ticket_type},
        'assignee': {'name': 'default_assignee'},
    }

    new_ticket = jira_client.create_issue(fields=ticket_info)
    return new_ticket

# Usage
jira = JIRA(server='https://myjira.example.com', basic_auth=('username', 'password'))
ticket = make_jira_ticket(jira, 'Test Issue', 'This is a test', 'Task')

Can anyone help me figure out how to add a watcher to the ticket after it’s created? I’ve looked through the JIRA Python API docs but couldn’t find a clear example. Thanks for any help!

2

hey elizabeths, i think i can help ya out. after creating the ticket, you can use the add_watcher() method. it’d look somethin like this:

jira.add_watcher(ticket, ‘username_to_watch’)

just replace ‘username_to_watch’ with the actual username you want to add as a watcher. hope this helps!

3

I’ve dealt with this exact situation in my work. The JIRA Python API can be a bit tricky when it comes to watchers. Here’s what worked for me:

After creating the ticket, you can use the add_watcher() method, but be aware it only adds one watcher at a time. I found it helpful to create a separate function for adding multiple watchers:

def add_watchers(jira_client, issue, watcher_list):
    for watcher in watcher_list:
        try:
            jira_client.add_watcher(issue, watcher)
        except Exception as e:
            print(f'Failed to add watcher {watcher}: {str(e)}')

Then you can call this function after creating the ticket:

new_ticket = jira_client.create_issue(fields=ticket_info)
add_watchers(jira_client, new_ticket, ['user1', 'user2', 'user3'])

This approach has been reliable for me and handles errors gracefully. Just remember to import the necessary exception classes from the JIRA library.

4

I’ve encountered this issue before when working with the JIRA Python API. To add watchers, you can use the add_watcher() method as mentioned, but it’s worth noting that you need appropriate permissions to add watchers to issues. Here’s how you could modify your existing function to include watcher addition:

def make_jira_ticket(jira_client, title, content, ticket_type, watchers=None):
    # Your existing code here
    new_ticket = jira_client.create_issue(fields=ticket_info)
    
    if watchers:
        for watcher in watchers:
            jira_client.add_watcher(new_ticket, watcher)
    
    return new_ticket

# Usage
watchers_list = ['user1', 'user2']
ticket = make_jira_ticket(jira, 'Test Issue', 'This is a test', 'Task', watchers=watchers_list)

This approach allows you to add multiple watchers efficiently. Remember to handle potential exceptions, as adding watchers can sometimes fail due to permission issues or invalid usernames.