RFR: Renamed Description Field Does Not Appear in View Details, Show/Hide Fields, or Exports When Another Field Uses the Description Label

Helen Khoshnaw
Helen Khoshnaw
  • Updated

Published Date: June 24, 2026
Validated: Yes
Audience: Everyone
Products and Versions Covered: 

  • Jama Connect® version(s)
    • Cloud/CVC

Summary

In Jama Connect®, an item type can include the default system Description field as well as additional custom fields. If the default Description field has been relabeled to something else (let's use the example of Requirement), and a separate custom field is labeled Description, one of the fields may be hidden in certain views.

This can cause the Requirement field to be unavailable in:

  • View Details
  • Show/Hide Fields
  • Excel exports

This behavior can affect multiple projects that use the same item type configuration.

Symptoms

Users may observe one or more of the following:

  • The Requirement field is enabled in item type configuration but does not appear in Show/Hide Fields
  • The Requirement field is missing from the View Details tab
  • The Requirement field is not included in Excel export output
  • A field labeled Description is visible instead of the expected Requirement field
  • The issue occurs across all projects that use the affected item type

Cause

This issue can occur when the item type contains both:

  • The default system Description field, renamed to anything else
  • A separate custom field labeled Description

In this configuration, the field labeled Description can shadow the renamed default Description field in some views and exports. Although both fields may exist in configuration, only one may appear in the user interface.

Resolution

Rename the custom field currently labeled Description to a different label so it no longer conflicts with the renamed default Description field.

Diagnosing the Issue

Review the affected item type and confirm the following:

  1. The item type includes the default system Description field.
  2. That default Description field has been relabeled to something else, for example: Requirement.
  3. A second custom field exists with the label Description.
  4. The Requirement field is enabled and visible in configuration, but it does not appear in Show/Hide Fields or Excel export.

If this pattern is present, the missing field is likely being hidden due to label shadowing.

Example where the default description field has been renamed and a separate field has been labeled "Description"

Confirm the Field Configuration

Check the item type configuration and identify:

  • The default Description field
  • Its current display label
  • Any custom field using the label Description

Also confirm the issue is not limited to a single set or project view by checking whether it appears across other projects using the same item type.

Resolve the Label Conflict

Update the custom field labeled Description to use a different label.

For example:

  • Change Description to a more specific name such as:
    • Detailed Description
    • Supplemental Description
    • Notes
    • Requirement Details

After renaming the custom field, verify that the Requirement field reappears in:

  • Show/Hide Fields
  • View Details
  • Word or Excel export

Prevention

To avoid this issue in future configurations:

  • Do not assign the label Description to a custom field if the default system Description field is still in use under another label
  • Use distinct labels for all fields within the same item type
  • Review field labels and unique names when troubleshooting missing fields in list views or exports

Additional Resources

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