Every state has a name (state-name) and a type (state-type). Click on the States link on the Admin page and press the button "Add state" to create a new state. You can freely choose the name of a new state. The state types can not be changed via the web interface. The database has to be directly modified if you want to add new types or change existing names. The default state types should typically not be modified as this can yield unpredictable results. For instance, escalation calculations and the unlock feature are based on specific state types.

The name of an already existing state can be changed, or new states added through this screen. If the state "new" has been changed via the web interface, this change also has to be configured via the config file Kernel/Config.pm or via the SysConfig interface. The settings specified in the script below have to be modified to ensure that OTRS works with the changed state for "new".

    [...]
    # PostmasterDefaultState
    # (The default state of new tickets.) [default: new]
    $Self->{PostmasterDefaultState} = 'new';

    # CustomerDefaultState
    # (default state of new customer tickets)
    $Self->{CustomerDefaultState} = 'new';
    [...]

Script: Modifying the Kernel/Config.pm settings.

If a new state type should be added, the ticket_state_type table in the OTRS database needs to be modified with a database client program, as shown in the script below.

linux:~# mysql -p
Enter password:
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 23 to server version: 5.0.16-Debian_1-log

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the buffer.

mysql> use otrs;
Reading table information for completion of table and column names
You can turn off this feature to get a quicker startup with -A

Database changed
mysql> insert into ticket_state_type (name,comments) values ('own','Own
state type');
Query OK, 1 row affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> quit
Bye
linux:~#

Script: Modifying the OTRS database.

Now it is possible to use the new state type you just created. After a state has been linked with this new state type, the OTRS configuration also has to be changed to ensure that the new state is usable. Just modify the following options via SysConfig:

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewPhoneNew > AgentTicketPhone###StateDefault - to define the default next state for new phone tickets.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewPhoneNew > AgentTicketPhone###StateType - to define the available next states for new phone tickets.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewEmailNew > AgentTicketEmail###StateDefault - to define the default next state for new email tickets.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewEmailNew > AgentTicketEmail###StateType - to define the available next states for new email tickets.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewPhoneOutbound > AgentTicketPhoneOutbound###State - to define the default next state for new phone articles.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewPhoneOutbound > AgentTicketPhoneOutbound###StateType - to define the available next states for new phone articles.

Ticket:Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewMove:Ticket::DefaultNextMoveStateType - to define the default next state after moving a ticket.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewBounce > StateDefault - to define the default next state after bouncing a ticket.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewBounce > StateType - to define the available next states in the bounce screen.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewBulk > StateDefault - to define the default next state in a bulk action.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewBulk > StateType - to define the available next states in the bulk action screen.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewClose > StateDefault - to define the default next state after closing a ticket.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewClose > StateType - to define the available next states in the close screen.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewCompose > StateDefault - to define the default next state in the Compose (reply) screen.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewCompose > StateType - to define the available next states in the Compose (reply) screen.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewForward > StateDefault - to define the default next state after forwarding a ticket.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewForward > StateType - to define the available next states in the Forward screen.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewForward > StateDefault - to define the default next state of a ticket in the free text screen.

Ticket -> Frontend::Agent::Ticket::ViewForward > StateType - to define the available next states in the free text screen.

Ticket -> Core::PostMaster > PostmasterDefaultState - to define the state of tickets created from emails.

Ticket -> Core::PostMaster > PostmasterFollowUpState - to define the state of tickets after a follow-up has been received.

Ticket -> Core::PostMaster > PostmasterFollowUpStateClosed - to define the state of tickets after a follow-up has been received on an already closed ticket.

Ticket -> Core::Ticket > ViewableStateType - to define the state types that are displayed at various places in the system, for example in the Queueview.

Ticket -> Core::Ticket > UnlockStateType - to define the state types for unlocked tickets.

Ticket -> Core::Ticket > PendingReminderStateType - to define the state type for reminder tickets.

Ticket -> Core::Ticket > PendingAutoStateType - to define the state type for Pending Auto tickets.

Ticket -> Core::Ticket > StateAfterPending - to define the state a ticket is set to after the Pending Auto timer of the configured state has expired.