Issue Summary

When sending a PATCH API request to update only a custom field on a Theme work item, the Audit Log records a change to the Program Increment field, even though no actual modification to the Program Increment has occurred on the Theme itself. The log shows the order of Program Increments as "updated," but the values remain the same.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Select a Theme work item with existing Program Increments assigned.
2. Send a PATCH API request, as the sample payload below, to update only a custom field on the Theme:

   {
     "op": "replace",
     "path": "/customFields/2/customfield_91431/0/value",
     "value": "1234"
   }
   

3. Check the Audit Log for the Theme.
4. Observe that, in addition to the custom field update, the Audit Log also shows a change to the Program Increment field, even though its values remain unchanged.

Sample Audit Log Entry:

By [User] via API on 10/10/2025 4:02:33 PM Theme Updated - Custom_Field Changed - From [5678] To [1234]
By [User] via API on 10/10/2025 4:02:33 PM Theme Updated - Releases Changed - From [25.Q2, 25.Q3, 25.Q4, 26.Q1] To [25.Q4, 26.Q1, 25.Q3, 25.Q2]

Expected Results

Updating a custom field on a Theme via the PATCH API should only log changes related to the custom field. The Program Increment field should not appear as changed in the Audit Log unless its value is modified.

Actual Results

The Audit Log records an update to the Program Increment (Releases) field whenever a custom field is updated via the PATCH API. The log entry shows the order of Program Increments as changed, even though the actual values and associations remain unchanged on the Theme work item.

Workaround

There are currently no known workarounds to prevent the erroneous Program Increment change from being logged when updating only a custom field via the PATCH API. Users must manually disregard these misleading Audit Log entries until the issue is resolved.