Limitations of searchers provided by Jira

After you create a custom field (Standard or Advanced) in Jira, you can also configure a Search template to be applied to the custom field. Jira provides useful searchers like Free Text Searcher, Multi Select Searcher, Number Searcher and others relevant to the custom field type created. However, it does not provide searchers that are statistics-compatible. Statistics compatible searchers are searchers that allow you to create statistics (Pie-charts or Two-dimensional gadgets) on the dashboard by the custom field value. JMCF handles this limitation effortlessly.

Searchers of JMCF add-on

Along with being able to use a searcher to define how to search for issues in the Issue Navigator with a given value in the field, you can also enable and format their display in the gadgets like Two-dimensional gadget or the Pie-chart gadget to group results.

Number Range Searcher (Statistics-compatible)

When you select the Number Range Searcher (Statistics-compatible) as the Search template for a custom field of Number type provided by Jira or JMCF, you can search for issues with the custom field value of a given range and value, and use it in the statistics gadgets. For example:

use it in the statistics gadgets.

Applicable to

This search template is applicable to:

• Number type custom field of Jira
• Calculated (scripted) Number Field of JMCF
• Transition Count Field of JMCF

Use cases

• Search Epics with Story points (of all Stories) greater than 50

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (Scripted) Number custom field type, Total Story Points. Click on Configure for the custom field in the Custom Fields administration page. Click on Edit Groovy Formula and write the following formula. Code Block def totalSP = 0 issue.stories.each{ totalSP += it.get("Story Points") } return totalSP Click on Save. Perform a re-index as suggested.

  
  

• Group tickets by Business value (Jira custom number field)

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  title Steps
  Panel Click on Configure for the Business Value field in the Custom Fields administration page. Change the Search Template to Number range searcher (statistics-compatible). Click on Save. Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a Pie-chart with Business Value as the statistics type.

  
  

• Group Epic by number of Story Points of all stories associated to the Epic

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  title Steps
  Panel Click on Configure for the Story Points in the Custom Fields administration page. Change the Search Template to Number range searcher (statistics-compatible). Click on Save. Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a two-dimensional gadget with Story points and Epic link as the dimensions and grouping by Epic link.

  
  

• Group tickets by code fix rejection count

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (Scripted) Number custom field type custom field, Fix rejected Click on Configure for the custom field in the Custom Fields administration page. Input the transition name Reject in the Transition field. Click on Save. Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a two-dimensional gadget with Fix rejected and Developer of the issue as the dimensions, grouping by Fix rejected.

  
  

Date Time Range Picker (Statistics by day/week/month/quarter/year)

When you select the Date Time Range Picker (Statistics by day/week/month/quarter/year) as the Search template for a custom field of Date/Time type provided by Jira or JMCF, you can search for issues with the custom field value in a given range and use in statistics gadgets by day, week, month, quarter and year respectively. For example:

• Search tickets with the date of resolution less than 2 days
• Group requests by the Change completion date
• Group tickets due each week

Applicable to

This search template is applicable to:

• Date Picker type custom field of Jira
• Date Time Picker type custom field of Jira
• Calculated (Scripted) Date/Time Field of JMCF
• Last Field Value Change Date/Time Field of JMCF
• Transition Date/Time Field of JMCF
• Status entered on Date/Time Field of JMCF

Use cases

• Search tickets with the date of resolution less than 2 days

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (Scripted) Date/Time custom field type type custom field, resolvedIn. Click on Configure for the custom field in the Custom fields administration page. Click on Edit Groovy Formula and write the following formula: Code Block issue.get("resolutiondate") Click on Save Change the Search Template to Date range searcher (Statistics by month). Perform a re-index as suggested.

  
  

• Group requests by the Change completion date

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  title Steps
  Panel Click on Edit for the Change completion date field in the Custom Fields administration page. Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a Pie chart with Change completion date as the Statistic type.

  
  

• Group tickets due each week

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (Scripted) Date/Time custom field type, Due. Click on Configure for the custom field in the Custom fields administration page. Click on Edit Groovy Formula and write the following formula: Code Block issue.get("duedate") Click on Save. Change the Search Template to Date range searcher (Statistics by week). Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a Pie chart with Due as the Statistic type.

  
  

• Group tickets by Sprint end date

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (Scripted) Date/Time custom field type, "Sprint End Date". Click on Configure for the custom field in the Custom Fields administration page. Click on Edit Groovy Formula and write the following formula Code Block for (Object sprint : issue.get("Sprint")) { if (sprint.isActive()) return sprint.getEndDate().toDate(); } Click on Save Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a two-dimensional gadget with Sprint End Date and Sprint as the dimensions, grouping by Sprint End Date.

  
  

Exact Text Searcher (Statistics-compatible)

When you select the Exact Text Searcher (Statistics-compatible) as the Search template for a custom field of text type provided by Jira or JMCF, you can search for issues with the exact text in the custom field value and use it in the statistics gadgets. For example: 

• Search for issues of a specific Project Category

• Group activities (tickets) by Sponsors (Jira custom single line text field)

• Group requests by the help-desk the Reporter belongs to
• Group requests by the time zone of the Reporter

Applicable to

This search template is applicable to:

• Text Field (single-line) type custom field of Jira
• Text Field (multi-line) type custom field of Jira
• Calculated (scripted) Text/Html Field of JMCF
• Calculated (scripted) Wiki Text Field of JMCF
• Parent Status Field of JMCF

Use cases

• Search for issues of a specific Project Category

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (scripted) Text/Html custom field type, Project category. Click on Configure for the field in the Custom Fields administration page. Click on Edit Groovy Formula and write the following formula. Code Block issue.get("project")?.projectCategory?.name Perform a re-index as suggested.

  
  

• Group activities (tickets) by Sponsors (Jira custom single line text field)

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Jira single-line text field, Sponsor. Click on Edit for the field in the Custom Fields administration page. Change the Search Template to Exact text searcher (Statistics compatible). Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a Pie chart with Sponsor as the Statistic type.

  
  

• Group requests by the time zone of the Reporter

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (scripted) Text/Html custom field type, TimeZone. Click on Configure for the field in the Custom Fields administration page. Click on Edit Groovy Formula and write the following formula. Code Block import com.atlassian.jira.timezone.TimeZoneManager // access timeZone of the reporter def userTimeZone = getComponent(TimeZoneManager).getTimeZoneforUser(issue.reporter).getID() Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a Pie chart with TimeZone as the Statistic type.

  
  

• Group tickets by the help-desk the Reporter belongs to

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (scripted) Text/Html custom field type, Help-desk. Click on Configure for the field in the Custom Fields administration page. Click on Edit Groovy Formula and write the following formula. Code Block if(!issue.assignee) return null; userUtil = ComponentAccessor.getUserUtil(); groups = userUtil.getGroupsForUser(issue.assignee.name); groups?.first()?.name Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a Two-dimensional gadget with Project and Help-desk fields as the dimensions grouping by Help-desk

  
  

Duration Searchers (Statistics-compatible)

JMCF provides Duration searcher (24x7 durations) and Duration (Time Tracking Format). When you select one of these as the Search template for a custom field of duration type provided by JMCF, you can search for issues with the custom field value with the duration string and can be used in the statistics gadgets. For example:

Group tickets by the duration they have been Flagged for

Applicable to

This search template is applicable to:

• Calculated (scripted) Duration Field of JMCF
• Time in Status Field of JMCF

Use cases

• Search for issues with time in current status greater than 3 days

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Time in status field, "TimeInCurrentStatus" Click on Configure for the field in the Custom Fields administration page. Select the status as "Current Status" under Status(es) Save the configuration. Perform a re-index as suggested.

  
  

• Group tickets by the duration they have been Flagged for

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  title Steps
  Panel Create a Calculated (Scripted) Duration custom field type, Flagged since Click on Configure for the field in the Custom Fields administration page. Click on Edit Groovy formula and write the following formula. Code Block if(issue.get("Flagged")){ return (new Date().getTime() - issue.getFieldHistory("Flagged").last().created.getTime())/1000L } else{ return null } Click on Save. Perform a re-index as suggested. On the dashboard configure a Pie chart with Flagged since as the Statistic type.

  
  

Configuring a search template to a custom field

Generally, you can configure a search template for a custom field of Jira (not Locked) and JMCF by editing the custom field. Starting from JMCF 2.1, you can configure the Search template for any JMCF custom field from the Configure screen as well. This page offers better:

• Search template selection
• explanation of what the search template does
• description of each Search template 
• identification (through theicon) of Statistics-compatible searchers

To modify the search template for a JMCF custom field from the Configure screen:

1. Log in to JIRA as an administrator.
2. Go to the Administration icon  and click on it.
3. Click on Issues - > Custom fields.
4. Locate the custom field in the Custom fields administration page and click on the cog wheel.
5. Click on ConfigureChange the
6. Click on Edit Search Template.
7. Select a Search template
8. Click on Save
9. Perform a re-index as suggested.