status changed TO ("A","B","C") returns different results than separate OR clauses — why?

[Jim McGowen]

I noticed a discrepancy in result counts when using the CHANGED TO operator with multiple statuses.

These two queries should be logically equivalent but return different numbers of results (65 vs 59):

Concise version (65 results):

status changed TO ("Test", "Done", "Invalid") AFTER startOfWeek() BEFORE endOfWeek()
ORDER BY updated DESC

Verbose version (59 results):

status changed TO "Test" AFTER startOfWeek() BEFORE endOfWeek()
OR status changed TO "Done" AFTER startOfWeek() BEFORE endOfWeek()
OR status changed TO "Invalid" AFTER startOfWeek() BEFORE endOfWeek()
ORDER BY updated DESC

The Atlassian docs state that WAS IN (A, B) is equivalent to WAS "A" OR WAS "B", but that equivalence is only explicitly documented for the WAS operator — not for CHANGED TO. Is the same equivalence supposed to hold for CHANGED TO? If not, what is the semantic difference?

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Jim McGowen 

I recall some older defects describing inconsistent behavior with JQL, changelog-related operators like this, particularly for Team-managed project (TMP) status values. 

The workaround for those cases was to use the id values rather than the status names in the JQL expressions.  Perhaps try that to observe if the results then align.

Kind regards,
Bill

[John Funk]

Hi Jim,

Well, that is curious. What is different about those 6? 

[Jim McGowen]

Hard to say now. It's next week and they match this week. So, it was something to do with last weeks issues. Can't imagine what. Pretty simple query.

[John Funk]

Sounds like maybe it was a timing issue with your time zone. 

[JIm McGowen]

How so? I used the same functions in both statements: startOfWeek() and endOfWeek(). I should think they always return the same values no matter how they are used.

[John Funk]

Because the start of the week applies to the time zone you are in. Typically it is 8 am or 9 am on a Monday. Some regions of the world are different as they start their work week on Sunday. Also, 8 am in Cairo, Egypt is different than 8 am in Cairo, IL so you would get different results based on that. 

[JIm McGowen]

Ok, but I didn't change timezone between runs of the same query.

[John Funk]

Understood - just saying that it might depend on when you run the query. Is this still happening and a problem for you?